Case Study: Organizational Assessment Consulting

AMC Consulting Team Assists American Foundry Society with Organizational Assessment and CEO Succession

Challenge

When the Board of the American Foundry Society (AFS) was notified that their long-time, well-respected CEO was planning to retire the following year, they saw it as an opportunity to evaluate the present and develop a fresh strategy for the future.
The Society’s industry value proposition is tightly connected to their overall relevance and required multi-generational participation. The Society has four generations active in their industry, all with different needs, wants, and values. Attempting to deliver a one-size-fits-all model did not effectively serve any of the groups. The Society needed to better understand the different desires of each group and identify the Society’s strengths and weaknesses.
Because of his legacy knowledge, the current CEO suggested conducting an Organizational Assessment. He called on long-term consulting partner AMC to provide the expertise needed to conduct the assessment and create a new plan.

Process

Wasting no time, the AMC Catalyst Consulting Team conducted an in-depth Organizational Assessment, including a SWOT and gap analysis, an evaluation of relevant historical documents, and in-person interviews with staff. Next, they participated in focus group conference calls with members and met with the board/executive committee. These activities clarified the Society’s goals and vision for the future, including a strategic succession plan. Additionally, the assessment reviewed current Society assets to determine the unique value proposition it provides to its constituents, as well as potential future offerings. The findings were further validated though a customer needs assessment survey conducted shortly thereafter.

Results

The organizational assessment identified several significant areas of opportunity for the Society:

  • multigenerational focus for workforce development, increasing engagement and retention
  • advocacy value, including significant influence and impact for the Society’s constituents
  • cultural changes and how they impact business models, growth, and succession
  • marketing and outreach strategies to reach new and expanding audiences
  • new product/program design models and delivery strategies to engage members and customers throughout their careers