Southwest District
Arizona  Central California  Mexico  So. California  So. Nevada

Advancing Productivity, Innovation, and Competitive Success


Strategy/Vision

(Last updated March 2005 at a Region Staff Meeting)

Steve Buchwald and Ellen Kane reviewed the current Region 7 Strategic Plan in September, 2004, that had been developed in 2001 and 2002 and was shown on the web site. We felt that the current plan represented some valid SWOT analysis, that might be revisited, but that there were not any performance measures indicated and the “Reasons for Existence” were more like key objectives that still needed some work.

We took the “balanced scorecard” approach and redefined Region 7’s reason for being as viewed by the current R7 staff. This approach uses 4 “enablers” or major areas that support the reasons for being. Within each of those enablers, are position statements to support our reasons for being. To complete the plan, we will need to define some processes used by the region, to ensure that what we do this year, can be repeated in future years. We also need to develop a few performance metrics for each position statement. The definition of processes and performance measurements can be developed in parallel. For these tasks, we would like the input of the rest of region staff and the current chapter presidents.

After coming up with the basic R7 Reasons for Being and the position statements within each enabler, we reviewed the current strategic plan (reasons for being) to ensure that they were still covered within our plan. All were accounted for. In addition, we looked at the passport items as redefined for Region 7, and wanted to ensure that any activities that were required by Passport, also fit into our strategic plan.

Passport activities were divided into Administrative and Execution categories. The execution items in Passport should be tied into the performance metrics associated with our position statements. The Administrative items will not necesssarily have performance measures associated with them, and represent the minimum standards required to run the Region well.

The remaining items needed to complete the Strategic plan for this pass include:

  • Bring region staff and presidents up to date on the progress and current status of the region strategic plan (accomplished at the November, ’04 President’s meeting).
  • Prior to the November regional meeting, the staff will be asked to identify some performance measures that might possibly be used to measure our position statements (done, but still preliminary).
  • At the November presidents meeting, brainstorm some of the position statements and finalize the performance measures that should be implemented in the region (brainstorming done, the staff will now review the results, and finalize the plan at our December, 04 Transition meeting).

With this strategic plan in place, we anticipate that the direction that Region 7 takes for the balance of 2004 and for 2005 will create an environment where future region directions can be adjusted to accommodate the changing needs of a dynamic organization.

December 12, 2004 Update by Region Staff:

We reviewed the plan for those staff members that were not present at the November President’s meeting and identified 7 processes that need to be defined that are key to running the region. The documentation of these processes will include the steps that should be taken plus the measurements that should be kept to monitor how these processes are working. The 7 processes were defined as:

Processes:

1. Region Meeting process (Internal enabler-Pos. Statement 1)
2. Liason process (Internal Enabler-Pos. Statement 2)
3. ***Future staff development (Growth & Learning Enabler-Pos. Statement 1)
4. Chapter feedback process (Growth & Learning Enabler-Pos. Statement 2)
5. Society feedback process (Growth & Learning Enabler-Pos. Statement 2)
6. ***Common chapter tools (identify, develop & distribute) (External Enabler-Pos. St. 1)
7. Financial process (Financial Enabler-Pos. St. 1)
***=brainstorming from presidents at November, 2004 meeting

We then evaluated each process to see where it fit on our Customer Impact/Process Performance Grid. Those processes that have high impact to the customer and low Process performance should be fixed/defined first. Our ranking showed these processes to be ranked in the following order (from highest to lowest priority):


• Future Staff Development
• Common Chapter Tools
• Region Meeting Process
• Liason Process
• Chapter Feedback process
• Society Feedback process
• Financial process

Future Staff development process (supporting Growth & Learning Position #1) and Common Chapter tools (supporting External Enabler Position 1) were deemed the most important to begin work on. Future updates will now include the actual development of the individual processes. The goal is to provide the region with a standard methodology for key functions or processes that the region does so that when turnover occurs in the region roles, the work will still continue.

Update as of 3/26/05 at Region Staff Meeting

We flowcharted the process called “Develop and Identify Future Region 7 Staff”. We discovered that there is no development of future staff currently in the process (defined how Staff was named), but ideas were generated that will be incorporated into this process at our next meeting.

Plan Summary

Vision: Be the best Region

Mission: Facilitate Chapter and Society Excellence

Region 7’s Reasons for Being (Goals):

1.      Leadership Development: Facilitate and teach chapters how to develop their current and future leaders for effective chapter management

2.      Educational Offerings Success: Provide resources to chapters so they can provide multiple effective educational offerings, thus providing financial stability for chapters

The 4 enablers that were used to support the regions reasons for being include:

Internal
Growth and Learning
External, i.e. Customer Focus
Financial

I. Internal Enablers

A.   Definition: Internal processes that Region staff uses to run an efficient region

1.  Position Statement 1: To maximize on our 2 goals (reasons for being), the region needs a well-defined process for the development of content and the communication and administration of the regional meetings.

a)     Measurements: Passport 1.7
b)  Process: “Region Meeting Process”

2.     Position statement 2: To maximize goal 1 (leadership development), the region needs a well-defined process to enable it to send the right person with the right message to visit a chapter.

a) Process: “Liaison Process”

II. Growth & Learning Enablers

  A. Definition: What will ensure a healthy, future region

1.  Position Statement 1: To maximize goal 1 (leadership development), the region needs a well-defined process to identify and develop future region staff.  This may include training such as TEAM and Change Management.

a) Process: “Future Staff Development” process
Flowchart created on 3/26/05 and is linked here.

2. Position statement 2: To maximize goal 1 (leadership development) the region needs a well-defined process to ensure feedback from chapters and society on the effectiveness of our offerings and on future offerings.

a) Process: “Chapter Feedback” process
b) Process: “Society Feedback” process

  III.   External Enabler

A.  Definition: To ensure we cover the needs of our chapters (our direct customers) and the community (their customers)

1. Position Statement 1: To maximize goal 2 (educational offerings success), the region needs to develop tools that chapters cannot develop on their own and teach the chapter to use them effectively.  Examples might be:

  •     Environmental Scanning
  •   Mailing Lists
  •   Speakers Lists
       a) Process: “Common Chapter Tools” process

IV. Financial Enabler

  A.   Position Statement: To allow us to support both goals, financial viabilityof the region is the enabler for R7’s being.  Cash flow is the focus.
  B.   Measurement of this enabler/position statement:

1.     From Passport item 1.3, the budget to actual will be measued at each regional meeting and our target will be for actuals to be within +/- 5% of the budget at each meeting.  Beyond this tolerance, requires a review of the budget and possible modification.

2. Process: “Financial” process


  Brainstorming done at November 04 President’s meeting: 

These ideas still need to be incorporated into our Strategic Plan and will be reviewed and finalized at our December staff transition meeting.

Things that make Region 7 “Great”!: (done as an icebreaker at President’s meeting)

Team 1

Team 2

Team 3

Beauty at the regional level

Las Vegas, Disneryland

Weather

Leadership across the region

Joint Mtg with R10 in Hawaii

Friendships

Quick and wide-ranging support

Growth Area

Enthusiasm

Opportunities for cross pollination

Leadership Development

Region 10 as neighbor

Website

Cross Border – Mexico

Dedicated volunteers

President to President communication

Fellowship/goodwill!

We don’t take ourselves too seriously

Ice Breakers - #1

Participation

Sat. nite events diversity

 

Sharing of Info

Value added Region meetings

 

Longevity

Enthusiastic Mexican chapter

 

Networking

 
 

Best looking Region VP & guests

 

Strategic Planning Brainstorming #1: (applies to Growth & Learning enabler position statement #2 and External enabler position statement #1)

Topic: What offerings could or should be developed and what toold should be developed for your chapters!

Team 1

Team 2

Team 3

Additional classes beyond existing certification classes (i.e., Lean)

Region to develop relationships with other organizations

1 on 1 with board help with c-manuals and through conference calls

Using region meetings as educational and networking opportunities

Tools that region can create:

  • Best practices in chapter management
  • Archive of chapter and region data to facilitate hand-offs
  • Region-wide speaker list
  • Job descriptions for chapter officers

Webinars

Region managed resource for storing history for the chapters (Electronic Filing Cabinet)

How to market better

   


Strategic Planning Brainstorming #2:
Related to external enabler position statement #1, what are some ways to identify and develop future region staff

Team 1

Team 2

Team 3

Build in a chapter board position called “Liason to the region”

WIIFM:

  • Career enhance
  • Opportunity to learn
  • Different discipline
  • Resume
  • Ego
  • Networking
  • Growth
  • Internship

Get candidates involved

Region staff invites a chapter person to their staff meeting

Help chapter leaders understand staff roles

Define the Region positions

Assign a task team at region meetings – have chapter person get more involved

Increase communication of regional website

Sell value of involvement to the volunteer’s employer

Solicit chapter nominations

 

Vision: “To Be The BEST Region”

Mission: "To Facilitate Chapter and Society Excellence"

In September 2002 Jane Marshall, in preparation for her tenure as Region 7 V.P. led a group in a strategic exercise to ascertain the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that the Region 7 staff needed to address. She started with a balanced scorecard presentation and exercise, facilitated by Jim Tarr. That information was then distilled. Steve Buchwald put it together with other information he received by asking for input from chapter presidents and selected society paid and volunteer staff.

Finally in December of 2001 the outgoing and incoming region staffs conducted a transition meeting along with Nick Testa and Arnie Kennedy from society to solidify the vision, mission, and execution strategy for the Region 7 staff for this year. The basic results of that effort was that Region needs to be the center for effective two way communication between the chapters and society which led us to the the vision and mission to become the best, most effective region in APICS

To learn more about how Region 7 intends to fulfill its mission and implement its strategy for the future we invite you review the specially prepared Power Point Presentation Region 7 Vision & Strategy Execution Process

Region 7 Reason for Existence as Developed by Our In-Depth Interviews

 

Region

Strength

Weakness

Opportunity

Threats

1

Ensure that the voice of the local community is reflected in society’s strategic analysis

R. Need for change

Mtg Network/Sharing

Expansion Chapters

Reputation/Brand

Poor Communication

No strategic plan

Confusion APICS identity

Lack of staff continuity

Conflicting priorities

Work with other org

Passport for Region

Attract other sectors

New ways to deliver P & S

Apathy

Other organizations

2

Provide a two way on going communication vehicle between society and the chapters

Leadership

Organized

R. Need for change

Mtg Network/sharing

Expansion Chapters

Reputation/Brand

Leadership Develop

Poor Communication

No Speaker List

Confusion APICS identity

Lack of staff continuity

No integrated marketing

Info changes take too long

Liaison network/website

Listserve for region

Apathy

3

Measure effectiveness of being a two way communication tool and make adjustments as needed

Organized

Poor Communication

No Strategic Plan

Confusion APICS identity

Changes take long (member)

Passport for Region

Attract other sectors

Apathy

4

Develop, provide and coordinate regional programs that are too large for one chapter

Assist Chapters $$

Mtg Network/sharing

Expansion Chapters

Instructor Training

Reputation/Brand

No Strategic Plan

Lack of staff continuity

No integrated marketing

Joint Chapter

Advertising

Work with other org.

New ways to deliver P & S

Apathy

5

Be well versed in the running of a not for profit volunteer organization

Assist Chapter $$

Mtg network/sharing

Expansion Chapters

Lack of staff continuity

Passport for Region

Attract other sectors

Apathy

6

Ensure chapters stay on track in delivering on the needs of the local community (new Chptr)

Organized

R. Need for change

Expansion chapters

Instructor Training

Poor Communication

No Strategic plan

Confusion APICS identity

Restructure Chapters boundary

Attract other sectors

Apathy

7

Help preserve the capital of society and the chapters

Assist Chapter $$

No Strategic Plan

No integrated marketing

Joint Chapter Advertising

Restructure chapters boundary

Passport for Region

Work with other org.

New ways to deliver P & S

Apathy

Economic downturn

Financial Problems at Society

Lack of support from companies

Other organizations

8

Provide sufficient region opportunities for chapter volunteers to improve themselves

Leadership

Organized

New BOD Training

Instructor Training

Leadership Develop

No Strategic Plan

Lack of staff continuity

New ways to deliver P & S

Apathy

9

Select and develop (provide) leaders for society

New BOD training

Leadership Develop

No strategic Plan

 

Apathy

Lack of support from companies