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From: Hair Growth Materials
Date: 03 Sep 2007
Time: 23:42:02 -0500
Remote Name: 66.235.184.86
http://www.hairgrowthonline.info/hair-growth-materials/ <a href="http://www.hairgrowthonline.info/hair-growth-materials/" target="_blank">Hair Growth Materials</a>
From: Rudy Herrmann
Date: 24 Nov 2003
Time: 14:44:45 -0600
Remote Name: 152.163.252.69
"Without Data, It's Just Another Opinion" You may remember that I shared this slogan that I once saw posted on a newly acquired coordinate measurement machine and related it to the importance of objective "outside-in" data and perspective in the strategic planning process. Let me share with you how I've had that reinforced again recently. I have been a member of the Board of Directors of Goodwill Industries of Tulsa for about ten years now. During 2003 I chaired the Strategic Planning Team of the Board that works closely with the Goodwill staff to develop the agency's longer term operating plan. I am now Chairman of the Board, and continue as an active member of that Strategic Planning effort. Goodwill-Tulsa has performed very well by almost every measure during the past decade: solid growth, growth in donated goods and in revenues from our retail stores, service to more clients, increased employment opportunities for the disabled and disadvanted, successful capital fund drives, increases in cash flow and fund balance, etc.... This year we decided it was important to benchmark how Goodwill-Tulsa compares with other Goodwill's and we determined that, while we have done well, it may be possible to perform even better and grow even faster in Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. In addition to benchmarking with other Goodwill's, for the first time we conducted some rather extensive market research in Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma to learn more about our donors, the customers that shop in our stores, and what we need to do to serve our donors and customers more effectively. We also performed some rather rigorous demographic analyis. The results of this "outside-in" data and perspective will enable us to make even more informed decisions about where best to locate our donation centers and any future retail stores. In Goodwill's case, we learned that while the agency is "on the right track", there are some actions that we can take to improve our performance which, in turn, will enable Goodwill to serve more clients even more effectively. And, we have the "data", not just "opinions" to support those beliefs! All the best, Rudy Herrmann