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Throughout 1997, Dr. Robert
K. Bitting, assistant vice-president for research at Alfred
University and former CACT associate director, facilitated
several strategic planning sessions for the center. The plan, developed by WRC administrators and a committee of
nine members from six companies, adopts a strategic outcomes
model for maximizing organizational resources and expediting
development. Three target areas, as well as specific supporting activities
necessary to achieve each target, were identified by the
planning process.
1) Organizational growth.
Strategic goals for growth target planned expansion of
the center over a specified time period at a pace that will
guarantee continued high quality research results. Key components include an increased membership base and
consequent increased revenues for project funding;
formalization of industrial and administrative roles and
responsibilities among the WRC and its members; and an
expanded research faculty base within the NYSCC.
Specific activities in support of this target include
strategic contact of potential members by the WRC director;
development of center guidelines and protocols; and advocacy
to the Dean of the NYSCC in support of future faculty lines
geared toward WRC- and traditional ceramics-related research.
2) Technology transfer. Aiming
to improve the efficiency and timeliness of technology
transfer mechanisms among member companies, this target calls
for increased interactions on each project between principal
investigators and industrial members and the development of
guidelines for better distribution of, and access to, research
results. Activities
in support of this goal include a more proactive system for
placing cooperative education students with member companies;
the development of an information distribution system via
CD-ROM; the generation of all quarterly reports by each lead
company, in conjunction with the principal investigator; and
notification to all members of student thesis defenses.
3) Profitability accounting. “With
this target, we’re aiming for more concrete projections of
returns on investment for member companies and the center as a
whole,” Carty explains.
“How can we measure results more effectively?
How can we track and quantify results in terms of
revenues and outcomes?” Activities for improving profitability accounting include the
development of feedback mechanisms to track WRC-related
technology implementation and resulting effectiveness, and to
account for specific benefits of new or improved products or
processes. Collaborative
interactions with Alfred University’s College of Business in
support of this initiative also are being
explored. In
addition, to facilitate greater applicability of research
projects and industrial needs, all research proposals will be
distributed to the members four weeks prior to the semi-annual
meetings for review and criticism prior to open discussions
with the membership during the semi-annual meetings.
To
further each target, committees were created and charged with
investigating and implementing target activities – i.e.,
marketing, membership guidelines, technology transfer
mechanisms, and profitability accounting.
In addition, the strategic plan will be reviewed and
modified as appropriate annually.
WRC
Strategic
Plan
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