The Results of Our Three Year Strategic Plan
Author: Pete Callaro
August 2007
In 2004, a dozen senior regional leaders came together to create a road map for the future of the Greater Dayton IT Alliance. It is hard to imagine that we have completed the three year strategic plan for our organization. This time last year, I was writing about how excited I was to accept the position of Chairman of the Board of the Greater Dayton IT Alliance and to complete the work that we had started. Now I sit here thinking of the past three years and wondering how the staff and the many committees of the board could have accomplished so much in so little time.
Over the past three years, we set a goal to promote high value economic growth and job creation within the information technology industry. Our approach was to become a business development partner for member companies to assist them to open new markets and broaden revenue and profit opportunities; to work with regional industry associations and economic development partners to identify market opportunities and shorten the gap from market need to technology deployment; and finally, to improve the productivity and competency of regional companies within targeted technologies and industry segments aligned with the regional economic plan.
Over the past three years, we met this goal primarily through the efforts of our staff and volunteer support on the Tech Source program, an industry-specific taxonomy and website application. Additionally, Ohio Department of Development funds were acquired to staff and launch the program.
Tech Source
During the past three years, dozens of our technology providers were enrolled and have been profiled in the on-line database. Their electronic brochures and websites were viewed over 12,000 times through the Tech Source portal. Scores of potential business connections were assisted through this program with system support, database maintenance, and application assistance being the most frequently requested. 20 of the Tech Source contacts resulted in closed business deals with a value of more than $1.6M.
CIO Council
On another front, GDITA continued to support the goals and activities of the CIO Council. With its broad-based support from industry, WPAFB and the public sector, the council met 25 times this past year and among many of its accomplishments, they nce again produced a 3-year IT skills outlook for the region, Perhaps more importantly, they continue to influence the positive change to the area's IT investments by providing advice and assistance to the members of the council.
Training Exchange
What I feel may be the most important achievement of the last three years has been the resurgence of interest and participation in the Training Exchange. Over the past three years, 81 training classes were conducted. Providing nearly 1000 professionals with important training opportunities for which we achieved a satisfaction rating of 88%. Participating companies saved 23% off cost of retail training and 54% off the total cost when travel would have been required yielding a total savings to community valued at over $1M.
Workforce Development
We held two Digital Mixers in the last three years in conjunction with Wright State University, the i-Zone, and the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. 10 college scholarships were awarded in conjunction with the McKenna Group for a value of $11,500. Nearly 120 companies posted 412 jobs to the website's Employment Exchange valued at $123,600 in savings versus traditional advertising.
Events and Seminars
Six Tech Source Educational Seminars were conducted, in conjunction the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, the Dayton Tooling and Manufacturing Association, the Miami Valley Medical Management Group, and the Professional Association of Health Care Office Managers. Three Ohio Information Security Conferences were organized in partnership with the ISSA, Infragard, the Ohio Contingency Planners of Ohio, and the Ohio Information Security Forum. Forty-four networking and educational events were hosted presenting 201 educational sessions, with over 2,200 professionals attending, while maintaining a satisfaction rating of 4.5 out of a possible 5. WHEW… and that's only a partial list of our accomplishments!
Thank You
So, while the time flew by, thanks to the efforts of the many volunteers working so hard to achieve our goals and especially to the GDITA staff who were the glue holding it all together, not to mention the long hours they put in, it was a very productive and successful year and I am proud to have been a part of it. I look forward to the coming year as we tackle new challenges under the leadership of our new Chair, Don Hopkins the CIO for NCR. With Don at the helm, I have confidence we will have another great year as we embark on our 2008-11 strategic plan.
