Strategic Plan
ISM – Greater Grand Rapids, Inc. Business Plan
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ISM–Greater Grand Rapids exists to develop the working knowledge, skills, and understanding of supply management professionals. At our core, we have an educational mission. We must be consistently meeting the needs of members and their employers through relevant and substantial educational events. Those needs are largely how to make higher level strategic impact for their employer and how to solve real every day supply management problems. So the Board as a critical duty must actively ensure that our benefits are focused on high impact and real issues. With personal and professional time at a premium, people will not commit to an event unless they know it will be truly worthwhile. If they trust it will be outstanding, they will even go out of their way to participate. Our education must be so useful that members feel that they can’t afford not to be a member.
One basic local benefit that the affiliate can offer is learning from our membership’s collective wisdom and knowledge. We need to get our members in the habit of actively seeking and sharing with each other by making it easier exchange information and promoting professional networking.
To attract and retain members, the affiliate must make it easier to get valuable information from it than from other sources, thus we must deliver our benefits in alternate user-friendly and convenient formats beyond the traditional dinner meetings and seminars. Panel discussions and podcasts are items we will look into.
If we are confident about what we have to offer, we must get our name and benefits in front of the supply management community.
MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT
Mission:
ISM-GGR provides education, networking, and volunteer opportunities to advance the development of current and future supply management professionals.
Vision:
To offer the supply chain management community unsurpassed professional development, benefits, and strategic value.
To be one of the leading midsize ISM affiliates, a model for other affiliates.
Summary of Markets to Include Current Forecasts.
See also Attachment A - Growth industries from Right Place in our region and Attachment B - List of top employers
Age Distribution
|
2006 |
Greater Grand Rapids* |
|
Kent County |
|
Michigan |
United States |
|
Total Population Estimate |
1,323,287 |
|
599,667 |
|
10,167,507 |
298,021,266 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimate Population by Age |
|
% |
|
% |
% |
% |
|
Age 0 - 4 |
93,867 |
7.09 |
46,119 |
7.69 |
6.37 |
6.73 |
|
Age 5 - 9 |
94,316 |
7.13 |
44,753 |
7.46 |
6.59 |
6.65 |
|
Age 10 - 14 |
100,167 |
7.57 |
45,750 |
7.63 |
7.23 |
7.01 |
|
Age 15 - 17 |
63,390 |
4.79 |
28,878 |
4.65 |
4.50 |
4.33 |
|
Age 18 - 20 |
63,449 |
4.79 |
27,052 |
4.51 |
4.50 |
4.39 |
|
Age 21 - 24 |
78,091 |
5.90 |
33,708 |
5.62 |
5.60 |
5.62 |
|
Age 25 - 34 |
176,113 |
13.31 |
84,036 |
14.01 |
12.51 |
13.31 |
|
Age 35 - 44 |
191,640 |
14.48 |
88,852 |
14.77 |
14.51 |
14.60 |
|
Age 45 - 49 |
100,590 |
7.60 |
45,447 |
7.58 |
7.79 |
7.54 |
|
Age 50 - 54 |
89,302 |
6.75 |
40,054 |
6.68 |
7.13 |
6.81 |
|
Age 55 - 59 |
71,678 |
5.42 |
31,218 |
5.21 |
6.01 |
5.83 |
|
Age 60 - 64 |
54,052 |
4.08 |
22,666 |
3.78 |
4.69 |
4.58 |
|
Age 65 - 74 |
72,940 |
5.51 |
30,247 |
5.04 |
6.31 |
6.48 |
|
Age 75 - 84 |
51,963 |
3.93 |
22,604 |
3.77 |
4.45 |
4.39 |
|
Age 85 and over |
21,729 |
1.64 |
9,553 |
1.59 |
1.81 |
1.73 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Age 16 and over |
1,013,149 |
76.56 |
453,591 |
75.64 |
78.28 |
78.16 |
|
Age 18 and over |
971,547 |
73.42 |
435,167 |
72.57 |
75.31 |
75.28 |
|
Age 21 and over |
908,098 |
68.62 |
408,115 |
68.06 |
70.81 |
70.89 |
|
Age 65 and over |
146,632 |
11.08 |
62,404 |
10.41 |
12.57 |
12.60 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005 Est. Median Age |
34.56 |
|
33.87 |
|
36.86 |
36.18 |
|
2005 Est. Average Age |
35.80 |
|
35.18 |
|
37.43 |
37.05 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*Grand Rapids Combined Statistical Area (Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Muskegon, Newaygo, Ottawa Counties)
Source: Claritas, Inc.
Summary of Results to Date:
Goal #1: Objective: To retain 95% of current membership.
Over the past five years, we have been calling non-renewing members over the summer to remind them and get feedback, which goes in a spreadsheet.
We have varied the location of our professional development dinner meetings to better serve the geographic needs of our members and gotten mostly positive feedback. We have also added 1 or 2 breakfast meetings over the past three years to attract members who cannot make it in the evenings. We will continue to do that.
Goal #2: Objective: To increase net membership by ten members in each year, with focus on new growth markets and younger members.
We have been in contact with local colleges and universities seeking an intern to hire.
We held a panel discussion at local university last year; half a dozen in attendance, but we believe it can attract students who are undecided on their career course.
We have attempted to increase membership from hospitals but they are primarily using their own group purchasing organizations for professional development.
Goal #3: Objective: To increase the exchange of expertise & experience among membership.
We have surveyed membership for areas of expertise to add to our online membership directory and will be adding it shortly.
We have promoted our e-mail listserv discussion group at dinner meetings, but it has not been utilized much.
We will have to ask members why they don’t use it.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
Financial status is stable and fairly strong.
The Board of Directors is solid with a good mix of member ages, knowledge, and experience.
We have good attendance at Summer Workshops which provides experience and continuity on the Board and Committees.
We have been in collaboration with other organizations and hold joint meetings.
We co-sponsor a joint one-day seminar on Supply Chain Management, which is a very good fund raiser, in addition to being an excellent educational event.
We are part of a regional Supply Chain Management Council, involving professional organizations, universities, and manufacturing.
Weaknesses:
The number of volunteers we have is lower than needed to accomplish additional goals.
Attendance and participation of affiliate monthly meetings is lower than previous years – a sign of the economy.
Very little growth in membership from other market segments other than manufacturing, and the age group of 20 to 30's.
Need professional development meeting presenters to be more substantial, strategic oriented in their content.
Opportunities:
There is a large pool of supply management personnel not being reached. We need to market ourselves to better serve that segment in different ways where appropriate.
Better communication to our members.
More focus groups to address member needs.
Promotion of new CPSM certification.
Grow our association by reaching out to service and high growth industries, and also reach out and offer programming to meet needs of younger professionals.
Threats:
Other organizations – need to find areas of cooperation and work toward common goals and educational opportunities.
Revitalization of committees and Board.
New survey of members.
We may not be meeting the market needs to retain and grow our affiliate.
Current Affiliate Products/Programs /Services (see www.ismggr.org)
Professional Development Dinner Meetings
Local seminars & satellite seminars
Local supply chain management conference
Local CPSM preparation workshops
Employment resume listing/online position posting
Email Listserv Discussion Group
