MADISON, Wis. (10/31/14)--The Credit Union National Association and FI Strategies LLC have partnered in a commitment to improve processes and bolster efficiencies for credit union sales and service teams using the Process Analysis and Optimization (PAO) program.

The PAO program sharpens self-sustained process optimization in credit union managers and in select employees.

As a result, CUNA says, credit unions that participate will experience a significant and immediate improvement in efficiencies and, at the same time, form a common "production and efficiency" language that permanently improves their cultures.

"I've seen countless credit unions get bogged down in complex processes when they could be streamlining their operations and establishing a sales and service culture that will continue to improve itself in the long run," said Meghann Dawson, CUNA director of learning events.

"Process Analysis and Optimization is all about doing more with less," Dawson said, adding that she's looking forward to watching the program shift credit unions' focus and enable "leaders to spend more time on worthwhile pursuits and less on the ineffectual tasks that are actually costing money."

FI Strategies travels to individual credit unions to teach managers the PAO program through interactive sessions. FI also works with in-house staff to make sure the new routines are firmly adopted.

During the program, participants will learn to:

• Measure and improve production quality;
• Forecast future volumes and capacity;
• Improve processes through analysis and flow charts;
• Measure the economic impact of improved processes;
• Effectively record and track vital performance data; and
• Differentiate between batch and demand tasks.