Expanding that thought process further, the one thing I have learnt over the years is that when you set a strategic plan in stone, it is important and necessary to be flexible because the execution of that plan is usually fraught with challenges and you can easily get knocked off track. Implementation dates change and slip; new opportunities present themselves, sometimes when you least expect them and so on. They also need to be worked into the strategic plan too. This year has been a bit like that. Let me explain further. Firstly, we undertook to replace the very dated ACT database at head office using something funkily known as Zoho Creator – an intuitive online, drag and drop database platform. Having project managed the implementation of databases from scratch before, I am only too well aware of the immense headaches they can cause. And if you get them wrong, it can pose a serious risk to any business. Indeed I have seen businesses collapse because of poor database implementation. The original deadline of having it live by mid-summer came and went for a variety of reasons. But we are finally rolling out the new database now. As a consequence we expect that all our members and customers will see a change and it will improve our efficiency with the ability to automate what were previously manual processes and procedures.
On the other hand, the new Continuing Professional Development (CPD) App, which was a late entrant into this year’s strategic plan, ran ahead fast and went live in February with enhanced, version two coming on-stream in June. Thanks are due to IIMS member, Capt Ruchin Dayal and his excellent team in Goa for their work and professionalism in this area. Such has been the success of the CPD App that we simply wonder how we managed before it. At the time of writing, over
350 members have used the App to make 1,278 claims for CPD points. Remarkable. The whole process has been transformed and it has made keeping CPD up to date simple for members and head office staff alike. If you are one of the two thirds of members who have yet to try it, I urge you to give it a go. Versions exist for iOS, Android and on the web. The IIMS CPD App is being white labelled in readiness to be rolled out for the eCMID Accredited Vessel Inspectors community from January 2018.
Changing faces
Over the past twelve months we have said goodbye to several members of the IIMS team, some perhaps more surprising than others it must be said. One of the key (and toughest) challenges with any business is managing the human resource and sometimes it is very much akin to a ‘dark art’. I wish those who have moved on from the Institute good luck with whatever they go on to do.
I have to say that a churn in any organisation is not a bad thing. The reality is that we all have our ‘sell by’ date and eventually go stale in a role. New people bring fresh ideas with them, new and different skills, alternative ways of working and problem solving techniques. Such has been the case with both IIMS and MSA and in my opinion, we end this year of transition with a stronger team collectively than the one we started 2017 with.
At the time of writing we are just in the middle of a major office move, with everyone relocating to a different part of the building. I expect this new layout to add fresh impetus and to help individuals to ‘sharpen their saw’, in readiness for the challenges that lie ahead in 2018.
On the business front
Once the combined accounts are published for IIMS and MSA at some point in 2018, they will show this to have been a record trading year, both I suspect in terms of turnover and profit. The growth in IIMS is modest, but sustainable. However the growth in MSA has been astonishing. More on this later. As a consequence this is the first time that I have felt able to say the organisation is in a fit and healthy state financially. The work that has gone on over the past four years has borne fruit.
We have continued to look for ways to reduce our overheads throughout the organisation and have been successful in further reducing our costs in some areas. Our membership revenues are on budget. The Certifying Authority, administrated by Tania Bernice, has had a decent year, ahead of budget too.
Although IIMS is a ‘not for profit’ organisation, the reality is that no business can exist without generating profit. We have some development costs to fund in the business going forward and we need to think about where the Institute is located when our 10 year lease comes up for renewal in 3 years’ time. That might seem some way off, but let me assure you it is not! I expect with the backing of the management board to bring a resolution to the 2018 AGM which asks for approval from members to buy an office outright. Renting is an expensive business and it is dead money with nothing to show at the end of the lease. Owning our own property is an investment for the future and in my opinion in the best interests of the membership. It will also reduce the Institute’s overheads too. With this in mind, we have started to build a financial fund to enable us to pursue this goal if the membership votes to accept the resolution as and when it is made.
26 | The Report • December 2017 • Issue 82
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