Envisioning ASME today and tomorrow

Reginald I. Vachon
ASME President

Continuity and Change is the name of the initiative that lets us envision what ASME could and should look like in the 21st century.

Continuity and Change means that ASME in 2004 and beyond will continue to be guided by the core values upon which the Society was built, while implementing some strategic and structural changes that are necessary to keep pace with the changing environment and to solidify ASME's leadership role in the worldwide engineering community.

Although everything will be reassessed, not everything will change. The new ASME model will have a place for everyone, but the environment in which it functions will emphasize growth for the future.

Reginald I. Vachon

Information on the initiative's process has been reported regularly since the Spring of 2003, when the initiative first got underway. Since then, ASME has completed its assessment of the current structure, the budget model and the marketing strategy. Reports on those assessments are posted online at www.asme.org/change.

Since the summer, ASME has been training volunteers and staff in the Balanced Scorecard approach that aligns the strategy and operations to the objectives and measures. Feedback from members, beyond the studies undertaken and reported on in November, includes the need to emphasize diversity in our core values, to aggressively pursue membership development, to clarify options for innovation, to clarify the multidisciplinary nature of engineering and to expand ASME's vision to include that perspective, while emphasizing allied sciences as well.

ASME is responding to the sweeping changes in the practice of mechanical engineering and the nature of the engineering workplace. But, we need to become more customer-focused in an engineering marketplace that, since ASME's last major organizational assessment, has been radically transformed by new design methodologies, interdisciplinary work, short project deadlines, and emphasis on safety and environmental compliance.

A major trend in the profession is the blurring of boundaries across the board. We rarely see mechanical engineers pigeonholed in specific tasks. Today, engineers are multitasked and called upon to contribute to total project management, including budgeting, marketing and other atypical engineering duties. These are the challenges facing members. ASME has always been an anchor in stormy weather, but now it's time to install cutting-edge steering systems.

The Continuity and Change Initiative is the basis for the action taken by the Board of Governors in November when, after careful examination and consideration, it accepted a new organizational concept for ASME.

Between November and March, five general assemblies will have been held for members to discuss this preliminary organizational model and the critical opportunities that ASME must focus on in upcoming years.

All that work — figuring out how and where everyone fits in to fulfill ASME's many functions — has yet to be determined. At this juncture, the objective is not so much to identify specific needs, but rather to create a methodology for anticipating those needs in the future.

Members will need to view the reorganization from an overall Societal perspective, not just their own areas of interest. A conceptual organizational chart has been devised to serve as a roadmap to new opportunities, new initiatives, and new programs — whatever they become in the future. This proposed organizational chart allows ASME members to have input into the Society's new directions through participation at the Web site, in correspondence, or at any of the four General Assemblies that are scheduled for this month and next.

Developed throughout the last six months, the new model is based on a broad, detailed evaluation of the Society's operations. Although most ASME operations are functioning well, improvements must be made in ASME's slow response to current challenges and the level of its adoption of a global culture.

Given that more than half the mechanical engineering graduates entering the workforce in a few years will be born and trained outside the United States, ASME needs to create new technical content that will do a better job of attracting these engineers and welcoming them into the membership. To better service existing members, and attract new ones, ASME must be able to anticipate rapid technological advances, encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, strengthen strategic partnerships and alliances, foster learning, meet emerging needs of industry and others, and increase its market focus. It must be flexible in creating, strengthening and sunsetting its programs and processes.

The result will be better for all members, for the engineering profession, and for industry, government and academia, in terms of improved access to the engineering knowledge base and a stronger community for networking and sharing that knowledge. Members will find it easier to take advantage of more opportunities. In addition, the growth that ASME is seeking will give it a stronger voice in public advocacy and global leadership.

Looking ahead 10 years offers some strategic direction, creating a particular picture of what ASME wants to look like. In 2013, it will be a knowledge-based, market-
focused, globally operating society better positioned to attract and retain greater numbers of members. This includes young members, in particular. ASME needs to clarify its role in supporting the development of emerging technologies and disseminating technical content. While the collection and dissemination of technical knowledge is our heritage, it is also our future.

Looking at our vision for the future as well as establishing and strengthening our knowledge base and technology enterprises are priorities. But strategy must be linked to the execution of these plans. Therefore, ASME policies, processes, and practices must be updated. However, any shifts in the organizational model will be implemented in an orderly process.

Questions and comments from all members and potential members in the next few months will help fine-tune this preliminary plan. In March, the Board of Governors will review and vote on a revised plan. Implementation of the final organizational plan will begin almost immediately, as ASME begins its 2005 fiscal year.

Who we are reflects the 125 years of progress that ASME will celebrate in 2005. The new anniversary logo, launched in November, graphically expresses a forward-looking, global, market-focused organization to benefit members. It implies speed and agility, strength and poise. This heritage and our professional culture are strengths, deeply rooted in the core values and goals we have recently rearticulated.

The Continuity and Change Initiative will enable us to continue to foster those revered values in an increasingly evolving and global engineering environment. It will allow ASME to continue functioning as the organization and community of engineers and scholars that serve humanity and society with pride and integrity.

 

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