Group 2 - John Alho - Shelley Day - Tracy Gilson - Kyle Lewkowich - Christine Tellier Clearwater Fine Foods Inc. (CFFI): Using a Group Support System for.

Group 2- John Alho- Shelley Day- Tracy Gilson- Kyle Lewkowich- Christine Tellier

Clearwater Fine Foods Inc. (CFFI): Using a Group Support System for Strategic Planning

Clearwater Fine Foods Inc (CFFI) One of the world’s leading seafood

producers World’s largest producer & exporter of live

lobster World’s largest producer of sea scallops Major exporter of shrimp, surf clams,

groundfish, tuna & shark. Worldwide retail & wholesale business

shipping 7 days/week, year-round to North America, Europe and Asia.

Company History 1976 - Founded by John Risley & Colin

MacDonald, 1986 - partnered with Hillsdown Holdings 1986 - parted-ways with Hillsdown Holdings 1991 - began establishing international offices 1992 - opened Grand Bank Seafoods 1995 - Partnership in Argentina to produce

Antarctic scallops 1996 - purchased controlling interest in Ocean

Nutrition Canada

Organization Structure Private & 100% owned by

management Internal Board of Directors By 1996

10 processing plants, Over 30 vessels Sales $200 million + Company employed approx. 3250 people

Corporate Strategy CFFI’s strategy has been growth oriented Company evolved into a decentralized,

vertically-integrated organization CFFI’s goal: to be a dominate player in

each of the product species CFFI Vision 2000

Established by the Board of Directors in 1995 Extensive set of 3-yr & 5-yr corporate goals

Corporate Strategy CFFI Vision 2000 - continued

Specific targets: financial, product, market & operations performance

To attain these targets, each line & support function in the organization were instructed to prepare their own strategic plan outlining:• the implications of Vision 2000 goals• actions needed to succeed

The Organizational Problem The 1996 annual “Vision 2000”

identified problems with communication & collaboration due to the highly decentralized and vertically-integrated structure

The Organizational Problem Acquisition of ships Purchase of new businesses Expansion into new markets Exporting decisions

The Organizational Problem IT/IS managers do not exist as part of

the executive decision making stream

Organizational Culture and structure make communication between silos of the company difficult.

Information Aspect of the Problem Leonard Landry, as MIS Manager, was

responsible for developing & championing the implementation of the company’s long-term IS strategy

Landry thought CFFI required an information system to facilitate complex decision-making with many interdependencies

Information Aspect to the Problem:Lack of Organizational Communication:

Many parts to the organization Silo-style management systems and hierarchy Remote geographic areas to serve and connect No concise management communications

infrastructure plan “Pie-in-the-sky” Vision 2000 set of goals are

driving agenda using a top-down approach

Current IT/IS TechnologyImplemented:

A corporate intranet Upgraded Microsoft Exchange for email Face-to-face interactions

Next step: Search for brainstorming & consensus-

building software

Trial with GSS at QueensNeeded to find a support system to enable

and promote Organizational Communication

Facilitator mediated Brainstorming management Ranking of discussion items Ranking of options Voted on priorities Anonymous input

Queens University GSS suite

Trial with GSS at Queens VP Finance, Leonard Landry and 5

others from the Accounting and Finance Group trialled software at Queen’s University School of Business Executive Decision Centre (QEDC) to draft their strategic agenda, and review the possible uses of a GSS for CFFI

Results from the Queens’ GSS Trial Case described how the GSS system

worked: GSS are “used by decision-makers in cases where a

solution may not be optimal, evident or even possible.” Intended to be used by managers meeting as a group in

order to discuss and resolve problems. A GSS met the need to get the Clearwater managers

working together - but this was not only goal Case did not describe the communication system

protocol used to take the GSS conference results and do anything with them (i.e., motivate staff, create decision follow-through protocols etc)

IT/IS Based Alternative Not Used Case did not describe the communication

systems also investigated (maybe there were none) - it almost seems as if they found a program that sounded interesting, and decided to use it;

Did not investigate the “fit” of the program to what they wanted it to do

Rated success of initial meeting was perhaps the novelty of meeting together without interruptions - not the technology

No metric created to measure or determine success No protocol created to follow through on decisions made

in the meeting.

GSS software Does NOT solve problems Assists in creating an environment

where the decision makers are supported

GSS can be seen as an enabler, not the solution

Problem Solving Options:1. Do nothing2. Improve on existing tools

Increase utilization rates Increase penetration

3. Contract Queens’ GSS (out-source)4. Purchase GSS for in-house use

Criteria for Assessment of Alternatives

Costs Financial Human Resource

Benefits Improve outputs

Implementation Feasibility of implementation

Alternative 1: Do nothing

Pro: Costs nothing Easy to implement

Con: No solution to problem

Alternative 2: Improve existing tools

Pro: Costs effective Staff already trained on use Ability to maximise current investment Easy to implement

Con: May not suffice

Alternative 3: Contract GSS (out source)

Pro: Cost effective – pay per use Use only as needed

Con: May not be necessary for their needs

Alternative 4: Purchase GSS software Pro: Always available Facilitates scheduling and ensures use

Con: GSS is a tool, not in of itself a solution to

problem Cost of implementation and training May not be required for CFFI needs

Alternative 5: Create organizational mechanism for internal communications

Pro: Addresses systemic communications

problems Follow-through, decision making structure

should improve communication between silos

Con: Will take an organizational leader to

champion Will require breaking down the silo walls Organizational inertia will prevent change

Proposed solution: Improve existing systems

Email: Create grouplists Develop email protocols

Intranet Post important company policies and documents Chatrooms Shareware Forums News and upcoming changes/events

Proposed solution: Contract use of GSS Strategically utilize GSS for particular

projects Large corporate initiatives Decisions requiring input from all levels of the

organization and across silos Can mediate top-down push of ideas

Proposed solution: develop internal communications protocols

Regular meetings Regular chain of command hierarchy

Issue resolution ladder Establish decision making protocols as a regular practice

Questions?

Arctic Endurance

Clams40 Crew

45 Sea days

Atlantic ProtectorScallops30 Crew

15 Sea days

Thank You!

Clearwater Fine FoodsVessel Tracking

Thank you to Clearwater Fine Foods for sponsoring the draw.

http://www.clearwater.ca/vessel-tracking.asp?cmPageID=348