New AFS Strategic Plan Approved: 'It's Time to Move Forward'.

One of the main goals I set for myself during my year as AFS President was, together with the board and staff, to develop a vision for the future of the Society and to produce a working, practical and executable strategic plan to accomplish this vision. I wanted AFS, its members and the entire metalcasting industry on the same page. During the January AFS Board of Directors meeting, this plan was unanimously approved. We now are ready to move forward.

I want to make it clear that this is not just my plan. This has been and will continue to be a team effort. We must create a shared vision and sense of direction for the Society based on what the industry needs. It's also important that this plan doesn't find its way to a dusty bookshelf after this year. For that reason, Don Huizenga, AFS 2nd vice president, is the strategic planning chair and the leader for the next few years. Don Gaertner, the next AFS president, already is planning the plan's implementation.

We have gone through several steps to date. First, a survey was developed for the current board and key industry informants, as I will call them, or people who have been active in the industry. The intent of this survey was to identify key strengths and weaknesses of AFS. We also asked participants about their perception of key external trends that will impact the industry and how AFS members and constituents view the Society. The survey also asked about our members' perceptions of the Society. The last question concerned the most important future needs and service expectations of AFS.

Based on the survey results, we worked on creating a vision, forming distinct strategic planning goals and developing a plan to accomplish these goals.

Mission and Vision

The AFS mission statement is: "to provide and promote knowledge and services that strengthen the metalcasting industry for the ultimate benefit of its customers and society."

The board-approved vision statement is: "AFS will be the leader of the metalcasting industry."

Goals and Strategies

The Strategic Planning Team has created five main goals and several strategies for achieving each goal.

Goal 1 relates to industry leadership: "Position AFS to be the leader in the changing metalcasting industry."

* Strategy 1.1--Intensify marketing and communication efforts directed toward current and potential casting buyers and designers, instructors and students, and government;

* Strategy 1.2--Build strategic alliances and partnerships to increase the impact of AFS leadership efforts;

* Strategy 1.3--Enhance technology transfer efforts within the metalcasting industry.

Goal 2 relates to membership development: "Expand and strengthen our membership base."

* Strategy 2.1--Better communicate the value of membership through personal relationship-building with current and prospective members;

* Strategy 2.2--Evaluate effectiveness of benefits available to our membership;

* Strategy 2.3--Re-energize the leadership role of chapters in membership development;

* Strategy 2.4--Enhance opportunities for members to participate in committees and councils.

Goal 3 speaks about products and services offered by AFS: "Refocus our program/service mix to meet current and emerging needs of the changing face of our customer base."

* Strategy 3.1--Increase understanding of and responsiveness to the customer;

* Strategy 3.2--Increase use of emerging technologies to better deliver products and services to the customer;

* Strategy 3.3--Update and expand the content and presentation of education and training opportunities offered through AFS;

* Strategy 3.4--Develop new products and services to meet targeted needs of customers.

Goal 4 relates to internal organizational development: "Develop AFS as an organization that is innovative, dynamic and continuously responsive to change."

* Strategy 4.1--Strengthen internal and external communications throughout the organization;

* Strategy 4.2--Enhance the strategic leadership role of the board of directors;

* Strategy 4.3--Expand and enhance associate development efforts;

* Strategy 4.4--Make effective use of current and emerging computer technology for communicating with customers.

This is a key goal. This is a major-league opportunity to educate and invigorate the staff associates. We want and expect the associates at AFS to be as enthused as we are about our business. We want them to think and act as entrepreneurs and to have urgency in their daily routine.

Goal 5 is about financial development: "Generate the revenue necessary to advance the AFS strategic plan."

* Strategy 5.1--Improve business management practices;

* Strategy 5.2--Offer new revenue-generating products and services that meet industry and member needs;

* Strategy 5.3--Increase revenue from an expanded membership base.

AFS staff associates already have begun to integrate the strategic plan and national goals into their business plan. Now it's time for the AFS chapters and Board of Directors to play their role in this important process. It's time for you to think and act. I ask that you think creatively about the strategic plan and the future. Come join the action, be part of the team and help create the vision. It's time to move forward.

AFS Embarks on the Strategic Planning Process

With the help of Frank Martinelli, Center for Public Skills Training, who served as planning facilitator, the Strategic Planning Team followed a 6-month strategy building process, which consisted of three essential steps:

Step 1--assess internal strengths and weaknesses of AFS, external changes and trends deemed to have the greatest impact on AFS in the future, and current and future needs and service expectations of members and potential members;

Step 2--review the assessment summary (strengths, weaknesses, trends, member needs) and identify the most critical issues and choices facing AFS over the next 5 years. The following statements were ranked as among the most critical issues facing AFS:

* Industry Leadership--How do we position AFS to play a leadership role in the changing metalcasting industry?;

* Membership Development--How do we expand and strengthen our membership base?;

* Products and Services/Customer Needs--How do we re-focus our program/service mix to meet the current and emerging needs of our changing customer base?;

* Innovation/Internal Organizational Development--How do we develop AFS as an organization that is innovative, dynamic and continuously responsive to change?;

* Revenue Generation--How do we generate the revenue necessary to advance the AFS strategic plan?

Step 3--develop a strategic plan document that describes our response to these critical issue statements. The document contains four planning levels:

* Mission--Broad description of what we do, with/for whom we do it, our distinct competence, and why we do it;

* Vision--Image or description of the organization we aspire to become. It answers the question "If we could create the AFS of our dreams and have the impact on the metalcasting industry and our members that we most desire, what would this look like in the Year 2004?;"

* Goals--Broad statement of what AFS hopes to achieve in the next 3 years (goals focus on outcomes or results and are qualitative in nature);

* Strategies--Under each goal are major approaches or methods for attaining the goal.