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MAY 2021 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 17 For example, Calumet generates around 40 quotes and ships about 60 orders per day. With clear objectives and strategy, the sales team can work to shape business slowly over time to better position the company for the future. Also, within this flow of transactional business are gems of opportunity that our sales associ- ates must be able to identify, respond to, or re- direct to specialists within the company. Our strategic plan communicates the industry sec- tors where the company seeks to grow through clearly defined objectives, strategies, and tac- tics. is enables our sales associates to use their talent, skills, and experience to great ef- fect to identify important opportunities and take the right actions, because they clearly un- derstand the company's goals and strategies. Once a company has a written strategic plan it can more easily and safely secure or devel- op resources with confidence because the plan is steadfast and resilient against tempting but off-mission distractions. Resources take many forms: from human talent to capital equipment to political advocacy or tapping into your local high school's robotics program. Over the prior decade Calumet has made significant strides with capability and capaci- ty. For example, over the past eight years, Cal- umet has grown from having four process engi- neers to having a department of 15 process en- gineers and technicians. is growth of tech- nical talent didn't happen overnight but was a result of our strategy to rapidly increase Calu- met's capability to meet the needs of that part of the domestic circuit board industry that was less likely to be offshored. But it wasn't until we reduced our strategy to writing that the tactic of developing a dedicated R&D/product real- ization team was identified as an imperative to take on the most challenging engineering and manufacturing projects and product types. Si- multaneously, our written plan identified and solidified the importance of developing more and deeper relationships with our customers, especially those seeking to partner with man- ufacturers in early design stages of very com- plex technologies, all within the context of es- tablishing long term agreements to improve the visibility and resiliency of future revenues. Johnson: I'm hearing that it starts with know- ing where you want to go. Brassard: Even before knowing where you want to go, you need to understand why you're in business. Before we defined company ob- jectives, strategies, and tactics, we dedicated a page to listing what is important to our busi- ness. We later titled the section, "What's Im- portant and Desired Outcomes," understand- ing that these two categories were similar but not exactly the same thing. e former made statements about growth and sustainability where the latter addressed topics like the im- portance of the company having a positive im- pact on the surrounding community. Once we identified what was important to the company and what outcomes were desired from our ef- forts, we established just seven top-level cor- porate objectives. We kept the list short know- ing we had limited resources and that we must focus on what was most important, but also understanding that we could change the objec- tives later. Johnson: So, the idea is to know what it is you want to do. And that starts with defining your purpose, your mission? Brassard: is seems obvious, but in the dai- ly hustle of keeping your customers happy, it's easy to dri off mission or lose focus on the big picture. Understanding what's important, where you fit in the market, where you are strong, where you are weak, and who are your stakeholders are important considerations at any point in the journey of a small business. Your list of stakeholders likely goes beyond the owners, employees, and customers extending to your suppliers, local contractors, the high school down the road, and the person who plows your parking lots in the winter.