1. Clearwater Fine Foods Inc.

2. Clearwater Fine Foods Inc. (CFFI)
World’s largest integrated shellfish harvester and processor.
Leading seafood producers
Largest buyer, producer, and exporter of live lobster
Largest producer of sea scallops
Major exporter of shrimp, surf clams, ground fish tuna and shark
In 1976, CFFI was John Risky’s and Colin MacDonald’s retail store that started trucking live lobster to Boston. Within the next 10 yrs the company expanded into the world’s largest exporters of live lobster. They Pioneered Air shipments to Tokyo/ Paris by developing new methods for storming and shipping live lobster.
Read Slide
Clearwater fine foods was shipping 7 days a week to North America Europe and Asia.
In 1986 To increase its products and market share it obtained a mix of secondary processors via joining forces with Hillsdown Holdings.

3. Organization Structure as of 1997
CFFI had parted company with Hillsdown in 1989
Maintaining 100% of its Canadian seafood businesses
Owns Grand Banks seafood for Icelandic scallops, surf clams
Argentina joint venture producing Antarctic scallops
Controlling interest in Ocean Nutrition Canada
Fish oil encapsulated products

4. Organization Structure as of 1997
International Sales Offices:
Santa Ynez, California
Orlando, Florida
Windsor , UK
Shanghai, China

5. Organization Ownership- 100% managment Sales - $200M CAD
Board of Directors -Internal
Operations
12 Divisions
10 Processing Plants
30 Vessels
4 Sales Offices
Internal Board of Directors is important to note because these are the decision makers front line people not outsider delegates, but instead an internal group truly involve with the outcome of the decision.
Overall a lot of people means are potentially great number of vies ideas, directions and complaints, which has its pros and cons for problem seeking, brain storming and problem solving.

6. Clearwater Fine Foods Inc.
Divisions:
Blue Ribbon Seafoods
Clearwater Arctic Surf Clam Co.
Clearwater Lobsters
Clearwater Lobster Shops (Retail Stores)
Continental Seafoods
Deep Sea Trawlers
Grand Bank Seafoods
Highland Fisheries
Ocean Prawns Partnership
Pierce Fisheries
China Sales Office
Toronto Sales Office
CFF (Europe)
Ltd.
Windsor, U.K.
CFF (U.S.A)
Inc..
Santa Ynez, CA
Orlando, FL
Clearwater Limited Partnership
Eastern Quebec Seafoods Ltd.
Ocean Nutrition Canada
Glacier Pesquera S.A.

7. Organization Employs 90 head office (Bedford, Nova Scotia)
30 in 3 retail outlets
650 in vessels
1875 regular seasonal in processing plants
5 sales staff
Internal Board of Directors is important to note because these are the decision makers front line people not outsider delegates, but instead an internal group truly involve with the outcome of the decision.
Overall a lot of people means are potentially great number of vies ideas, directions and complaints, which has its pros and cons for problem seeking, brain storming and problem solving.

8. Corporate Strategy Focused on growing distribution channels
Diversified products through strategic partnering and market growth
Primarily decentralized yet vertically integrated, dominating or leading each product line

9. Organizational Problem
Change in Corporate Strategy in1995
Growth oriented to “CFFI Vision 2000”
Five and Three Year Corporate Goals
Targets
Financial
Product
Market
Operations Performance
In 1995, Management wanted insure it’s stability and strength in the market by seize as many opportunities as possible. It set out its “CFFI Vision 2000” containing 5 year and 3 year corporate goals and targets in finance, product creation/development, marketing and operations. Each line and support function were required to create their own strategic plans that would attribute to the success of Vision 2000.
Yearly update meetings were planned and by the 1996 meeting communication and collaboration problems within the company were apparent.

10. Organizational Problem
Development of Strategic Plans
Each Line and support function creates their own plan
Outlining the objectives in Vision 2000
List of implications to operations/ actions for Vision 2000 success
In 1995, Management wanted insure it’s stability and strength in the market by seize as many opportunities as possible. It set out its “CFFI Vision 2000” containing 5 year and 3 year corporate goals and targets in finance, product creation/development, marketing and operations. Each line and support function were required to create their own strategic plans that would attribute to the success of Vision 2000.
Yearly update meetings were planned and by the 1996 meeting communication and collaboration problems within the company were apparent.

11. Information Aspect of the Problem
1996 Yearly Update Meetings
Noted Problems with Communication and Collaboration within the company.
Contributing Factors
Size
Diversification
Decentralized
Vertically integration

12. Diversified and Decentralized
Clam Processing
Shrimp Processing
Groundfish Processing
Scallops, Clam Processing
Dryland Lobster
Saltfish Plant
Saltfish, Scallops
Head Office
Dryland Lobster
Fleet Headquarters
3 Retail Stores
Offshore Lobster
Plus: 3 Vessels off coast of Argentina and Sales Offices in Toronto, US, UK and China

13. IT/IS Aspect of the Problem
Pre 1996
Basic
Internet site but no intranet

14. Define Solution in Case
MIS Manager , Leonard Landry
Developed a Corporate Intranet
Secure, common area to post company interests
Upgraded to Microsoft Exchange for
Shared Calendars, Corporate Address Book
Ease of contacting colleagues
** Search for Brainstorming and Consensus- building Software to aid in decision making
Leonard, MIS manager realized the technology would partially solve the problem.

15. Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS)
Combines
Communication
Computer and Decision Technologies
Support formulation and solution on unstructured problems in group meetings
Used when problems are not optimal, evident or possible
Used in real time

16. Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS)
Decision Rooms
U Shaped Configuration
Network Micro Computer Stations
Color monitors sunk into desktops
Wide screen protector at front of room
Central desk, server
Independent Facilitator

17. Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS)
A Member of MIS Steering Committee suggested:
Queens University Executive Decision Room
Uses Group Systems Software
DeSantis-Gallupe matrix in text
Brent Gallupe is a professor at Queens University
Founder of the first group-decision support lab.

18. Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS)
Committee decided to send a group to evaluate the QEDC usefulness
Group selected was the Finance and Admin Department
Two Goals of the meeting
Develop an initial draft of a strategic agenda for the department
Familiarize Managers with the tools of GDSS

19. Bedford Accounting and Finance Group : Organization Chart
Bob Wight
VP Finance
Rein Liiva
Controller
CFFI
Emerson Fiske
Internal Auditor
Leonard Landry
MIS Manager
Linda Fowler
Accounting Supervisor
John Miller
Controller Clearwater Lobsters
Bill Stafford Controller Ocean Nutrition Canada
Sandy Rudolph
LAN/WAN Administrator
Andrew Bower
Programmer/Analyst
Debbie Korecki
Lori MacCaull
Information Manager
Clint Slaunwhite
End User Support
Accounting Staff
13 people
Accounting Staff
3 people

20. The Meeting Bob Wight and his 6 direct reports
Meeting lasted 8 hrs in duration
Began with a electronic brainstorming exercises to familiarize team with the technology
Completed a SWOT Analysis
Topic Commentator
Through Discussion they decreased the volume of ideas then ranked their strengths and weaknesses from the SWOT analysis using a vote tool

21. The Meeting Goal Generation Creation of Objections for each Goal
Idea Organizer Tool
Discussion reduced to 10 items
Reduced again to 5 main goals with the Vote Tool
Creation of Objections for each Goal
Electronic brainstorming created 90 goals
Ended with 4 main objectives per goal
Team mapped out a list of actions items and assigned responsibility through discussion

22. The Meeting Meeting Ending: Last activity Had 5 main goals,
4 objectives per goal
Assigned action items to responsible parties in the meeting
All agreed to a follow-up session after discussion with other senior managers in the org.
Last activity
Discuss suggestions and ideas for the groups long term vision for which they used the Topic Commenter

23. The Meeting Evaluation
Meeting evaluation using the questionnaire tool
PROS
All members felt satisfied
Felt they had equally contributed
Felt unthreatened
Like the lack of interruption
CONS
Felt Rushed
Isolated from Group
Ideas Overlooked
Felt ideas were left out

24. The Follow Up: Meeting took place on November 6th
All agreed to collect feedback and have a follow up session at the end of November
March 1997 at case end
Feedback had been solicited
No follow session took place

25. How well did CFFI Implement GDSS Software as a solution?
Pros
Solicited an outside facilitator for first meeting
Used a test group that included the MIS manager
Buy in would be important in full scale implementation
Mixed technology use with old fashion face to face discussion
Help to improve consensus

26. What Went Wrong in the Implementation of the GDSS Software as a Solution?
Cons
Test group only included managers
Nice to have all levels of opinions
Lower level staff may seen more benefit from anonymity
Due to the facilitator, a main leader did not emerge from the group
Follow up meeting was never planned and implemented
Progress stalled on strategic plan and full use of GDSS
Team seemed to lose interest
Take more time to pre plan to use GDSS
Booking time to travel etc.

27. What Other Alternatives Were Available?
Non Technology Tools for Strategic Planning
Brainstorming
Nominal group techniques
Explain/ defend opinions
Final decision
Organizing and Prioritizing
Fishbone Diagram
Venn Diagram
Etc
Activity
Group decisions: what is the most popular activity for the summer for children of all ages.
The old fashion way
Non Technology Tools for Strategic Planning
Silent brainstorming possibly with sticky notes
To attempt to Stay anonymous
Or just reading out loud
Then some one has to take the time to record, we have to worry about group think, and the chance that individuals may not feel comfortable to share with the group
Nominal group techniques sticky notes, dots, votes
Explain/ defend opinions possibly even revote
Final decision
Organizing and Prioritizing
Fishbone Diagram
Venn Diagram
Etc

28. Alternative PROS CONS Cheaper Promotes relationship building
Difficult to document all suggestions and ideas, challenge for group to focus
Slower and inefficient
Productivity is also low
Smaller ideas get lost due to difficultly to capture
No anonymity to idea generation

29. Solution and Advantages
GDSS Software:
Saves time, increases efficiency/ productivity
Avoid Group Think
Equal participation by providing anonymity
Users work simultaneously and independently
Eliminates time restraints of debate
Ideas are quickly edited, sorted, saved, discarded, and copied
In this case, it GSS may not work as well as hoped for collaboration due to the organizational set up of the company. It is difficult for a group to acknowledge and solve problems when each member has their own agenda, problems and are disassociated with the other inner operations of the divisions.
Management of this system is key, the technolgy is a tool that if used properly increases the effeciency and productivity of the group. “To alter a popular saying somewhat to fit this situation better…You can lead them to water, you can give them the plumbing system, faucet and even a cup, but you still can not make them drink.”
Remember that technology is only the start of the solution.
There must be buy in from the users
Cost benefit analysis must show a positive
Technology may not solve corporate or organizational barriers.
The novelty of using technology wears off in time, be sure functionality is the cause of such an investment

30. Messages for a Modern Leader
Creating the need for change
Study found on average spend 800 hrs in meetings and executives consider 240 of those hours as wasted time.
Fewer and/or more productive meetings means more time for other activities
However, people are less likely to use this tool as it requires more motivation and effort than paper based tools.
Team must be open to developing new skills and consider innovation and efficiency a priority
Increased co-ordination to book rooms, travel to events, co-ordinate time schedules, learn the system.

31. Messages for a Modern Leader
Systems need to be managed
There should be a centralized leader to follow thru after the meeting and encourage continued participation and buy-in.
Silos created between organizational structure can not be removed with the addition of technology alone.
Different time and place tools could be used to help improve collaboration and communication between all department lines

32. Define Alternatives: Zing Technologies
AnyZing
Requires a single computer, a data projector and several keyboards.
It had 3 components called Create, Meet and Learn
ZingThing
Requires a server and client computers, one for the facilitator.
Additional participants use extra keyboards attached to the client machines.

33. Define Alternatives: Zing Technologies
Pros over Groupsystems
Link 12 people through single computer
Can rent system to determine needs
Server software and intra or internet based
Consultant Kit $3,000 vs $20 – 40,000
Networking allows laptops to be linked using wireless LAN
No Limit to Users

34. New Developments Clearwater Fine Foods (USA) Inc.
Public Offering in Trust, 2002
Bob Wright CFO
“The way to manage the company’s costs was to invest. We have invested in the latest and best technology to reduce costs and improve quality.  That has given us a competitive edge in this industry.” John Risley, Co-Founder CFFI

35. Q & A