What does a lunchroom napkin have to do with saving $70-million? Let Sue Parent tell you.

Parent, the Employee Program Specialist for the Fingerhut Corporation, St. Cloud, MN, said the firm's IMPACT Suggestion Program involved all of the company's 10,500 employees in four states. She worked with 52 committees in Minnesota, Tennessee, Florida and Utah. The committees were made up of employees, with one project manager.

"Employees get a sense of leadership and control. That's what makes our program a success," says Parent. "The target group for the IMPACT program is our hourly employees."

Suggestion Program Success

Parent particularly liked one suggestion that two employees submitted written on a lunchroom napkin.

The idea came from a consolidator and a sorter who had lunch together one day. They decided that if they combined their efforts it could reduce handling time. The suggestion was a successful one.

Another successful suggestion program idea: How to put pay charts into the pay envelopes. The pay charts had been folded, then inserted into the envelope. One employee asked why the charts had to be folded when they fit into the envelope unfolded. This suggestion alone saved the company $14,000!

This is exactly how Parent and Fingerhut wanted their employees thinking. “We want the employees to continually be looking to see how they can do their job better,” she said.
Fingerhut used some simple, but obviously effective ways to reward employees for their suggestions…in a program that saved $70-million over 19 years.

Suggestion Program Awards

The company made up its own lottery tickets. When an employee submitted a suggestion they received a lottery ticket and could win cash or various gifts. When an employee completed their first project, they received a watch from the company.

Said Parent, "Credit goes to the employees for the success of our IMPACT suggestion program. Not everyone can be a leader, but this allows them to play a leadership role.”

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