We see friction everywhere.

WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / June 6, 2024 / FOUNT Global, Inc. announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Phase I contract in the amount of USD $74,885.00 focused on “Work Friction Commanders Decision Tool” to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now on May 13, 2024, FOUNT Global, Inc. will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.

“We are honored to be selected by AFWERX for this opportunity. At FOUNT, we are committed to delivering actionable insights that address work friction and supporting the mission-critical needs of the Department of the Air Force.”

Ian Powell, Chief Sales Officer

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

About FOUNT Global, Inc.
FOUNT is a SaaS technology provider focused on identifying, quantifying, and reducing work friction. The platform leverages targeted surveys and powerful analytics to provide enterprise business leaders with actionable insights. With over 7 million friction data points available for benchmarking, these strategic insights support digital transformations, optimize AI adoption, uncover hidden organizational work friction, resolve operational challenges, and improve productivity. Founded in 2022, FOUNT has headquarters in Washington D.C., London, and Hamburg. Visit www.getfount.com for more information.

About Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery,development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.

About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 325military, civilian and contractor personnel at six hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed 4,697 contracts worth more than $2.6 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.

Company Press Contact:
press@getfount.com

SOURCE: FOUNT Global, Inc.

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LIVE Webinar | July 9th | 10 AM EDT

Today, ambitious GBS leaders are expanding the way they define transformative business value. Whilst their goals are growing, the data they use to de-risk their transformation hasn’t changed much.

This webinar will spotlight how GBS leaders are fixing a bigger problem: the way they measure work.

Process Mining, SLAs, and ticketing systems only tell what happens after something goes wrong. They don’t show how to prevent problems before they start.

In this session, you’ll hear real stories from leading GBS teams using a new kind of data – called friction data – to find and fix what slows workers down and leads them to reject new digital and AI-powered GBS tools.

In this session, you’ll hear how GBS teams are using friction data to:

✔ Accelerate AI and digital tool adoption
✔ Bridge silos and unify service delivery
✔ Free up to 2 hours of productive time per worker, per day

What You’ll Learn:

• Why friction data is a leading indicator for successful digital and AI adoption
• How to apply a proven framework to proactively measure day-to-day friction
• How a unified friction data model creates better GBS experiences across HR, Finance, Procurement, and IT

Speakers

Christophe Martel
CEO and Co-Founder, FOUNT Global

Christophe Martel is the co-founder and CEO of FOUNT, a SaaS platform that helps companies identify and remove work friction. He has 30 years of experience helping organizations improve the way their people work. He was formerly Chief Human Resources Officer at talent management and employee experience consulting firm CEB, which sold to Gartner for $2.7 billion in 2017.

Stephanie Denino
Director of Applied EX practice, TI People

Stephanie Denino is the Director of Applied EX practice at TI People – an employee experience consultancy (EX). Stephanie works with leaders who are eager to shape and apply the practices that will allow them to systemically improve experiences for and with their people.

Lucy Hughes
Senior Vice President, Head Global HR Operations and Shared Services, PepsiCo

Lucy Hughes is a strategic HR executive at PepsiCo with deep expertise in HR services, systems, and global shared services. She brings extensive experience in talent management, organizational development, and transformation, consistently leading complex, outcome-driven projects. Known for driving sustainable performance and large-scale change, Lucy excels in identifying key challenges and delivering impactful, results-focused solutions.

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originally published by Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs

As companies look to increase workplace efficiencies, many are turning to artificial intelligence to streamline workflows and achieve measurable results. In fact, 75% of general knowledge workers now use AI, with nearly half adopting it within the past six months. But 77% of employees using AI say it increases their workloads and nearly half don’t know how to achieve the productivity gains.

While pressure mounts to show ROI from AI investments, organizations may inadvertently add friction to employees’ existing workflows and potentially impact productivity.. Addressing these barriers is important for companies aiming to balance technological innovation with employee well-being.

FOUNT: Identifying and Eliminating Friction

FOUNT Global, Inc. is a startup that identifies workplace inefficiencies and helps organizations boost productivity and drive business transformations using focused micro surveys that show exactly where to intervene to maximize AI productivity gains. While traditional employee surveys ask about job satisfaction and if they have the right tools to do their jobs, FOUNT surveys pinpoint the root causes of friction, measures their impact, and prioritizes actionable solutions. Their technology evaluates key workflow elements, including time spent on tasks, the efficacy of tools, and the interplay between human and digital touchpoints.

According to FOUNT, companies that use their services tend to reduce costs, improve employee retention, and increase Employee Net Promoter Scores (eNPS)—a key indicator of workplace satisfaction. Crucially, FOUNT also evaluates the success of AI implementations so companies can determine the ROI of their investment.

“We help determine if these tools are actually working and identify areas for improvement.” — Christophe Martel, Co-Founder & CEO FOUNT

The idea for FOUNT was born from Martel’s personal frustrations while managing a 150-person team. Despite his best efforts, he lacked the data needed to understand employee pain points. The problem persisted even when he transitioned to a Chief HR Officer role, where he realized the broader, industry-wide nature of work friction.

“It just doesn’t make any sense,” said Martel. “Companies have transformed customer experiences. Shopping is simple. Returns are simple. Why can’t working at a company be as seamless as shopping online?”

To tackle the problem, Martel teamed up with co-founder Volker Jacobs to build a SaaS platform that identifies and resolves these challenges. The solution quickly gained traction, with FOUNT raising $10.75 million in venture capital funding and landing major Fortune 100 customers. One FOUNT client, a healthcare provider, faced 30% employee attrition rates among new call center employees. By addressing friction points with FOUNT, the company saved $13.4 million by curbing the workplace turnover.

In the fall of 2024, FOUNT joined the AI accelerator program at Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs. The program connected FOUNT with Comcast NBCUniversal executives, opening doors to potential partnerships and valuable feedback. Martel said,

“The accelerator has been invaluable. We’ve gained insights on everything from pricing to refining our value proposition. It’s helping us level up and demonstrate our impact to large enterprises.”

Looking Ahead: A Frictionless Future

FOUNT envisions a future where its data-driven insights influence every aspect of the workday. By providing continuous improvement loops, the company aims to help organizations create environments where employees can thrive.

“For us,” Martel emphasized, “our mission is clear: make it easier for employees to do their best work, every single day.”

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For anyone curious, here’s our latest case study showing how FOUNT helped reduce friction for developers using AI tools – and revealed exactly where adoption was stalling: https://getfount.com/resource/case-study-leveraging-genai-tools-developers/