Atlas Amplifier Summer 2008

“Cooking”with Reorganization 8 2008 Survey Results 10 A “Mooving Experience” 24 8 00 Summer 2 olume 56 olume 56 V This ongoing journey involves everyone in our organization. Volume 56 Summer 2008 Chairman’s Message The Magazine of Atlas World Group w the www.atlasworldgroup.com As I write this first message to you in the Amplifier as Bob Clark was appointed President of Atlas Canada from Chairman, I’m reminded that we cannot control the within the company in late 2007. He brings an unrelenting T economic forces that affect our industry. We can, passion for customer service and 25 years of industry Amplifier however, put the right people and systems in place to experience, including 14 years of leading the Atlas business optimize our performance. I’m pleased to report that development efforts in Canada to make Atlas the largest we have done just that. Here are just a few highlights van line in the provinces. of our preparedness: Lastly, two Atlas veterans, whose contributions to Eighteen months ago, Atlas Headquarters employees our company’s quality culture and sales development Cover Story who affect customer service (that’s each and every one programs are unmatched, have been tapped to fill the Atlas Operations 8 of us) set out to simplify business steps and increase the top Atlas positions in a leadership succession that began 2 “Cooking with productivity and accuracy in our processes. It was yet two years ago. AReorganization” NL another quality initiative in our successful journey from I’m proud to announce that Glen Dunkerson is newly 3 22 QC MB 294 7 227 34 ON 3 6 NB 698 26 Interstate & Cross-Border 25 ME NS 5 5 446 ND NS appointed as Atlas World Group Vice Chairman and COO. VT the sixth largest van line nearly 20 years ago to where we 43 MN 09 93 NY NH 58 373 4953 225 WI MA SD 3313 257 MI CT CT DE 4 028 2712 RI 1391 400 16 85 2866 IA 1899 1353 338 PA 2652 N NE 664 OH J DE DC MD 543 707 IL IN 3841 336 2050 MD 701 2411 544 3600 980 2345 VA 335 3273 329 3682 DC MA NH 296 2036 301 Migration Map KS MO 03 4284 18 9 2 380 877 488 88 KY 3056 993 335 NJ RI 2047 NC 4374 3022 300 3 5 He brings 30 years of outstanding Atlas Headquarters OK TN 2289 SC 2 13 stand today as the second largest van line. This time, we AR 957 757 VT 641 50 937 GA 2023 706 MS AL 74 3 78 818 008 3710 727 1291 TX LA 6665 341 46 883 FL 7033 Where is Everybody Going? 5842 used the ISO model as our basis for measurement and experience in several senior operations positions, and uniformity – knowing that we would improve ourselves is most responsible for our industry-leading quality Accel Expands Availability 18 along the way, regardless of whether we received initiatives. And I’m equally excited to announce that Greg certification. And then, in our very first ISO certification Hoover is newly appointed as President and COO of Atlas Forum 2008 Agenda 19 attempt, we were successful. For that, I am proud. Proud of Van Lines. Greg’s 20 years of insightful Atlas experience at 41st Annual each and every one of our Atlas Headquarters employees. the agency and corporate levels are responsible for many Atlas World Group,Inc. I’m also proud of the wealth of experience put in place visionary additions to Atlas, including Avail, Accel and the Strategic Initiatives 20 from within and outside our company traditions to field Atlas puppy. 10 the best senior management team. Yes, I’m proud that we have the right people and the Corporate Web Development 22 Jack Griffin joins us from outside to become President right support in place to serve Atlas World Group well. Program of Atlas International. Jack brings a strong sales and Mostly, however, I’m proud of the promise of service Relocation “Best Ever” Atlas Symposium 23 marketing background from inside and outside our that these accomplishments bring to our customers. OVERVIEW Survey Atlas Specialized Transportation Group industry, including 12 years of senior positions in It continues to be a great time to be a part of the A “Mooving” Experience 24 international relocation and logistics with Allied Van Lines. Atlas family. Titan Global Distribution Puttin’ on the Glitz 25 Atlas International Atlas Welcomes Jack Griffin 26 Atlas Canada Jim Stamm Front & Center 27 Chairman & CEO Cornerstone Relocation Group Call For Action 28 Atlas World News and Information 29 Tracks Atlas Service is Appreciated 41 Editor Barbara Cox [email protected] For more information on Atlas and our services, visit atlasworldgroup.com on the Internet. Atlas Van Lines,Inc.is an ISO 9001 certified company. The Atlas Amplifier is published by Atlas World Group,Inc.,1212 St.George Rd.,Evansville,IN 47711. All material for publication must be submitted to the Marketing Communications Department. Atlas is an equal opportunity company.TM & © 2008 Atlas Investment Company,Inc. Cover Story – ISO Certified This ongoing journey involved those at Atlas who affect customer service. In other words, it involved everyone in ISO Certified: our organization. n the surface, it appears has recently taken on renewed vigor. In people used in their work. We knew Registered Lead Assessor. Norm little has changed at the 2006, recognizing the potential there was a natural correlation joined Atlas in the spring of 2006 as Oheadquarters of Atlas Van for a significant leap forward, Atlas’ between process improvement and Director of Continuous Improvement. Lines in Evansville, Indiana. You see executive management team took ISO methods, so we decided to “Our first priority was to identify “To fulfill our mission of the same buildings and people, steps to alter the trajectory of the pursue ISO compliance.” where we are in our quality evolution being an industry-leading working at the same computers and company’s quality evolution. The shift The Atlas team consulted with and develop a strategy that set forth provider through service telephones, doing pretty much the would engage the entire van line industry professionals, including what our next steps should be,” says and performance, we same tasks. organization in an all-out drive to members of the American Society for Norm. “We recognized that the recognized a need to But, if you could look below the ensure a process for continuous Quality. They were soon convinced to current quality process had served achieve uniformity in surface, you would see a profound improvement. create a position on the organization us well and contributed to our our processes.” change. It’s been quietly taking “To fulfill our mission of being an chart for continuous improvement. success. However, we also realized – Glen Dunkerson shape over the past two years, and industry-leading provider through “This would be a key role,” says Glen. the market is always changing. Vice Chairman and COO, in January it was completed with service and performance, we “We knew it was essential to bring in Customer expectations continue to Atlas World Group ISO 9001:2000 certification. recognized a need to achieve someone with the right qualifications.” rise, and the business environment uniformity in our processes,” says Enter Norm Carlson, with over 20 grows ever more competitive.” Influencing a Quality Glen Dunkerson, Vice Chairman years of experience and credentials Evolution and COO, Atlas World Group. that include Six Sigma Black Belt, Getting In Shape While improvement has long been “From department to department, CQE (Certified Quality Engineer), In August of 2006, the executive integral to the Atlas quality culture, it there were variations in the methods CQA (Certified Quality Auditor) and management team ratified the 2 Atlas Amplifier • Summer 2008 Atlas Amplifier • Summer 2008 3 Cover Story strategy, which identified two “We want our customers to count auditing team that will play an to this challenge as Document major initiatives for the short term. on us for service with the highest level ongoing role and continually Control Coordinator, now her The first was ISO compliance. of professionalism, at a price that is review processes to look for ways fulltime role. “We started with the stated goal competitive and fair,” says Norm. to improve. “The standards specify that of compliance because it would give “If their experience with Atlas leaves Jim says committee members documents required by our us a base for consistency and allow them with a preference for us the developed flow charts and process quality management system be us to identify and remove variation next time they are in the market, we maps, documenting the processes controlled,” says Lisa. “My job is to in our systems,” says Glen. “If at the have achieved our goals.” and procedures of the myriad job ensure the most current versions conclusion we also achieved ISO functions that affect customer service. are in place, with all the necessary certification, that would be the icing Unified Team, Because Atlas already operated under approvals. You could say I’m the on the cake.” Outstanding Effort many of the concepts of the ISO document gatekeeper.” “We understood that it would be With a working strategy document standard, there was a solid basis to The Atlas system uses an nice to have the credential,” says Atlas in hand, Atlas executives engaged a work from and build on. application called Master Control Van Lines President and COO Greg steering committee to shepherd the “We would meet as a committee and houses approximately 1600 Hoover. “But more important is what process throughout the organization.

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