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Strategy
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ALASDAIR SMITH CEO
STRATEGY
STRATEGY ANNUAL REPORT & YEARBOOK 2018/2019
ONE YEAR IN
INTRODUCTION BY OUR CEO The new Scottish Bakers strategic plan that we set-out in last year’s Annual Report and Yearbook has been the guide for our work during 2018-19. We have developed the association with a renewed sense of purpose and a clear focus on working for the good of our members – “for the good of all” as our motto says. The strategic framework has helped bring clearer definition to our priorities. Throughout the year we have delivered on our three outward facing priorities: we have been more responsive to our members, continued to build strength in our training provision and built our own knowledge about the challenges and issues facing bakers. Communication is a strategic theme where we have, I believe, made great progress. We’re communicating more regularly than ever before with our membership and with better and more relevant content. We’re grateful to our many Allied Trades members who freely provide much of this information. We’re also using social media far more proactively and we’re continuing to build our following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We’d urge all our members to get social online – it’s where you can reach out to new customers and showcase your fantastic products to great effect. The following sections set out just a few highlights from what has been an exceptionally busy, but enjoyable year.
THE HISTORY OF OUR STRATEGY It’s important to note that we did not stumble upon the 7 strategic themes outlined below. Each was meticulously developed over the course of 4 months and came about through multiple staff sessions, one-to-ones, and internal and external consultation. We are therefore proud to say that this strategy is from the industry, for the industry, and as such it continues to reflect the following key elements: - a core purpose that supports members’ ambitions for growth - engagement with the wider food and drink sector in Scotland and beyond - ambitious, but realistic, long-term objectives - implementation of robust and effective processes and procedures - provision of reasonable checks and balances on activities, decision-making, and planning - development of good practice in monitoring and evaluation - communication of the achievements and ambitions of its members Resource & Delivery A core leadership team made up of the Chief Executive, Financial Controller, Marketing Manager, and Training and Quality Manager has been responsible for delivering the strategy over the past 12 months. They have been ably supported by a wider team in the delivery and assessment of apprenticeships, with in-house administration offering further assistance across the organisation.
Purpose Scottish Bakers promotes and protects the interests of the trade; representing, advising and supporting all aspects of Scotland’s baking industry to ensure it remains competitive. We will achieve this by providing the widest possible range of benefits that help our members sustain and grow their businesses including skills development, technical information and assistance, competitions, sector intelligence, legal advice, financial discounts, and social and business networking.
Values We are ambitious for our members and trade and always operate with integrity, respect and commitment, and with our members’ best interests at heart.
THE STATE OF PLAY - Nearly 300 active bakery businesses in Scotland - Around 12,000 people employed - Over £1.3 billion of revenue delivered - Over £450 million gross-value added
STRATEGY ANNUAL REPORT & YEARBOOK 2018/2019
OUR STRATEGIC THEMES - A REFLECTION Over the course of the year, this strategic framework has transformed how we work as an association. It has stepped Scottish Bakers up a level in terms of professionalisation and focus. We are now far more capable of delivering a consistent level of quality support to our members at all times. We have observed the following areas of progress, both internally and externally:
1. Membership Members are the beating heart of Scottish Bakers, and so we have focused our efforts on becoming a stronger member association. This has led to a deliberate increase in face-to-face visits with existing and prospective members, and improvements to how we engage our members, both directly and indirectly.
2. Training
Training has been a golden thread in the organisation since it was first established back in 1891. It’s equally important (if not more so) than it was back then, given the competitive job market we have today. Training is fundamental to how we support the trade. Scottish Bakers remains Scotland’s largest modern apprenticeship provider, and as part of our strategy, we are extending our reach further. This has already begun with the delivery of a social media workshop day, with further short courses, seminars, and workshops in the pipeline.
3. Knowledge
We continue to improve upon the extensive knowledge and understanding we have of the trade. This includes ensuring we grasp the economic pressures and the legislative and regulatory challenges our industries face, and providing our members with access to the relevant support. We have also worked to raise our public affairs activity under this strand. This has led to us being far more proactive in submitting responses to various government consultations, taking clear positions and representing the views of the Scottish baking industry. 4. People Scottish Bakers is a people organisation, and we couldn’t do what we do without our fantastic staff. Each and every one of them lives and breathes Scottish Bakers. We’ve worked hard to make sure we have proper and effective staff policies in place. This has led to the introduction of a new professional development review process, which allows us to recognise and reward the achievements of our colleagues. They all go the extra mile when necessary to deliver exceptional results, and often under immense pressure.
5. Business Development Broadly speaking, we have undertaken business development activities over the past 12 months with a view to further enhancing the association. For example, we have examined how we can better attract more members and more supplier supporters; how we can effectively secure the necessary sponsorship for our events and competitions; and how we can proactively develop the businesses with whom we work to recruit apprentices. 6. Communications Tangible improvements have been made to the way in which we communicate with our members. The newsletter has been enhanced, social media usage has increased, and our branding has undergone a refresh. Combined, this has made our messaging more consistent across multiple media channels. We have also overhauled how we hold and use member data. Integrated e-comms and event management software helps us to quickly and easily communicate with our membership in a timely and professional manner.
7. Financial Management
We have driven efficiencies where possible. We’ve kept a clear head in order to eliminate waste, which has made us more financially robust and provided a solid foundation for the future.
LIVING THE STRATEGY Since implementing the strategic framework, we have used it as our agenda to set our operational plan each year. As a senior management team, we use the key strategic aims to define what our operational objectives are for the year, with each strategic theme broken down into a number of objectives and operational aims. This allows us to work with a very clear idea of what we want to achieve in the months ahead and has led to some notable successes.
Celebrating Success Staff - The efforts of our staff are not always visible to our members, but it’s crucial that we recognise their hard work and enthusiasm. Change is always difficult, but we’ve come out the other end a much stronger organisation with a more focused approach to supporting its staff. Training - As a provider of training, Scottish Bakers stands apart. Its importance, both strategically and financially, cannot be understated. The work that Scott Anderson and his team of training advisors do is exceptional, and without their passion, effort, and focus, we would be a shadow of what we are. Events - Our events have always been enjoyable, but now they are far more focused on our member needs. For example, we ensured our most recent conference had a clear central theme (customer service, branding and design). It’s important that our events deliver tangible benefits to our members. We want our members going away with at least one new thing they can try and implement on a Monday morning.
