making go/no-go decisions at asae, for kcsae, by mariah burton nelson
DESCRIPTION
A cross-discipline team at ASAE is inventing a new product development process for associations so that you don’t have to. Here's a summary of how ASAE evaluates new product proposals, who makes the decisions, and with what criteria. This presentation to the Kansas City Society of Association Executives (KCSAE) also explains how to encourage innovation, fill the idea pipeline, and analyze and balance an organization’s entire portfolio of programs, products, and services. The final slides pose questions designed to help you create a process for making decisions about what programs, products, and services to offer—and which to discontinue, and when. This step-by-step process will help you put ASAE's new product development principles into practice at your own association - based on your size, resources, and needs. By Mariah Burton Nelson, VP, Innovation and Planning, ASAETRANSCRIPT
Making Go/No-Go Decisions & Generating Fresh Ideas
Mariah Burton Nelson, MPH, CAEVP, Innovation & Planning, ASAE
Where oh where is the Annual Meeting Program?
Agenda
1) Share ASAE’s disciplined, strategic process for decidingwhat to create,what to discontinue, and how to balance the whole portfolio.
2) Help you create your own process.
Order. Space. Beauty.
Alignment
Embracing new ideas together
New Product Development (NPD)Product Development & Management
Product Lifecycle ManagementPortfolio Management
Product Innovation Process Stage-Gate
Whatever You Want to Call It
Good Decisionsabout what to do – and not do
What’s the Purpose?
Spark Innovation. Serve Members. Strengthen the Organization.
What Are the Benefits?
•Better products•Better ROI•Happier members
Interconnected Parts
Product Review
Portfolio Analysis
Idea Generation
Product Review
• Green-light products that…– Serve members AND– make good business sense…
• “Sunset” products that…– have outlived usefulness – OR generate low ROI
What Counts as a “Product”?
Anything ASAE produces & distributes, for a fee or for free
What Does NOT Count as a Product?
• “Support and Enablers”: Governance, Executive Management, Finance, IT, Web, Social Media, Marketing
• Projects (plans, undertakings, tasks) e.g. Web updates, research, presentations, meetings.
What Criteria Does ASAE Use?
Innovation (not required, but desired)
Value (Strategic Fit, Member Needs, Market Viability, Feasibility)
Financial Net (Projected $)
Red Flags (potential problems)
Scoring
1) If Value <3.5 = RED*2) If Value = 3.5+, review $Net
a) If $Net >0 = GREEN.b) If $Net <0, discuss
3) If Red Flags >3.5, discuss.4) *If Innovation >3.5 -> R&D
How Was Our Process Created?
1) Corporate best practices, especially Robert G. Cooper’s Stage-Gate, modified for ASAE
2) Staff input via “Listening Tour”
3) Pilot testing
Staff Requests1) Inclusion 2) Transparency3) In-person communication4) Departmental trainings5) Clear information in variety of formats6) Systems thinking7) Research and data-based decision-making8) Simple software design9) All info in one easily accessible place10) Streamlined, fast process11) Decouple discontinued products from staff
performance. Don’t say "Product X is being discontinued because it was run poorly."
Who’s on the NPD Team?
9 Review Team staff members with expertise in business, fundraising, innovation, membership, programs, publications, & partnerships.
6 Resource (budget) Team : IT, Web, HR, Meetings, Research, Marketing, Finance
APPLICATION STEP ONEStaff/Members Develop Idea
STEP TWOApplicant Proposes Idea to NPD Team
STEP THREE NPD Team Reviews Proposal with input from CEO
Two Possible Decisions
Green: Approved (with recommendations)
Red: Declined (with explanation)
Unintended Benefits
1) Product Title2) Status (proposed, new, legacy)3) Department4) Category (book, online course, etc)5) Level (intro, applied, strategic)6) Revenue (recent FYE or proposed)7) Expenses (recent FYE or proposed)8) Net (recent FYE or proposed)9) GL Code10) Lead Staff Person11) Member need (content, community, career)12)Target audience (senior staff, managers, etc)13)Target staff size (small, medium, large)14)Volunteers involved?15)Projected reach16)Evaluation scores from attendees17)Evaluation scores from NPD Team
SAMPLE PORTFOLIO DATA
Quiz: What Drives Innovation?
A) Innovative leadersB) Innovative productsC) Environments that foster innovation
--Jim Collins, Leading for Innovation
Relentless Creativity
How can we get better?What else might we try?What if…
What did we learn from that?
Innovation Formula
Study Portfolio and Market
Choose Strategic Buckets
Solicit LOTS of ideas
Beta-Test, Revise, Launch
1) Online consultation?2) Webinar?3) One-day workshop?4) Four-day course?5) Workbook?
Beta Tests
Complaints and Challenges1)“Who gets to be on the NPD Team?”2)“Will decisions be fair?”3)“We’re losing autonomy.”4)“Hurry up – but everyone must be included & happy.”5)“We were already successful without this.”6)“Why focus on money?7)“How many products DO we have?”8)“How many products SHOULD we have?”9)“How can we be truly innovative?”
How Can You…
Spark Innovation,Serve Members,& Strengthen Your Organization?
Three Key Steps
1)People2)Priorities3)Process
People: Build the Team
a) Who will be the decision-makers? b) What expertise should they have? c) Who will be in charge? d) How can you obtain and
communicate CEO support?
Priorities: Decide What’s Important
a) What review criteria will you use?b) Begin with Product Review, Portfolio
Analysis, or Idea Generation?c) Review all products, or just new?
Process: Create an Efficient Method
a) How often will you meet?b) What goals will you set?c) How will you involve other
staff and members?d) How can you measure – and
ensure – success?
Let’s stay in [email protected]
ASAE Member Collaborate Group: Ideas & Innovations
Twitter: TallMariah
Innovation is always unfinished:a work in progress!