How does your organization decide which programs, products, and services to select and which to sunset? This is an overview of how ASAE developed a process, what that process is, and three key questions organizations can ask themselves to begin to create their own customized framework for good decision-making. Workbook due out 12/13/14: Focus on What Matters: A 3-Step workbook for Selecting and Sunsetting Your Association's Programs, Products, and Services Presentation at the IMEX conference in Las Vegas, October 13, 2014.

1. CHOOSING WINNERS
How to Select the Right Programs,
Products, and Services
for Your Association
Mariah Burton Nelson, CAE
VP, Innovation & Planning, ASAE

2. Agenda
1) Me
2) ASAE
3) You

3. My Office at ASAE

4. At a Masters Meet with Mom

5. What Is New Product Development?
A disciplined,
strategic
process for
deciding what to
create, what to
discontinue,
and how to
balance the
whole portfolio.

6. New Workbook Coming Soon
For publication
announcement
email Mariah now.
Subject: FOCUS
Mnelson@asaecenter.org
Twitter: @TallMariah
Subject: NPD List

7. Self-Assessment
1) We have a clear, consistent, data-driven process for determining which programs,
products, and services to create and which to discontinue.
2) We have an organizational culture that is open to new ideas, rewards new ideas,
and hires for creativity.
3) The programs, products, and services we offer are organized and categorized in
one easily accessible database so we can review them to see how they’re
performing, compare them to each other, and balance the whole portfolio.
4) The people who make decisions about the products have the appropriate
expertise (pricing, marketing, business, finance, content, education), collaborate
well together across departments, and have adequate time to do a good job.
5) We have a systematic method to solicit, categorize, and act on new ideas.

8. Three Interconnected Parts

9. What Counts as a Product?
• Anything we
produce &
distribute,
for a fee or
for free

10. What Does NOT Count as a Product?
Support:
Governance,
Management,
Finance, IT, Web,
Social Media,
Marketing
Projects:
Plans, tasks

11. What Criteria?
Innovation (not required, but desired)
Value (Strategic Fit, Member
Needs, Market Viability, Feasibility)
Financial Net (Projected $)
Red Flags (potential problems)

12. How Was ASAE’s Process Created?
1) Corporate best
practices: Stage-
Gate, modified
for ASAE
2) Staff input via
“Listening Tour”
3) Pilot testing

13. Staff Requests
1) Inclusion
2) Transparency
3) In-person communication
4) Systems thinking
5) Data-based decision-making
6) Simple software
7) Streamlined process
8) Decouple discontinued products from staff
performance. Don’t say "Product X is being
discontinued because it was run poorly."

14. Who’s on the NPD Team?
Staff with expertise
in business,
fundraising,
innovation, staffing,
law, marketing,
meetings,
membership,
programs,
publications, Web,
finance, research,
& partnerships.

15. NPD Team Responsibilities
• Green-light products that…
– Serve members AND
– make good business
sense…
• “Sunset” products that…
– have outlived usefulness
– OR generate low ROI

16. STEP ONE
Staff/Members Develop Idea

17. STEP TWO
Proposal to NPD Team

18. STEP THREE
NPD Team Scores Proposal

19. Two Possible Decisions

20. Next Up: Idea Generation
Choose Strategic
Buckets
Solicit ideas from
members, staff
Develop some into
proposals

21. Challenges
1) “Who gets to be on the Team?”
2) “Will decisions be fair?”
3) “We’re losing autonomy.”
4) “Hurry up – but all must be included.”
5) “We were already successful.”
6) “Why focus on money?
7) “How can we be truly innovative?”

22. How Can You…
create a disciplined,
strategic process for
deciding what to
create, what to
discontinue, and how
to balance the whole
portfolio?

23. Three Key Steps
1) People
2) Priorities
3) Process

24. 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?

25. 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?

26. 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) What is your vision of success?

27. Questions?

28. Let’s Stay in Touch
Email Mariah Now:
MNelson@asaecenter.org
Subject line: Focus
Twitter:
@TallMariah