NewsLine
July 2004, Vol. 16, No. 7
for the volunteer leadership

Liner Notes

COMING THIS SUMMER: SARBANES-OXLEY WEB SEMINAR

August 26, 2004
10:00-11:00 a.m. Pacific
1:00-2:00 p.m. Eastern

In order for supply management professionals to properly comply with the new Sarbanes-Oxley legislation, it is critical to learn how to account for and list off-balance sheet transactions and obligations, maintain and document viable internal controls, and report material events that may impact financial reporting in a timely and efficient manner. Watch for details in the next NewsLine or your e-mail inbox.

Q&A'S ON THE VOLUME DISCOUNT PROGRAM (VDP)

As you may recall, ISM's Board of Directors approved two membership options in 1998, including the Regular Membership — Volume Discount Program (VDP). This category was implemented on January 1, 1999, and has generated considerable interest from organizations of all varieties. To better acquaint you with this program, below are some frequently asked questions and answers to each:

1. How does a company/organization enroll as a volume discount program participant?
   
   In order for a company/organization to qualify for VDP membership, it must have at least 50 employees nationwide with ISM regular membership. It can have 50+ members at the time of its volume discount enrollment, or it can add the needed number of new members to qualify at that time. For example, if an organization has 40 current members, it can enroll 10 new members at the time of its volume discount enrollment. The company/organization works closely with ISM's home office throughout the enrollment process, following a series of steps to ensure proper tracking and billing.
   
   
2. How does volume discount membership differ from regular membership?
   
   Volume discount membership is the same as regular membership with a discount (10, 20 or 30 percent depending on the total number enrolled). Benefits on both the national and local levels are unchanged by this new membership option.
   
   
3. How does an affiliate know when it has volume discount members?
   
   Affiliates receive a list of any new volume discount members at the end of each month.
   
   There are also a number of ways affiliates can track volume discount participation as often as needed. Most are available through the ISM Web site (www.ism.ws) in the Members Only section under Affiliate Management Tools. A direct link to the login page follows: http://services.ism.ws/NAPMCams/AffiliateLogon.asp.
   
   An affiliate ID and password are required (available via ISM's Customer Service Department). Once logged in, select Reports. One monthly report lists all new members the affiliate has received over the last month, broken down by member type (volume discount members, lifetime members, etc.).
   
   Another report listing deleted members is available on a monthly basis as well. Usually released on the second or third of each month, this report lists all members who have been deleted during the past month, indicating member type for each.
   
   There's also the Dues Turnaround Roster, which is sent to affiliates before each billing, listing members and their member type. This information is also noted on the roster sent after the billing process.
   
   
4. Does the affiliate bill volume discount members?
   
   No. National assumes the billing procedure for all volume discount members. Members are billed at the start of the program and a check is sent to the corresponding affiliate(s) after payment is received. Likewise, whenever a new volume discount member is added through the course of the year, the same practice is followed. And finally, upon the company/organization's renewal date, an invoice is sent for all existing volume discount members and a check is forwarded to the corresponding affiliate(s) after payment is received. (Note: The volume discount program anniversary date may not correspond with the affiliate's renewal date.)
   
   
5. Does National bill the affiliate for volume discount members?
   
   No, affiliates will not be billed for semiannual dues for volume discount members. However, as mentioned above, they will be included on the affiliate dues turnaround roster (so that affiliates may verify and validate their memberships).
   
   
6. Can a company/organization enroll current members into its volume discount program?
   
   Yes. At the time of enrollment, the company/organization is sent a list of all current members designating that company/organization as their employer. Any of these can be included in the program upon request. National contacts the appropriate affiliate(s) to find these members' individual renewal dates, then bills the company/organization a prorated amount to carry the current members from their expiration date to the volume discount renewal date. Once the invoice is paid, the appropriate portion is forwarded to the proper affiliate(s).
   
   
7. What if a company/organization wants to transfer a current member to its volume discount program during the year?
   
   Companies/organizations can transfer current members to their volume discount program at times other than the initial setup or renewal; however, they must wait until that person's individual membership expires to do so. The company/organization contact person will be instructed to notify National when the member receives his/her renewal invoice from the local affiliate. The member will then be added to the volume discount program and a prorated bill (based on the company/organization renewal date) will be sent. Upon payment, the appropriate portion will be forwarded to the proper affiliate.
   
   
8. What if a new member replaces a current member throughout the course of the year?
   
   The company/organization's chosen contact person will work closely with National to track all additions, deletions or changes in the program. Affiliates will be notified on a monthly basis of these changes.
   
   
9. Can associate members (members on the local level only) become volume discount members?
   
   No. Volume discount membership is offered only to regular members, those enrolling on the national and local levels.
   
   
10. Where do affiliates direct inquiries for the volume discount program?
    
    Companies/organizations interested in the volume discount program should be referred to ISM's Membership Department for detailed instructions on how to proceed. They can do this by phone (800/888-6276 or 480/752-6276, extension 3111) or by e-mail (rpalmer@ism.ws).

SATELLITE SEMINAR COORDINATORS ARE A KEY TO PROGRAM SUCCESS!

Thank you to all of the Satellite Seminar site coordinators who have worked diligently over the past year to set up local downlink sites, oversee the program details on the day of the broadcast, and follow up on the program in their respective affiliates by encouraging attendees to submit their program evaluations. ISM's Satellite Seminar production staff particularly thanks those of you who opened up your downlink sites to welcome members of the Project Management Institute for the June 10 broadcast. This was the first time that ISM co-sponsored a Satellite Seminar with another organization, and we appreciate your cooperation in helping to make it a success!

ISM PLANS FOUR NEW SATELLITE SEMINARS

ISM is planning four Satellite Seminars for the 2004-05 program year:

• October 21, 2004: Best Practices for Negotiations and Contracting
• February 10, 2005: Finding and Keeping the Best Sources
• April 14, 2005: Supply Chain Research Trends and Market Intelligence
• June 9, 2005: Discovering Supply Management's Social Conscience

Program details, including panelist biographies and program outlines, will be posted on the ISM Web site as they become available for each of these Satellite Seminars. To help you with planning for these downlinks, the 2004-05 Satellite Seminar Planning Guide is posted in the Affiliate Tools area of the ISM Web site at www.ism.ws/MembersOnly/AffiliateTools.cfm.

ISM offers three ways your affiliate can take part in Satellite Seminar programming:

1. Downlink the live broadcast, which enables you to relay questions to the panel via fax, e-mail, or live over the telephone. To downlink the programs, all you need is a location that has a steerable satellite dish that can receive C-band satellite transmissions. Current affiliate downlink sites are located at community colleges and private corporations that have this type of equipment. A link to the downlink site registration form is on the ISM Web site at www.ism.ws/Seminars/SatelliteSeminars.cfm.
2. Borrow the tapes of past Satellite Seminars from the Affiliate Loan Library. The request form is in the Affiliate Tools area of the ISM Web site. The tapes are available approximately eight weeks after each broadcast.
3. Pre-order the Satellite Seminar videotapes and handbook for each program. They are priced at $99/set. This option enables your affiliate to build a permanent library of the programs to show whenever they fit your schedule. The Videotape Order Form is also available in the Affiliate Tools area of the ISM Web site.

Questions regarding Satellite Seminar registrations may be directed to Lara Wheeler at 800/888-6276 or 480/752-6276, extension 3056, or by e-mail at lwheeler@ism.ws.

How Do Satellite Seminars Rate?

After each Satellite Seminar, the ISM staff uses an online evaluation system to collect feedback from program attendees and site coordinators. The data provided on these questionnaires helps to gauge program effectiveness and plan future program topics.

The program attendee evaluation gathers responses to questions on program content, materials and presenter performance. The February 2004 Satellite Seminar, "Logistics in Supply Management," and the April 2004 program, "Controlling Costs by Controlling Your Inventory," both rated in the top five Satellite Seminars with overall ratings of 4.19 and 4.16, respectively. The highest rated program to date was the October 2002 program on "Contracting Roadblocks" with a rating of 4.25 on a five-point scale. The overall average for the 38 Satellite Seminars produced by ISM up to May 2004 is 3.99. Evaluation results for the June 2004 program, "Improving Your Role With Effective Project Management," will be provided in a future issue of NewsLine.

Affiliate downlink site coordinators are the key to making this evaluation process work, and they are urged to encourage program attendees to complete these online evaluations following each Satellite Seminar. The program evaluation link is provided on the information page for each Satellite Seminar on the ISM Web site, and the URL for the evaluations is also stated at the start and end of each broadcast as well as printed in the Program Handbook. A separate questionnaire is also available for site coordinators to complete, which provides ISM with data on program attendance, technical issues and process improvement ideas. The URL for this questionnaire is included in the Site Coordinator's Guide that is e-mailed to site coordinators before each program.

ISM REVISES MEMBERSHIP STATISTICS BY EMPLOYING SECTOR

ISM has released revised figures for the membership breakdown reported in the Results of the 2003 Membership Needs Survey and the 2003 Membership Demographics Report documents. The new figures are calculated based upon the number of respondents to that particular question, which more accurately reflects the true breakdown. The corrected percentages are reported below:

Revised documents that include the numbers reported above have already been posted to the Web site and are identified with the text "Revised June 2004" on the covers. The reports are available on the ISM Web site (www.ism.ws) by selecting the Results of the 2003 Membership Needs Survey or the 2003 Membership Demographics Report from the ISM Membership area. Please destroy any previous copies you may have made of these reports and replace them with the updated versions available now. Thank you.

If you have any questions regarding the 2003 Membership Needs Survey or 2003 Membership Demographics Report, please contact David Schultz, Resource Center manager, at 800/888-6276 or 480/752-6276, extension 3109, or dschultz@ism.ws.

In This Issue:

• Main Page
• Affiliate Support
• Spread the Word — Sharing the Value of Supply Management
• C.P.M. and A.P.P. News
• Technology
• Liner Notes
• Reminders
• Past issues of NewsLine