Leveraging the expertise of FEI online.

• Author: Sayther, Colleen
• Position: President's Page - At Federal Executive Institute, we have a certified success on our hands, and its name is FELIX. FELIX stands for Financial Executives List Exchange

At FEI, we have a certified success on our hands, and its name is FELIX. FELIX stands for Financial Executives List Exchange, and it is a moderated listserv that allows FEI members to share best practices and learn from one another. In July, we launched our first version of FELIX, which we call FELIX PC because it was specifically targeted to our members in private companies.

Here's how it works: A member can submit a question on a topic of interest. That question is forwarded to all FELIX subscribers, who have the opportunity to comment or not. Responses to a given question are collected by the moderator and then redistributed to all subscribers. FELIX is moderated by the Financial Executives Research Foundation (FERF), which was instrumental in its development.

Unlike the dreaded chat rooms or bulletin boards, in FELIX, the loop is always closed on any given question. It is the subscribers--not the moderator--who define the nature of the ongoing discussion.

So far, we've sent out more than 45 questions to 4,300 FEI members and received back more than 150 good responses based on practical experience. All questions and answers are archived on the FEI Web site, so members can refer to them as needed.

Here are some examples of the type of questions that FELIX PC subscribers have submitted--and had answered for them:

* Our local natural gas utility has informed us that our costs will go up by 30 to 40 percent; what should we do now?

* How can I find the least expensive health care costs for my company's employees without compromising coverage?

* Is there a company that can provide payroll services for employees who are foreign nationals?

* What are the most useful performance measures (both operating and financial) for privately held companies?

Feedback from our members on this new service has been overwhelmingly positive. As a result, we have expanded the list-serv concept and launched FELIX Global at the end of October, allowing members of international companies access to one another to address their unique global concerns.

Why is FELIX such a hit? The answer, I believe, is simple. FELIX successfully leverages the collective brainpower and expertise of the entire FEI membership of over 15,000. That is a reservoir of best practices and applied learning that is staggeringly broad and deep. Our members are leaders in both the public and private sector and command sufficient knowledge and...