October_AMP_Digital

HIGHL IGHTS A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 4 8 Collaborative Strategic Planning A Joint Message from ASM’s President and Managing Director Each year the ASM Board hones the Society’s Strategic Plan. But this year, the ASM Strategic Plan was devel- oped through a unique and collabora- tive process. As part of the planning phase, the Board of Trustees and the Operations Team held working sessions in which they conducted an environmental scan and analysis, refined goals and objec- tives, identified key initiatives and resource allocations, and determined performance measures. The execution phase will be realized during the devel- opment of the annual operating plan, which will have several stage gate approvals: strategy com- munication, action planning, project execution, and mea- surement and reporting. (programming and Expo) and Networking • Accelerated move to “Digital” • Current Global Conversation on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) • New Risks—what do we need to plan for • Events and Education—how will these business lines change Next, four strategic initiatives were identified as being key to ASM’s future: • Develop a Digital First Platform • Establish an Interdisciplinary Collaboration Framework • Create a Global Professional Network • Cultivate a Culture and Practice of DEI On July 7 and 8, ASM employees were invited to partic- ipate in any of four virtual brainstorming sessions to review the four strategic initiatives (digital, interdisciplinary, inter- national partnerships, and diversity) and brainstorm ways to implement them. Board members attended as well. The sessions proved to be a creative way to build communica- tion between members of the Board and ASM employees, but it also generated ideas that aided the Board’s next phase of the process. The Board of Trustees then met virtually for a full day Strategic Planning session on July 20. Themission and vision were reviewed, as well as the Board Task Forces. In the after- noon, brainstorming sessions were held in virtual breakout rooms on each of the four strategic initiatives (digital, inter- disciplinary, international partnerships, and diversity) as well as a fifth session on technical networking. Each group examined their initiative with this question in mind: How do current and near-term environmental factors impact the strategic plan goals? As with the employee session, ideas were generated and documented, providing a wealth of opportunities to implement our strategic initiatives. Developing and implementing a sound Strategic Plan is always our primary role as leaders of ASM International. This year, factoring in the changing environment was key. But also enhancing the communication and working rela- tionship between the Board and Operations was one of the positive outcomes of our process. As another bonus, the challenges of meeting during this unusual time led to a unique method to involve a wider scope of participants. Contact either one of us to provide your input or ask ques- tions. We look forward to working with you, the ASM mem- bership, as we put the plans into place. Diana Essock, FASM, ASM President, 2020-2021 diana.essock@asminternational.org Ron Aderhold, Acting Managing Director, ASM International ron.aderhold@asminternational.org Essock Aderhold Strategic planning process 2020. The strategic direction for the coming year is not a wholly new one, but updated based on the current environ- ment including: • Covid-19 Pandemic—employee safety, new ways of remote working • Global Economic Conditions—when will the global economy restart • Business and Industry Conditions—specifically for our members • Implications from Virtual Meetings, Events 2020 STRATEGIC PLANNING