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Farm out the rest 06/30/2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Farm out the rest
To focus on what you do the best

June 24 issue of Association TRENDS
by G.A. Taylor Fernley, CEO, Fernley and Fernley, Philadelphia

With the pressure of business conditions forever looming over our heads, we must continually evaluate our assn's existing business model and determine if it is what we need to meet the assn's current goals and position it for a strong and successful future.

At one time, assn executives were driven by the mantra to be "all things to all people." Those days are forever gone! Assn executives today must be focused, bottom line- and results-oriented individuals who need to get the most out of the limited resources they have available. In addition, members need to justify the value their companies receive from their dues investment. For many assns, outsourcing has enabled them to do more with less and provide their members with programs and services that increase their return on investment.

Have you ever asked yourself why outsourcing has become so popular? Answer: Because the world around us has been altered significantly and, to maintain or improve our position within our industry, we have been left with no alternative other than to focus on what we do best - and farm out the rest. That is where outsourcing has enabled so many assns to not only maintain their position but improve it substantially.

Companies, large and small, have outsourced for years. No great revelation. The fundamental concepts have changed little. Outsourcing traditionally has been confined to a few fundamental areas to help businesses lower costs, to access níche providers who offer the best solutions and to job out noncore activities. In a recent article in the Chicago Tribune, American Society of Assn Executives CEO John Graham IV, CAE, said it well: "More and more, assns are being required to focus on their core business, whether it's a professional or a trade, and the rest becomes a distraction."

Today, the definition of outsourcing has been expanded to include a diverse range of tactical and strategic processes such as forecasting, organizational development, human performance and resource planning. This allows assns to focus on their core competencies by tapping the expertise of other firms that are more efficient at providing specialized, noncore solutions.

Think about the assn management company concept for a minute and why we were put on this great earth. Use whatever words you want; however, it all comes back to AMCs being "outsource providers of management services." It just so happens that AMCs focus on the assns market. Couldn't it just as easily be to corporations or other markets?

AMCs are uniquely positioned to help assns grow and prosper by virtue of the fact that they have a wide variety of expertise and a business (outsourcing) model that works. Even standalone assns with dozens of employees and budgets ranging near the $20- million dollar mark look at AMCs as a preferred alternative. There's a message here.

Business thinking has forever changed, and with it, the traditional "all things to all people" mindset is gone forever. Progressive, forward-thinking assn leaders are taking a hard look at their traditional forms of management and are excited with the prospects of what the assn management community brings to the table. Whether they start out by outsourcing projects and programs or full-service opportunities, a growing number of assns is experiencing the true value of what AMCs bring to the marketplace.

Details: www.Fernley.com.

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ABOUT FERNLEY & FERNLEY
Fernley & Fernley, Inc., founded in 1886, is a fourth-generation family firm in the association management business, representing 30 trade associations and medical and professional societies. Fernley & Fernley holds the distinction of being among the first to receive national accreditation from the AMC institute (formerly the International Association of Association Management Companies) and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and is the longest established Association Management Company in the country. Throughout the years, Fernley & Fernley has maintained a solid reputation as a leader within the association management field and in the wide spectrum of industries it serves. To learn more about Fernley & Fernley visit their web site at www.fernley.com.