IFA Supplier Forum Focuses on Maximizing Supplier Membership Value

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Franchising World October 2012


  BY DARRELL JOHNSON, CFE 


 


 While the International Franchise Association has evolved in response to rapid changes in the economy and franchising, so have the franchisor, franchisee and supplier members of the association. For many years, IFA Supplier Forum members have played an important role in franchising and   contribute to the success, credibility and longevity of the brands they support.   


A year ago, the leaders of the Supplier Forum Board of Directors under then-Chairman Scott Pressly, CFE, a partner of BIP Opportunities Fund, LP, along with input from the Executive Committee and support of the IFA staff, a new organizational structure for the Supplier Forum Board was created. This new structure was established to help coordinate and focus the various efforts of the board. The new, functional structure consisted of four operating groups designed to increase the productivity and effectiveness of IFA’s supplier membership. Each Supplier Board member was assigned to one of the four operating groups, which creates clearer ownership and accountability with a focus on meeting IFA’s strategic objectives. 


Each operating group sets specific goals for the 2011-2012 membership year, and recently evaluated its performance and set new goals for 2012-2013. Below is an overview of each of the group’s activities and goals for the year.   


Membership Group    The Membership Group, led by Kevin Hein, CFE, the chairman of the Franchise and Distribution Practice Group at Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, is tasked with retaining suppliers and identifying new members serving the franchise industry.   The group’s overall goal is to maximize suppliers’ membership value and provide feedback mechanisms to gauge current member satisfaction and opportunities for improvement. The Membership Group is currently developing an online video for new supplier members to understand the opportunities with IFA and how to become a successful and productive supplier member.   


Communications Group    Like any strong organization, clear and concise communications are critical. The Supplier Forum Board is no different. Lorne Fisher, CFE, CEO/managing partner at Fish Consulting, LLC, is responsible for organizing the board’s communications along with the members of this operating group. With its overall goal of improving the quality and communications to and for supplier members, his team will be revising messaging related to the benefits of supplier membership, integrating the suppliers’ voice into IFA marketing materials and developing a series featuring best-inclass supplier members.     


Business Solution Roundtable Group    Jania Bailey, CFE, president of FranNet Franchising, LLC, serves as the Business Solution Roundtable Group leader. Her group is responsible for the coordination of the Business Solution Roundtables or BSRs at IFA’s Annual Convention. The BSRs are the highest-rated program at the IFA convention, and Bailey is charged with increasing overall interest in the Business Solutions Roundtables. This year’s research included multiple polls of the membership to gather information on the most relevant topics in an effort to maximize convention attendee value. Currently, the group is planning to offer more than 70 relevant and timely topics during the 2013 convention in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand.    


Seminars Group    The Seminars Group, led by Larry Weinberg, CFE, a partner at Cassels Brock & Blackwell, works with his fellow members to come up with relevant topics, and then plans and organizes the Supplier Forum’s monthly Wednesday-Wise Webinars. Having a good pipeline of topics, and an active working group, helps keep these webinars current and popular. Building up interest and excitement around the webinar topics are vital roles within the Supplier Forum that will help the organization grow. Additional seminars conducted by this group include the “Suppliers-Get the Most Out of the Convention” workshop held before and during IFA’s Annual Convention. Lastly, this working group takes the lead on organizing two separate, supplier-oriented workshops designated as “Supplier Forum” sessions during the annual convention each February.   


The time and energy that each of the members has dedicated to the Supplier   Forum is significantly more in-depth than year’s past. Each Supplier Forum member has specific group responsibilities and now the four operating groups are the means by which the Supplier Forum puts its ideas, support and energy into action. The result has been greater productivity, camaraderie and excitement. These efforts are already proving to help IFA and franchise industry to grow and prosper.   


Darrell Johnson, CFE, is the president and CEO of FRANdata, the world’s leading franchise research company. Johnson is active on several franchise-related boards including serving as a director for the International Franchise Association, chairman for the IFA’s Supplier Forum Advisory Board and a trustee for IFA’s Educational Foundation. He can be reached at 702-740-7400 and  djohnson@frandata.com  .

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