CUNA MUTUAL GROUP USES IQNAVIGATOR TO GAIN CONTROL OF ITS SERVICES PROCUREMENT PROCESS ACROSS MULTIPLE CATEGORIES
IQNavigator Solution Automates and Simplifies Services Spending Processes, Providing Full Visibility
DENVER, Colorado, April 17, 2006 -
IQNavigator, Inc., the leading provider of services procurement and spend management solutions, today announced that CUNA Mutual Group, provider of financial services to credit unions and their members worldwide, has implemented IQNavigator7 to manage the sourcing, procuring, tracking and payment of its temporary labor, IT services, and projects-based professional consulting. IQNavigator completed the implementation for CUNA Mutual, including six system integrations, within ten weeks.
"Using IQNavigator, we are able to achieve full visibility and control over our services spending, which has traditionally been a difficult business area to manage," said Kaaren Neuendorf, Business Services Portfolio Manager, CUNA Mutual Group. "In addition to traditional temporary labor services, we are using IQNavigator to gain control of onsite outsourced services and management consulting. We are already seeing tremendous benefits."
A true Software-as-a-Service offering, IQNavigator7 integrates at several touch points with CUNA Mutual's current systems to help streamline the source-to-procure-to-pay processes for services. "IQNavigator's ability to quickly integrate with our current systems greatly improved the process efficiencies and adoption of the program. For example, the single sign-on integration ensures our security rules are followed, and our users don't have to remember yet another username and password," said Neuendorf.
IQNavigator7 supports CUNA Mutual's complex approval hierarchies and rules, based on job type and spend limits by connecting to the organization's human resources system. Another integration sends messages to CUNA Mutual's on-boarding system when a contractor and consultant changes in status, providing coordinated building security and additional process efficiencies.
"We were very pleased CUNA Mutual Group selected IQNavigator over other providers including their incumbent ERP system," said John F. Martin, SVP Strategy and Technology, IQNavigator. "Through our rapid integration approach and architecture, we were able to deliver six integrations in the short implementation project, and more importantly our Software-as-a-Service model ensures these integrations will be continuously monitored and transparently upgraded for CUNA Mutual going forward for no additional cost."
IQNavigator7 supports the organization's ability to source, manage, track delivery and pay by milestones, per-unit deliverables, time or any combination. The highly configurable solution also enables CUNA Mutual to support varying sourcing methods including competitive bidding, direct sourcing, and supplier tiering by type of requisition. IQNavigator7 also allows the organization to select preferred vendors for supplier tiering rules based on supplier performance and quality and price metrics.
Based on the current success of the program, CUNA Mutual is now exploring the expansion of IQNavigator to event planning, marketing services, security services, and facilities management. "CUNA Mutual Group is driving tremendous value through expansion of its services procurement initiative," said John P. Raeder, President and CEO, IQNavigator. "We are proud to partner with such a progressive company as we continue to help our customers gain control, and ultimately cost savings, around their services spending."
About CUNA Mutual Group
CUNA Mutual Group is the leading provider of financial services to credit unions and their members worldwide. More information on the company is available on the company's Web site at www.cunamutual.com.
About IQNavigator
Founded in 1999, IQNavigator provides services procurement and optimization solutions to Fortune 500 companies such as CUNA Mutual Group, The Bank of New York, Quad/Graphics, Entergy, Shell, Northrop Grumman, Sony Electronics, Verio, Schlumberger and Alcatel. The company's award-winning suite of integrated applications enables companies to increase profitability by reducing and controlling costs for all types of outside services spending worldwide. IQNavigator has a successful track record for delivering a compelling and fast return on investment, as well as adaptable process control, enterprise-wide financial analysis and enhanced performance. The company is recognized as an industry pioneer and offers deep domain expertise in key market segments such as financial services, energy, healthcare, manufacturing and aerospace/defense. IQNavigator is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and is found on the Web at www.iqnavigator.com.