Roadmap to success: Ohio Society Board adopts strategic plan revisions.

• Author: Tucker, Jeffrey H.

Strategic planning is the bedrock of any successful organization. Maintaining the relevance of the plan requires diligence and a commitment to regular review and update. This August, The Ohio Society of CPAs Executive Board adopted revisions to the Society's strategic plan that were recommended by the Strategic Planning Committee. These revisions were identified following a review of major issues and trends impacting the CPA profession, the Society and its members.

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Here are the highlights of how The Ohio Society is serving its members now and into the future.

Major Trends

The practice of accounting, whether it be in CPA firms or individual CPAs working in industry or government, is constantly changing. Rules, regulations and legislation evolve in response to changes in society, technology, business and government. As part of the strategic planning process, the Society identified several major trends that influence the current and future business environment, including:

* Recruitment -- We need to consistently work to attract students to the profession and qualified accounting professionals as employees.

* Advocacy -- In the face of new rules and requirements, it is critical that the Society remain strongly committed to an effective legislative/regulatory advocacy program.

* Firm structure -- Changes in profitability and scope of services, plus the emphasis on and challenges of conducting effective audits continue to impact the basic structure of firms.

* Diversity -- The Society's membership is becoming more diverse in terms of age, gender and area of practice. This impacts the services and values that are relevant to member needs.

* Technology -- Technology advances will continue to affect all aspects of the CPA profession and the Society, including when, how and where members work, how CPE is delivered and how the Society communicates with its members.

* Competition -- One of the Society's primary values to members is serving as their "information safety net" among disparate competing entities, including the Internet and other niche organizations focused on CPAs.

* Leadership -- Identifying, cultivating and developing future leaders continues to be a major challenge at all levels.

* Continuing Education -- The Society must continue to effectively deliver timely, cost-efficient programs that meet members' knowledge requirements.

Vision for the future

The Society will continue the vision statement adopted as part of the predecessor plan:

The Ohio Society of CPAs is focused on positioning its members to be trusted professionals at the forefront of a changing and complex world.

Organization

The Strategic Plan is focused on four major priorities:

* Quality of practice and services

* Advocacy

* Regulation of the profession

* The practice environment

Each of these priorities is addressed in one of seven critical success factors that are key to supporting the growth of the profession and the Society.

Critical Success Factor Assist members in creating their own future success by underscoring the importance of the CPA profession's core values and core competencies.

The Ohio Society...