ASIS - Shaping a bold international strategy for the next decade

ASIS is dedicated to advancing security and safety worldwide, focusing on crucial issues like risk management and safety protocols. However, they faced a significant challenge: their strategic framework needed to evolve to address new global demands and enhance their impact.

The rapid changes in the international landscape and the need for a more ambitious approach led ASIS to find a partner who could help redefine their strategy. In 2022 they reached out to Business Models Inc. help craft bold, forward-thinking strategies. We worked closely with ASIS to develop a comprehensive 2024-2028 Strategic Plan. Our collaboration aimed to overcome their challenges by providing clear direction and innovative solutions, positioning ASIS to meet future goals with confidence.



Service: Strategy

Challenge

ASIS faced stagnating membership growth and was searching for a clear vision to guide future success.

Solution

We developed a 2028 vision with global stakeholders, providing ASIS with the tools and strategy needed for growth.

Outcome

ASIS now has a unified global vision, actionable strategies, and an empowered team, positioning it for sustainable growth and leadership in the security industry.

About Asis International

ASIS International is the world's largest membership organization for security management professionals. Founded in 1955, ASIS offers a range of education programs, industry publications, and events to help professionals grow in their field, with a mission to protect people, property, and information. To this day, ASIS has played a crucial role in the global security landscape. 

The challenge: Elevating innovation skills

ASIS International, facing stagnating membership growth and the need to redefine its position, was looking to develop a clear, forward-looking vision to remain strong in the security landscape. As the company transitioned focus from a primarily U.S.-based organization to a global presence, ASIS was looking for a partner for inclusive co-creation. They needed support in engaging stakeholders and crafting a strategic vision to drive innovation and global growth. In 2023, ASIS reached out to Business Models Inc. and initiated a 1.5-year project to have us design a comprehensive and actionable global vision that integrated diverse internal perspectives. Leveraging our award-winning innovation approach, the collaboration produced a strategic plan based on this bold vision, securing ASIS’s continued leadership in the security management industry.


Our collaboration consisted of three phases:
  1. Understanding and exploring ASIS' current role in the industry.

  2. Creating a vision, strategic plan, and activation story.

  3. Moving from vision to an actionable strategic plan.

Understanding and exploring ASIS' current role in the industry


Our journey with ASIS began with a deep dive into the organization's rich history. Through a Graphic History exercise, we identified vital events, strengths, and weaknesses that shaped the company. We began by conducting a comprehensive Context Analysis to understand external factors and evolving customer needs, ensuring our strategies would deliver continuous value.

This analysis explored evolving customer needs and emerging technologies, ensuring our newly designed strategies aligned with delivering continuous value to ASIS in the future.

Following this, we mapped the current business model, providing a foundation to facilitate strategic decision-making. Engaging with stakeholders, including current and future members, was crucial in this phase to understand their different needs and perspectives. We organized co-creation sessions with seasoned members at the ASIS Europe seminar to enrich our findings and explore different future scenarios for ASIS.

By creating future cover stories, we gained multiple perspectives on how ASIS could impact both current and future members. This process helped us identify key strategic choices and laid the groundwork for shaping an initial vision for ASIS. 

Creating a vision, strategic plan, and activation story


We presented our initial vision to the ASIS staff team in Alexandria, USA. Together, we refined their future role and long-term value creation, developing multiple business model options and a compelling narrative to engage stakeholders. This collaborative effort resulted in a roadmap with five bold steps to bring the vision to life and ensure organizational alignment. Doing this clarified ASIS's position within the global security landscape and provided a clear strategic direction. With this foundation, we further defined ASIS's future role, finalizing it for presentation to the advisory board. The board ultimately approved the transition from an educator to a facilitator role; creating a safer world in which to live, work, and play by uniting security professionals globally to grow resilient communities.

From vision to an actionable strategic plan


We designed a strategic plan framework focused on growth and future business strategies, incorporating extensive stakeholder input and alignment. We then conducted an innovation sprint with the ASIS staff team, equipping them with the tools to democratize strategy and innovation across the organization. The vision we established earlier served as a guiding compass for identifying new value creation opportunities. During the sprint, we identified a potential new service for ASIS to offer its members, which we tested and validated over four weeks to assess its desirability. This process empowered ASIS employees to actively contribute their ideas, fostering a culture of creativity and collective growth, while reinforcing the understanding that creating new business models requires a different approach than optimizing existing ones. 

Empowering innovation and sustainable growth

The advisory board embraced a clear, actionable strategic plan that aligns seamlessly with ASIS' future vision. By engaging over 400 stakeholders in strategic planning, we deepened their commitment and involvement in shaping the organization’s future direction, ensuring their active participation in driving innovation and achieving shared goals. 

Empowering ASIS staff with innovative tools and creating a space for strategic conversations democratized the strategy process. This newfound clarity enabled the company to focus on accelerating ideas and validating innovations efficiently. The refined business model highlighted new opportunities for value creation and revenue generation securing ASIS's sustainability and growth. 

Conclusion

The success of this partnership highlights the power of inclusive co-creation and strategic planning in driving organizational growth and innovation. By creating a continuous improvement and innovation culture, ASIS can transform ideas into tangible value for its members, solidifying its global leadership in the security management industry.

"With over 30 years in nonprofit management and numerous strategic planning projects, I can confidently say that our work with Business Models, Inc. stands out as the most comprehensive and globally ambitious. Their expertise was vital in shaping our 2024-2028 Strategic Plan, providing clear direction for our goals. The BMI team, led by Stefan Buijsingh and Niki Seelen, seamlessly became a valued extension of our organization."

Christine Murphy Peck, CAE- Christine Murphy Peck, Chief Global Learning Officer and Project Lead, ASIS 2024-2028 Strategic Planning Project Lead

Secure your strategy with Stefan.

He turns your ideas into real value.

Stefan Buijsingh
Stefan Buijsingh