Another Great Manufacturing Story

PROCTER & GAMBLE: HOW THEY ACHIEVED ZERO WASTE AT 45 MANUFACTURING PLANTS

Zero waste to landfill. Think about that for a moment. Cincinnati-based P&G, one of the world’s largest manufacturers, is now using, recycling or repurposing 100 percent of the materials that enter 45 of its manufacturing facilities.

The examples of creative uses are many: In Mexico, sludge from a toilet paper factory is used to make roof tiles. In Budapest, rejected feminine care products go into the production of cement, instead of being deposited in landfills. Scraps from feminine care products now go into the soles of low-cost shoes. Waste left over from the manufacturing of shampoo is now used to make fertilizer. Wood scraps go into particle board.

Back in 2007, the company formed a Global Assets Recovery Purchasing (GARP) team with the mission of looking at waste as something that can be used for a different purpose. The team members are, for the most part, procurement specialists who see waste minimization as a business opportunity. Company-wide, only 1 percent of materials entering plants end up in landfills. In March 2013, P&G was able to make the zero-waste announcement about 45 of its plants.    

Globally, 4.6 billion people – more than half of the world’s population -- use P&G products. P&G is making amazing strides in waste reduction in their plants, and now has its eyes set on helping its customers reduce waste as well. By any definition, that is a Great Manufacturing Story. 

A friend and former co-worker from our days at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) continues to produce a series of articles relating to manufacturing success stories.  My thanks goes out to Doug for sharing these remarkable achievements with us.

Great Manufacturing Stories - http://www.greatmanufacturingstories.com/

Shame on Buick GMC of Mahwah

When I elected to start this blog I intended to share best practices for my chosen profession, comment on an article or share a story or event past or present that I found interesting.  Today, I regret I feel compelled to share a very negative experience I had with a local car dealership’s service department.  I suspect many of us have had similar experiences and we must all be vigilant when receiving information from professionals in all industries.

We own a 2009 Buick Enclave that we purchased new.  While we have enjoyed it’s ride, functionality and comfort I cannot say it has been trouble free. Several months after making this purchase we returned to the dealer for a few minor issues including an unusual noise coming from the steering column. The first time we reported this noise we were told they knew of this issue but did not have the part to make the repair. The next time we brought the car in for service we were told the noise could not be duplicated.

The second recurring issue has been with the engine or drivetrain. Several years ago we noticed the car not shifting properly when we accelerated.  When we brought it in for service we were told it was the timing belt but not to worry it was covered under our warranty.  Last year we experienced a similar hesitation when we accelerated and again returned to the dealer for service. This time we were told the transmission no longer functioned properly and would need to be replaced.  Of course, there was no cost to us as it too was covered under warranty.

A few months ago we again experienced louder than usual groans and grinding coming our steering column and hesitation when accelerating.  So we made an appointment and returned to the dealer as these were both ongoing issues they’ve diagnosed throughout the life of our vehicle. While the car was in their possession we also had them look at the sound system as we were experiencing interference when we plugged in an external device such as an ipod.

At the end of the day I received a call with their diagnosis and recommended repairs. The steering column noise was a result of a leak of the power steering fluid.  As a result there was no power steering fluid in the system and the entire gear and steering column needed to be replaced at a cost of $1500.  While I may not have the exact technical name of the needed repair I’m certain he used the word gear and I’m certain he said $1500. In regard to the hesitation, we needed a new coil and plug as one of our six cylinders was not functioning.  Cost would be $1,000.  In regard to the sound system interference, the unit was bad and would need to be replaced for $800. None of the above is covered under warranty. WOW!  However, since we are such good customers he would talk with his manager who was not there and he would see what he could  do for us.  I agreed.  The next day, he called and said they would cover the steering column repair so they could make all the repairs (minus the radio) for $1,000.

I declined what they felt was a generous offer and said I would need a second opinion from another service facility. When I picked up my car they charged me $130 for the diagnostic service and I took my car elsewhere. The following is the result.

The steering column did indeed have a leak but there was still fluid in the system and it worked properly and safely without being replaced.  They recommended we keep an eye on it (fluid level) and when it gets low, add fluid. (Hmm, I can do that.)

The hesitation during acceleration was indeed caused by a bad coil and plug. Satisfactory repairs were made for a total cost of parts and labor of just over $300.

Lastly, the interference in the sound system when an external device is connected was a known problem to GM.  This professional service facility researched GM bulletins and learned there is a special wire sold at Radio Shack that addresses this issue.  The GM bulletin includes the part number.  Curious, why didn’t a GM dealership know this?

The end result is the Enclave runs great without hesitation, the ongoing noise in the steering column has returned to normal and while the Radio Shack wires did not cancel out all the interference, it is much improved.  All this for a total cost of less than $350 (As opposed to over $3300).

In the event you think I’m being unfair to the dealer you should know I made it clear to the customer service representative I had serious doubts about the accuracy of their diagnosis and recommended repairs. Also, I shared my experience in total with the service manager who sent me a standard impersonal e-mail and "hoped my service was completed satisfactorily".  I responded to his e-mail to inform him I was not satisfied and actually resent having to pay $130 for a diagnosis that was mostly incorrect. Several weeks have passed and I’ve yet received a response.

As we are often reminded, “let the buyer beware”.

Don Sciolaro

DESolutions

(201) 394-8801

web site: D E Solutions

Social Media and a Multi-level Communications Strategy

Periodically, our organizations are faced with the question of when and how to incorporate new trends into our business plans and strategies.  It’s the struggle between the minimum our respective customers expect versus what the leading organizations are doing. For instance, when the internet was young there were a few of the visionaries who saw the value in incorporating a web site into their marketing and communication plan.  At that time, there were a select few that had effective compelling web sites.  A short time later it was standard operating practice to have a professional and informative web site. It was no longer a luxury for the few.  If you were to be taken seriously, you were expected to have a user friendly, professional and informative web site.

We are faced with s similar dilemma today in regard to social media.  In the early days of social media some of the more insightful organizations incorporated social media into their communications strategy.  The rest elected to wait and see.  Social media today like the internet of yesterday can be overwhelming and frightening yet compelling. 

While many are still trying to figure out which is a better platform, Facebook or LinkedIn, you’ve already missed the boat to be on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, Flickr, Vine, etc.  By the time you finish reading this article someone will have introduced another in a long line of the next great social media outlets.  Some will be successful others will fail.  How do you sort them out and how do you know which are the right ones for you?

The answer depends on your organization and its members or customers.  This blog can serve as an example.  Remember all the parts are interchangeable.  Depending on your business, some elements may be more effective than others as people receive their information and communicate in different ways.  This is why there is no one correct strategy for everyone. Any communication strategy must incorporate multiple elements to be effective.  It all starts with a communication hub.  For me that means a compelling web site or in this case a blog site.  Make certain your web site is easy to navigate and allows the user to get the information they’re looking for with little effort. You can also control the content of your web site so while it is a constant the information will vary.  Then determine how to reach your target audience.  Many communicate by e-mail and that is one option.  By using abbreviated messages you can drive your customers to your web site by e-mail. This is only effective if you have the e-mail address of everyone you want to do business with and they are likely to follow a link to your message. To reach the rest of the world you turn to social media.  You can post messages on your own LinkedIn group or groups where your customers go for information.  You can send tweets with links and hash tags.  Perhaps the one advantage this digital age provides over print is you can track your progress and assess where your message is well received and where it is not.  I posted the link to this article on my LinkedIn profile.  I then shared it in a variety of LinkedIn groups where I felt professionals like you might benefit from its content.  I then sent out a summary and link to this blog on Twitter.  In the days and weeks that follow I can track the views of this blog and assess where the viewers read the post and followed the link.  In some cases the origin is from a message board I do not use.  This means someone shared this link with their network, another benefit of utilizing social media.

I have one suggestion and a word of caution. I suggest trying a variety of social media outlets.  They’re not complicated but it does take some research to understand the culture of accepted practices by the users of the various outlets. For instance, messages posted on Facebook pages vary greatly from those users expect to see on a LinkedIn page. Caution: Due to the number and variety of social media platforms it would difficult for most of us to devote the time and resources to master them all.  Even if you did, they will evolve and new ones will emerge.  But like the growth of web sites, social media as a component of your communication strategy is a must.

I will close with an article a friend posted in a LinkedIn group of like minded professionals. It is about social media trends for 2014.  http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-trends-2014/

Don Sciolaro

DESolutions

(201) 394-8801

web site: D E Solutions

Can Knowing Hotel Secrets Lower Your Costs?

I recently read an article posted on a social media site that suggests there are secret ways to work with hotels to lower your event costs. I wondered how significant these secrets were and asked an industry expert for his analysis. Tom Berkman, President and CEO of Omnia Housing Services is our industry expert. Tom is a 36-year hospitality and housing company veteran that created and has overseen the operation of the THS Company, the nation’s premier sports housing service and Omnia's parent company.

Fill Need Dates was number one - This seemed obvious to the author and our industry expert but not me. They explained this applies to event space not guest rooms.  If a hotel is full due to a large city wide event, its event space (meeting rooms) are likely not being used. The hotel may be willing to negotiate better rates for this unused space which can come in handy as long as you don’t need guest rooms.

Check Cancellation Clauses – the author of the article says to be careful about this important item as it may result in steep penalties should you need to cancel less than six months from your arrival date.  Our industry expert says his firm never agrees to cancellation clauses more than 30 days from arrival.

Both the article’s author and our expert agreed the next several items were standard so we won’t devote much time to them but felt they should be noted here.  They are: Be Aware of Food and Beverage (F&B) minimum.  Seems reasonable but be aware F&B calculations do not include gratuity or tax; Understand audiovisual (AV) requirements. Some hotels have a preferred vendor and may charge you a fee if you use your own;  Contract internet upfront. Until recently, this has been a major cost to your event.  Hotels are better equipped today but be aware of these hidden charges.

Attrition-Lower it – The article’s author suggests a variety of tips and tricks for calculating attrition penalties should they occur. Our industry expert tells me they never agree to attrition penalties in their contracts and feels they could be avoided all together.

Ask for a Resell Clause – This refers to your attrition penalty but our industry expert reminds us they have no attrition so this clause is unnecessary.

Leverage Sales Manager – this was more of a tip on how to work with a sales manager to get the best deal. It sounded more like shopping for a car as it was suggested it’s better to call at certain times of the month or quarter when they have to report sales to quota.

While the article offers some things to consider when negotiating a hotel contract, it seems more complicated than that to me. A housing services vendor can be a great partner in working through the hotel selection process and execution of an agreement. If you want to remove the risk from your organization and increase your reward, that is my best suggestion.

Don Sciolaro

DESolutions

(201) 394-8801

web site: D E Solutions

Great Manufacturing Stories

A friend and former co-worker from our days at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) continues to produce a series of articles relating to manufacturing success stories.  While I enjoy them all, I chose this one to share with you as everyone knows the company and likely uses their products. Also, I am proud to say I frequently visited this outstanding company having an opportunity to learn about its culture and history firsthand. My thanks goes out to Doug for sharing these remarkable achievements with us.

McCormick Spices: Great Taste Starts With A Committment to R&D

It would be hard to find a company that does more to bring life to the taste of food than McCormick Spices, whose products can be found in residential and commercial kitchens around the world. McCormick is celebrating its 125^thanniversary in 2014 with its annual Flavor Forecast, new recipes, videos, and opportunities for its customers to share their ideas.  

The company was founded in Baltimore. Today, it operates plants in Hunt Valley, Maryland; Gretna, Louisiana; South Bend, Indiana; Atlanta, Georgia; Irving, Texas; and London, Ontario; and one in Mexico, as well as a number of plants overseas. About 40% of sales come from non-U.S. operations.

Consumers are often surprised when they learn how much R&D goes into the company’s products. McCormick typically will invest between $52 million and $58 million in R&D each year at its research labs and product-development facilities. These efforts focus on developing new products, improving existing ones, and finding ways to lower sodium and calories, to help consumers more easily comply with recommend dietary guidelines that often include reducing salt, fat, and added sugars. McCormick is also involved in studies of diets in a variety of global regions.

Through the years, McCormick has grown its business not only by developing its own products but also through acquisitions. Its purchase of A. Schilling of San Francisco in 1947, enabled distribution across the entire continent. Canada’s largest spice company, Gorman Eckert Ltd, was acquired in 1962. Then came a frozen-foods acquisition, Gilroy Foods, in 1973. McCormick added an interest in Old Bay seasonings in 1990 and purchased Lawry’s seasonings in 2008. Today, the company employs about 8,000 people worldwide.

Raw materials, such as peppers and onions, are sourced both locally and internationally. McCormick’s manufacturing processes are highly efficient, yet the company continually works to minimize waster. Instead of relying on landfills or incinerators, McCormick recycles its scrap metals, cardboard, office paper, plastics, and food waste whenever it can. The London, Ontario plant recycles nearly 45% of its solid waste, and the Monteux, France plant now recycles 75% of waste. Packaging is minimized whenever possible.

Spices, rubs, and seasonings make food more delicious, and in that process, bring people and even different cultures a little bit closer together. And that may be, as McCormick celebrates its 125^th anniversary, the company’s greatest achievement of all!

Click here for more Great Manufacturing Stories: Great Manufacturing Stories

Salute to volunteers by former NY Giant great George Martin

I recently attended my second Super Community Spirit Showcase hosted by the Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce (http://www.mahwah.com/).  The Chamber invites non-profit organizations to set up table top displays to share their mission with the Chamber of Commerce members in attendance. The theme of the event was related to the Super Bowl as it took place the week before the big event and probably less than 15 miles from the Stadium.  There were numerous organizations represented including a homeless shelter for battered women, a community food bank and our job seekers networking and support group (http://www.neighbors-helping-neighbors.com/). Attendance was great in the large hotel ballroom and there were several former pro football players in attendance to give out autographs. 

Following introductions of the Chamber Board of Directors and other VIPs in attendance, the keynote speaker was introduced.  It was George Martin, former all pro defensive lineman for the NY Giants (https://www.facebook.com/GMartinNFLAA). He started his remarks by sending a Giant thank you to all the volunteers in the room and to all the attendees for supporting these organizations. He did not single out any one group but acknowledged the important work of all non-profit organizations and the selfless contributions of the many volunteers in these organizations.  He went on to say that he would not have become who he is without the work and support of a non-profit early in his life. He did not elaborate but you got the sense it either changed his life dramatically or perhaps even saved his life.

Then he shared a brief story about recently being asked to speak to a group about civility in sports. He said while he agrees this is an important topic, he would rather speak about civility in society.  I wish I could have been there when he gave that speech.

He went on to close his remarks by recognizing his former teammate and two time cancer survivor, Karl Nelson. Karl was there representing one of the many charities he supports. George said Karl was the bravest person he ever met. (http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/27/q-a-with-karl-nelson/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0).

I did some research on George Martin following the event and found an amazing story about a charity he founded following the tragic events of 9-11. It’s worth a read: Ex-Giants DE Martin finishes 3,000-mile walk for 9/11 charity  (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3455370).

Before that evening I really didn’t know much about George Martin other than his pro football success.  I now know he can inspire an entire room full of people in less than ten minutes. Thank you George.

Can Knowing Hotel Secrets Really Lower Your Costs?

I recently read an article posted on a social media site that suggests there are secret ways to work with hotels to lower your event costs. I wondered how significant these secrets were and asked an industry expert for his analysis. Tom Berkman, President and CEO of Omnia Housing Services is our industry expert. Tom is a 36-year hospitality and housing company veteran that created and has overseen the operation of the THS Company, the nation’s premier sports housing service and Omnia's parent company.

Fill Need Dates was number one - This seemed obvious to the author and our industry expert but not me. They explained this applies to event space not guest rooms.  If a hotel is full due to a large city wide event, its event space (meeting rooms) are likely not being used. The hotel may be willing to negotiate better rates for this unused space which can come in handy as long as you don’t need guest rooms.

Check Cancellation Clauses – the author of the article says to be careful about this important item as it may result in steep penalties should you need to cancel less than six months from your arrival date.  Our industry expert says his firm never agrees to cancellation clauses more than 30 days from arrival.

Both the article’s author and our expert agreed the next several items were standard so we won’t devote much time to them but felt they should be noted here.  They are: Be Aware of Food and Beverage (F&B) minimum.  Seems reasonable but be aware F&B calculations do not include gratuity or tax; Understand audiovisual (AV) requirements. Some hotels have a preferred vendor and may charge you a fee if you use your own;  Contract internet upfront. Until recently, this has been a major cost to your event.  Hotels are better equipped today but be aware of these hidden charges.

Attrition-Lower it – The article’s author suggests a variety of tips and tricks for calculating attrition penalties should they occur. Our industry expert tells me they never agree to attrition penalties in their contracts and feels they could be avoided all together.

Ask for a Resell Clause – This refers to your attrition penalty but our industry expert reminds us they have no attrition so this clause is unnecessary.

Leverage Sales Manager – this was more of a tip on how to work with a sales manager to get the best deal. It sounded more like shopping for a car as it was suggested it’s better to call at certain times of the month or quarter when they have to report sales to quota.

While the article offers some things to consider when negotiating a hotel contract, it seems more complicated than that to me. A housing services vendor can be a great partner in working through the hotel selection process and execution of an agreement. If you want to remove the risk from your organization and increase your reward, that is my best suggestion.

Don Sciolaro

D ESolutions

Innovative solutions, strategic planning & management partner

Inspiration from Thomas Edison

December 9, 1914: Edison Sees His Vast Plant Burn

On December 9, 1914 a spectacular fire destroyed over half the buildings in Thomas Edison’s West Orange Laboratory after an explosion in the film inspection building. Damages reached seven million dollars, with only two million covered by insurance, according to The New York Times article.  Two hundred fifty workers were in the buildings at 5:20P.M. when the blaze erupted.  Edison and his wife rushed to the scene and stayed until midnight when firefighters were finally able to contain the blaze, saving the important Experimental Laboratory and Storage Battery buildings. 

Edison vowed, “Although I am over 67 years old, I‘ll start all over again tomorrow.”   

Indeed he did!

Cleanup work at the devastated site began the next day when all 7,000 employees  reported for duty. Reconstruction plans quickly followed. 

What struck me as amazing was  a footnote to the story that within two days, Edison had also finalized design of a portable searchlight whose three million candlepower beam would be visible for miles. In the midst of the catastrophe, Edison had noticed how the firefighters were hampered by the loss of power and light.  He puzzled over the problem and came up  with the battery driven light source idea and design. At age 67, Edison’s pace of work and inventions had slowed, but they could hardly be described as declining years. Within six months, Edison was demonstrating his latest invention in a nearby park,  attracting curious onlookers who wondered where the bright light was coming from!  The old adage that “every cloud has a silver lining” certainly applies here.

The newer West Orange Edison laboratory had replaced the initial site at Menlo Park , where Edison invented the phonograph in 1877 and the incandescent light bulb and electric system in 1878.   Edison, nicknamed the Wizard of Menlo Park, lived to age 84. The prolific inventor with 1093 patents, born in Milan Ohio, was homeschooled by his mother. He was deaf  from  age 12. In addition to the light bulb and the phonograph, he is most famous for the motion picture camera and improvements to the telephone and telegraph.

His home in West Orange, named Glenmont, is run by the National Park Service and is open to the public.  The West Orange Edison Works Laboratory is currently under renovation.  The Park Service has not yet posted a reopening date. Pictures from Edison Historic Site 

For more information about 

Thomas Edison: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/edbio.html

Can Knowing Hotel Secrets Lower Event Costs?

I recently read an article posted on a social media site that suggests there are secret ways to work with hotels to lower your event costs. I wondered how significant these secrets were and asked an industry expert for his analysis. Tom Berkman, President and CEO of Omnia Housing Services is our industry expert. Tom is a 36-year hospitality and housing company veteran that created and has overseen the operation of the THS Company, the nation’s premier sports housing service and Omnia's parent company.

Fill Need Dates was number one - This seemed obvious to the author and our industry expert but not me. They explained this applies to event space not guest rooms.  If a hotel is full due to a large city wide event, its event space (meeting rooms) are likely not being used. The hotel may be willing to negotiate better rates for this unused space which can come in handy as long as you don’t need guest rooms.

Check Cancellation Clauses – the author of the article says to be careful about this important item as it may result in steep penalties should you need to cancel less than six months from your arrival date.  Our industry expert says his firm never agrees to cancellation clauses more than 30 days from arrival.

Both the article’s author and our expert agreed the next several items were standard so we won’t devote much time to them but felt they should be noted here.  They are: Be Aware of Food and Beverage (F&B) minimum.  Seems reasonable but be aware F&B calculations do not include gratuity or tax; Understand audiovisual (AV) requirements. Some hotels have a preferred vendor and may charge you a fee if you use your own;  Contract internet upfront. Until recently, this has been a major cost to your event.  Hotels are better equipped today but be aware of these hidden charges.

Attrition-Lower it – The article’s author suggests a variety of tips and tricks for calculating attrition penalties should they occur. Our industry expert tells me they never agree to attrition penalties in their contracts and feels they could be avoided all together.

Ask for a Resell Clause – This refers to your attrition penalty but our industry expert reminds us they have no attrition so this clause is unnecessary.

Leverage Sales Manager – this was more of a tip on how to work with a sales manager to get the best deal. It sounded more like shopping for a car as it was suggested it’s better to call at certain times of the month or quarter when they have to report sales to quota.

While the article offers some things to consider when negotiating a hotel contract, it seems more complicated than that to me. A housing services vendor can be a great partner in working through the hotel selection process and execution of an agreement. If you want to remove the risk from your organization and increase your reward, that is my best suggestion.

Don Sciolaro

D ESolutions

Innovative solutions, strategic planning & management partner

Redesigning Web Sites

It may be a coincidence but several organizations I’ve worked with are undertaking or recently completed a web site redesign.  So I started thinking about when and why do organizations decide it is time to address this time consuming and stressful undertaking. 

The first example is the consulting business of a friend.  He manages a consulting firm based in the Washington metro area.  Based on recent conversations and what I’ve seen on his new web site, the redesign project was driven by changes in his business.  He had taken on some new clients, created new partnerships and his business was going in a direction not represented by his old web site.  His site has a new look and seems to suggest a new energy. It is clear the objective of this new web site is to define the company brand and increase visibility with a focus on its mission. While I thought the former web site was fine as a communication vehicle that included an informative blog, this new site really does suggest a change has taken place in the business. I believe he really captured the image he was seeking in this new design.  www.potomaccore.com

The second example is a web site that is still a work in progress and it belongs to a non-profit organization for which I have been a board member for several years. The new web site is desperately needed as the current site is typical of a non-profit that put together a functional web site on the cheap. It probably seemed like a good site at the time it was created as there was nothing to compare it to.  This was the organizations first web site. Naturally, everyone thought it was great. Of course we look at it today and say “what were we thinking?” Even a non-profit has to uphold a certain image and the most visible representation today is an organization’s web site. Today, anyone can create an informative and professional web site that conveys the proper message based on the organizations purpose and mission.

Does it offer value to visitors and if you’re in the association world, does it portray the image you want your members to have of you? If you cannot objectively assess the message your web site delivers, ask your customers. People love it when you ask them what they think. Then you can determine if it’s time to invest in your web site.

Don Sciolaro

D ESolutions

Innovative solutions, strategic planning & management partner

Neighbors-helping-Neighbors - a job seekers networking and support group

Neighbors-helping-Neighbors USA, Inc. (NhN) is a job seekers networking and support group that celebrated its 2^nd Anniversary in January 2013. Today, NhN has over 2,000 members in 27 chapters in New Jersey, Boston and Washington, D.C., and more than 330 of its members have landed, or in other words, found a job. While many of these success stories are members that are now underemployed or working part time, for most it’s a welcome source of income.

Like many non-profit organizations, NhN is in need of support and funding. Additional funding could help the organization reach more unemployed that need assistance and to provide them with greater resources in their job search. The support that is needed varies from employers posting available positions on the NhN Linkedin group job board to providing speakers that have the expertise to help the job seeker in today’s competitive environment.

NhN was founded by John Fughazzie who received support from his community and network of friends when it was needed.  He started NhN to pay it forward and that is the core message today. To learn more about NhN and its founder, visit:http://www.nhnusa.org or the NhN LinkedIn group at:http://www.linkedin.com/groups/NeighborshelpingNeighbors-USA-3892534.

Don Sciolaro

D ESolutions

Innovative solutions, strategic planning & management partner 

Member Communications and Social Media

Remember when the fax machine was the next best thing to add to your member communications toolbox instead of slow and expensive snail mail? My guess is many of you are saying “What’s a fax machine?”  It was not long before it was replaced by e-mail. Many organizations abused this low cost communication method until members started unsubscribing or worse, ignoring everything you sent to them.  Some members set their spam monitors to block our communications. We all devoted time and resources to managing this overused communication tool in an effort to get our members to open our electronic communications. In many cases the result was quite the opposite.

Some organizations developed electronic newsletters while others developed the weekly bulletin.  In any case, it was another form of e-mail. Many organizations continued to send e-mail to their members every day, or worse, more than once a day. I view this as a ‘more is better’ mentality and places greater focus on quantity over quality.  That is our dilemma isn't it? We have an obligation to provide our members with programs and services so it makes sense that we want to tell them about everything we offer.  So we resort to sending something to our members every day.

If you don’t already have one, it may be time to sit down and develop a member communications strategy. Associations are good at developing strategies. We organize member retention and new member outreach strategies. Those involved in advocacy generally have very good lobbying strategies. So why not develop a member communication strategy?  It’s not that complicated. Perform an assessment of all member communications both print and digital. Once you understand what it is you have been sending to your members, you need to decide what information is the most impactful in helping you achieve your mission and what you really want to communicate to your members.

For most organizations a multi-platform effort would serve you well. Create a user friendly web site where you can host all the information you wish to share with your members, potential members or consumers. Through a combination of e-mail, LinkedIn and Twitter you can drive those interested in what you have to offer back to your web site for more information. There is no single communication tool that will convey your message to all members.  Some will prefer e-mail, some LinkedIn networks and others Twitter.  There are many other social media outlets so you’ll need to decide how your members prefer to get their information. Here is the good part.  Unlike traditional mail and faxes, all digital communications can be tracked.  If you send out an e-mail you can track how many received your communications from your intended target audience.  Of those that received it, how many opened it.  Of those that opened it what links did they click? Analyzing this data can help you improve future communications. Is there a day of the week that receives a higher open rate?  What topics realize higher click through rates? In addition to sending out e-mail to your member list, you can share links to your communication through LinkedIn and twitter.

Create a LinkedIn group or several groups depending on your organization.  By inviting your members to join your group, you are expanding your network and giving members another avenue to receive information.

There is no one right solution and there be some investment of time to get the right mix of web site, e-mail and social media that best meets the needs of your members. It would be impossible to cover this complex issue in detail here so keep in mind you need to do a little research starting with the demographics of your target audience. Most importantly, keep in mind the successful strategy today needs to be monitored as technology keeps us guessing about what comes next.  This includes our hardware as much as new trends in social media.  At one time most people received information through a desk top computer. We saw an increase in the use of lap tops as we took our work with us everywhere we went. Today, we need to communicate with tablets and smart phones as well as desktops and laptops. As one of my favorite financial advisers was fond of warning throughout the recession, “be nimble”.

Don Sciolaro

D ESolutions

Innovative solutions, strategic planning & management partner

Impressions of an ASAE Annual Meeting First Time Attendee

Despite having worked in associations for more than 20 years I finally attended my first ASAE Annual Meeting that took place in Atlanta in August 2013. I’ve attended many ASAE conferences and classes but never this major event. I admit I found myself comparing it to my former association’s annual show and conference that took place in Atlanta in 2009.

The opening ceremony was well attended with informative speakers and served as a very good kick-off to the opening of the show floor. Over the next two days I would walk the floor and meet with exhibitors and attended several of the many learning labs.  Some conferences would call these classes or workshops but ASAE calls them learning labs. I met some very nice attendees in each session and heard some very informative presentations.

On the first day I managed to attend two sessions including a presentation by the co-authors of Road to Relevance, Harrison Coerver and Mary Byers, CAE. Following the session I went to the book store and purchased their book.

On the second day I again attended two sessions. One was called “Hotel Contracts Boot Camp for the Experienced Meeting Planner.”  The speaker was well qualified, an attorney with extensive hotel experience.  I thought he provided the group with many good suggestions on key items in your hotel contract to avoid or to include. Again, all were very good recommendations. He was very knowledgeable and I thought if I ever found myself in litigation over a hotel contract I would want him on my side. However, if you use a professional and competent housing services vendor you will not need to know what loopholes to look for or what omissions may be troublesome down the road.

Like you, I always had an attorney, such as this session’s speaker; review my hotel contracts during my 20 plus years organizing events for my associations.  That is until I found there is a better way to plan my meetings. If you want to learn more send me a note and I’ll share this best practice with you.  I can be reached at desciolaro@gmail.com.

By the end of the second day I was ready to head home with blisters on my feet and a lot of good information to digest from the many speakers, exhibitors and new friends I made in Atlanta. If you work in an association and have never attended an ASAE annual meeting, I strongly suggest you remedy that in 2014.

The Secret to Recruiting Volunteers - "Ask"

I worked at an association that had a large chapter network with each chapter managed by a roster of volunteers. These chapters nearly offered as many member benefits as anything the association had to offer. The more active chapters in smaller geographic areas had little difficulty recruiting the volunteers they needed to offer varied and desired programs. Many other chapters struggled to find the basic volunteers they needed so 3 or 4 people were not doing the work of 6 or 8.

When we had a national meeting of these volunteers, 250-300 of them, we decided to change things up.  At the end of the day we had a conference version of speed dating.  The volunteers were divided into various meeting rooms.  The senior staff and national officers would move from room to room.  We had 5 minutes to share some bit of information with the volunteer leaders in each room.  The topic I chose was “Recruiting Volunteers”.

I started my remarks by commenting on how I am a very active volunteer and always have been. Sometimes I saw an opportunity and offered my time and services and sometimes the volunteer leaders of an organization pursued me. I focused my remarks on the latter.  This one particular organization was trying to recruit me as a volunteer.  Each time I was asked I turned them down as I was busy with work and had a full plate of volunteer activity with no desire to add anything more. Still, each year, this organization approached me and was always cordial and respectful when I turned them down.  After several years and several attempts, I finally agreed. Nine years later I still devote a great deal of time to this organization with absolutely no regrets.

So where am I going with this?  In an effort to attract and recruit volunteers we send out e-mail, write articles in our newsletters and place promotional messages on our web site but to this day the best way to recruit volunteers is to personally ASK prospective volunteers.  Remember, your response to being turned down is as important as your response to an acceptance. It worked with me.

I concluded my remarks with a humorous and true story.  I had served on my local library board of trustees for many years. In addition to serving as treasurer of the board I chaired our 50^th anniversary celebration, I co-chaired our renovation and expansion fundraising committee, and then chaired the ribbon cutting program.  At one point we had a vacancy on the board.  I recruited a friend who turned out to really enjoy being on the board and he became a very good volunteer. Several years into his service on the board he had spearheaded a special project which won us a statewide award from the state library association.   Upon sharing the news with me our library director said, “recruiting Bill onto the board was the best thing you ever did for the library”. I was insulted and honored all at the same time.:)

Don Sciolaro
D E Solutions
desciolaro@gmail.com

Why I like Omnia Housing Services for my meetings

OHS effectively manages room blocks ranging in size from 100 - 100,000 room nights. They have a dedicated staff that will closely monitor not only your attendee reservations but also your booking patterns to identify trends or potential problems that could affect your block.  Their mission is to know your needs inside and out. With this knowledge, they can proactively manage your room blocks, not only for your current meeting but for your future years contracts.  To learn more: http://www.ohsweb.org/services.html

Should association/society boards have term limits for board members?

Here are two examples of industry associations that have term limits (sort of) for board members. The first allows board members to serve seven consecutive years on the board and then the board member cannot be renewed for another term immediately. They must come off the board for one board meeting and then can serve another seven consecutive years.

The second example is similar but the term limit is one three year term and then the member must be off the board for one year before returning to serve another three year term. There is an exception here.  Should a board member be elected to hold a position as an officer on the executive committee, the three year limit is waived. The executive committee is comprised of six members.  In essence, if a board member serves three years, is then elected as an officer and then elected to move to the next position each year, that person will have served on the board for nine years.

In both associations, term limits are modified and the ease of returning to the board after one year depends on the method by which the board members are nominated and elected. In either case, it does not appear either association really wants to have term limits.  On the one hand, this enables you to keep sincere hard working board members engaged in the leadership of your organization. On the other hand, well you know.

I have served on boards where there are no term limits. Good or bad, board members expect to be reappointed at the end of their term whether they are making a positive contribution to the organization or not.  Having had that experience, I support term limits.  This not only enables you to have a mechanism for removing board members with honor, it provides you with an opportunity to recruit board members that might bring some energy and innovation to the organization.

What are your thoughts?

Conference Housing Services

This is meant as a sharing of best practices for any association executive that plans meetings and conferences or those that supervise meeting planners.  I have experienced frustration at the time and resources our staff spends on identifying and securing meeting rooms and housing for our meetings and conferences.  Then I learned there are vendors that specialize in this area.  A housing services provider will help you identify a venue that best meets your needs, secure the best rate available and negotiate the details of your contract.  While there are several good vendors that provide this service, my experience with Omnia Housing Services has always been positive and carefree. I am happy to share this link to their web site where you can learn more .http://ohsweb.org/index.html

Don Sciolaro

DESolutions Consulting

Former CEO of NKBA

Frustrated by unanswered e-mail?

A friend sent me a link to this article posted on Linkedin.  It's an article written by Adam Grant, a professor from Wharton. Since most of us have experienced sending an e-mail into a black hole either in our professional or personal life, I found some of his suggestions intriguing.  Like many good articles, the reader needs to realize that some circumstances allow for this approach while others may not.  It's important to recognize your relationship to the intended recipient and anticipate there may be repercussions if the creativity is not well received.  However, in most cases the reality is "what have you got to lose?" What do you think? http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130624114114-69244073-6-ways-to-get-me-to-email-you-back

Learning from Other’s (Best Practices)

Like many of you, I have always enjoyed when a new program or initiative is a great success.  Of course I don’t always disclose the fact I borrowed the idea from someone else. I don’t feel guilty about it as I didn’t exactly commit copyright infringement.  I have always felt challenged seeing the success others have enjoyed and trying to figure out if and how that successful best practice might apply to my organization. For instance, if I am organizing an event for a group that is focused on diet and exercise I probably will not organize a make your own sundae fundraiser. However, if I organize a trade show and conference, I may borrow an idea from another successful national event like a sports tournament.

I recently learned USA Volleyball sponsors and organizes various successful national events each year.  I wanted to look at how they do it and see what I can borrow when organizing a large national trade show and conference. One thing I learned is they focus on what they are good at and select professional outside vendors to assist with the unrelated yet very important elements that are necessary to make their program a success. 

I learned USA Volleyball hires a tournament housing services company to assist them with their housing needs.  That makes sense and enables USA Volleyball to focus on inviting teams, setting up brackets, hiring officials and all the other things that go in to making it a successful event. The tournament housing services company can take care of meeting all their housing needs from selecting appropriate housing sites, negotiating rates, negotiating contracts, attrition and all the other non-volleyball issues that may come up.

So I went looking for a company that can do that for my association and I found Omnia.  Omnia Housing Services can do the same thing for my association trade show that USA Volleyball gets from their housing services provider. I can feel pretty confident about that because Omnia is managed by the same professionals and modeled after the same company that provides this service to USA Volleyball.  If you’d like to learn more visit http://www.ohsweb.org/index.html or post a comment or question here and I’ll get the information you need.

What is the right level of dues for my members?

Here is a question I see posted frequently on ASAE communities, LinkedIn Groups and a variety of other sources where membership dues are a hot topic.  While I have seen some great responses that provide guidance, there is no right answer just as there is no wrong answer.  I believe the best answer or solution is based on your organization: its mission, its non dues revenue sources, the makeup of its membership base, and other variables. Consider these variables.  Does your organization need members or does it need membership dues to be successful?  Are dues 25% of your total annual revenue or 75%? Is your member segment dominated by a few large companies or countless thousands of small and medium size companies?  So do your homework and seek guidance from your peers, but keep things in perspective and recognize not all successful programs or insightful suggestions will apply to your organization. While access to this wealth of knowledge and experience can provide guidance, proceed with caution and remember, one size never fits all.