Leadership Corner

Today, Dec 2004 by Moran, Frank

Dear Members:

TAWPI has experienced another successful year. In October we hosted the Board of Directors and the Annual Meeting; where we outlined our plans for continued measured growth for the next 12 months. We have come a long way in raising the visibility of TAWPI, and inspired by the successes of 2004, we have ambitious goals for 2005.

One of the keys to achieving the goals we've set for the coming year is to prioritize the many tasks that vie for our time. TAWPI's Board, as well as the staff are working cooperatively to determine how we can best grow the organization, and meet the needs of our members.

Together we have agreed that TAWPI will continue to focus on four key target areas:

* Growth

* Financial Stability

* Education

* Communication

For each of these areas we have set priorities, which we will adjust as market conditions dictate. For instance issues such as Check 21, Sarbanes-Oxley or HIPAA are subject to legislative changes, and TAWPI must react accordingly. The ability to respond quickly to market changes and to the interests of our members has been TAWPI's greatest strength. Even as we grow, we must remain nimble and responsive.

Growth

* Increase product offerings within the current market

* Introduce new relevant products as market demands

* Increase membership (both individual and affiliate)

Financial Stability

* Establish reasonable reserves to provide a cushion as well as a resource for new initiatives

* Establish an understanding that budget is to be met or exceeded

* Assess risks, examine perils, and work to reduce them

Educational Opportunity/Excellence

* Increase work process improvement, business process outsourcing and service bureau education

* Forum & Expo and regional conferences

* Follow our Mission: Educate professionals using emerging technologies in mail, remittance and forms processing

Communication

* Strengthen existing communication tools-the Web (www.tawpi.org), TODAY magazine, seminars, forums and conferences

* Work more closely with industry analysts and complementary associations

* Encourage cross-selling within an organization (while TAWPI may be known by the remittance department, there may be information capture operations within the same organization that could benefit by knowing TAWPI).

This outline is a rough draft of our priorities for the year ahead. In each of these, our focus remains on serving the needs of our members. Our growth is dependent on meeting your expectations.

Let us know how we're doing.

Sincerely,

Frank Moran