1. 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

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. The Organizational Problem The 1996 annual “Vision 2000” identified problems with communication & collaboration due to the highly decentralized and vertically-integrated structure

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

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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

13. Current IT/IS Technology Implemented: A corporate intranet Upgraded Microsoft Exchange for email Face-to-face interactions Next step: Search for brainstorming & consensus-building software

14. Trial with GSS at Queens Needed 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

15. 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

16. 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)

17. 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.

18. 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

19. Problem Solving Options: 1. Do nothing 2. Improve on existing tools Increase utilization rates Increase penetration 3. Contract Queens’ GSS (out-source) 4. Purchase GSS for in-house use

20. Criteria for Assessment of Alternatives Costs Financial Human Resource Benefits Improve outputs Implementation Feasibility of implementation

21. Alternative 1: Do nothing Pro: Costs nothing Easy to implement Con: No solution to problem

22. 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

23. Alternative 3: Contract GSS (out source) Pro: Cost effective – pay per use Use only as needed Con: May not be necessary for their needs

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. Proposed solution: develop internal communications protocols Regular meetings Regular chain of command hierarchy Issue resolution ladder Establish decision making protocols as a regular practice

29. Questions? Arctic Endurance Clams 40 Crew 45 Sea days Atlantic Protector Scallops 30 Crew 15 Sea days

30. Thank You!

31. Clearwater Fine Foods Vessel Tracking Thank you to Clearwater Fine Foods for sponsoring the draw. http://www.clearwater.ca/vessel- tracking.asp?cmPageID=348 http://www.clearwater.ca/vessel- tracking.asp?cmPageID=348