Saints Strategic Plan

8/11/2019 Saints Strategic Plan

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STRATEGIC PLAN 2013/14 - 2016/17

ONE OF THE BEST RUGBY CLUBS

IN EUROPE


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Foreword & Mission Statement

Our Key Values

Strategic Objectives 20132016

Rugby

Customers

Commercial

Social & Community

EmployeesFranklins Gardens our home since 1888

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FOREWORD

4northamptonsaints.co.uk

In the mid-nineties club rugby operating as amateur members clubs, was at a crossroadswith average attendances in the top ight less than 5,000 and yet with a need to attractand pay the best players and also pressure to improve and expand the spectator facilities.This led to the English game turning professional at the start of the 1996/97 seasonwith the challenge of increasing the games popularity, paying players and developingthe clubs facilities. Since then massive investment has been made into the game so that

today the Aviva Premiership has top class players from around the globe on display weekin, week out and is seen as arguably the most compelling domestic competition in theworld. Spectator stadium facilities have improved in tandem and it is no surprise then thatmatchday attendances have grown substantially and club rugby is now broadcast livearound the globe each weekend throughout the season.

Northampton Saints has met these challenges with more success than most as we embracedthe opportunity to expand and still keep our proud heritage and traditions whilst developinga dedicated rugby stadium with great facilities for our supporters. This approach has beenappreciated by Saints supporters old and new, whose loyalty has been the foundation uponwhich Saints have managed to develop a business model which has enabled the club to be

nancially viable, returning a prot for each of 13 consecutive years a unique achievementthat no other club in the games elite has managed to achieve.

It is this nancial viability which gives the Board of Directors the condence to maintainand develop its investment into the playing effort, which in turn improves the clubs abilityto compete for honours on the pitch.

The Board has now decided to set out its vision and objectives for Northampton Saintsover the next four years and we would like to share with our key stakeholders the strategywe will adopt to achieve them. Not only will we, of course, monitor our progress againstour strategic plan but so will our stakeholders be able to do so and accompany us on ourchallenging journey.

We are grateful for your continued support and assure you of our dedication andcommitment to full our mission.

Tony HewittChairman

MISSIONSTATEMENT

Te clubs ambition is toachieve consistent successon the pitch underwrittenby prots from a sustainablebusiness model which hasdelivery of excellence andstrong traditional values atits core


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OUR KEY VALUES

Our values drive our behaviour and will ultimately determine our performance and results.We will do our best to ensure we live our values on a daily basis:

Honesty, Integrity and RespectWe will be honest in our dealings with others andwith ourselves. Errors may be made but an honest

appraisal will allow us to ensure they are not repeated. We will be respectful to others at all times,

including our opponents on the pitch. We will earn respect from others for the quality and integrity ofour dealings with them.

Pride and PassionWe have a pride in our club

and its rich heritage andtradition. We have a passionfor rugby and a desire to

leave a legacy in the clubs name for future generations.

Trust, Loyaltyand Teamwork We recognisethe strengths ofteamwork. Wewill support ourcolleagues and reapthe benet of theirtrust and loyalty.Our club is a team.

ExcellenceWe will strive for excellence in all we do and aim to deliver anexceptional experience for our customers, thereby presenting

a compelling proposition.

Challenge and InnovationWe will constantly challengeourselves and others, listeningto and learning from feedback

as we strive to improve our performance. We will not be afraid of being different and innovative and are always willingto back our judgment. We areeager to get things done and

achieve our objectives.

PROUD HISTORY | BRIGHT FUTURE


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Te following strategicobjectives have beenset in pursuance ofthe clubs MissionStatement:

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES2013-2016


Rugby

RUGBY To be consistent and seriouscontenders in all three major competitionsand to ensure the ongoing supply ofyoung talent capable of making a strongcontribution to the clubs on-pitch success.

COMMERCIALTo support the nancial businessplan by development of theSaints brand, maximizing returnsfrom the teams success anddeveloping new income streams.

Commercial


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FRANKLINS GARDENS To maintain and develop thefacilities and operational service level to further the Clubs claim to havethe best stadium and the best match atmosphere in club rugby whilstcontinually developing the stadiums non-matchday commercial use.

CUSTOMERS To deliver an exceptionalexperience to all customer groups on and off thepitch, developing mutual trust and loyalty.

SOCIAL & COMMUNITY To continue toengage with our community and to utilise the clubs resourcesto enrich local peoples lives.

Community

Franklins Gardens

Customers


OUR HOME SINCE 1888

EMPLOYEESTo treat employees fairly andwith respect and to providethem with the resources toenable them to be proud oftheir individual contributionto the achievement of theclubs overall plans.

Employees


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Since relegation in 2007/08 investment in the playing department hasincreased by over 2.3m.

The team has now appeared in a Final in each of the past six seasons andhas qualied for the Premiership Play-Offs for four consecutive seasons.The playing squad has increased its strength in depth and consists ofworld class and international standard players. Our Academy is nowdeveloping players ready for the senior squad, and a player support

structure of the highest club level is in place. A desire to win is now veryevident and major success may not be far away. The nal step needs tobe taken.

RUGBY


o be consistent andserious contendersin the three major

competitions and toensure the ongoingsupply of young talentcapable of making astrong contributionto the clubs on-pitch

success

2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/135.13m 6.40m 6.44m 6.57m 6.89m 7.42m

2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13

Premiership Div 1 8th Semi- Semi- Semi- Runners-UpWinners Finalists (2nd) Finalists(4th) Finalists(4th) (4th)

Europe N/A Challenge Heineken Heineken Heineken Heineken

Cup Quarter Runners-Up Pool Pool Winners Finalists

Cup Nat. Trophy Semi- Winners Pool Runners-Up Pool Winners Finalists


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SPECIFIC GOALSFirst Team Performance1 To qualify for the Premiership semi-nals each season.2 To qualify for the Heineken Cup quarter nals each season.3 To perform to a consistently high standard and to take

maximum advantage of playing at Franklins Gardens.

Senior Players1 To qualify for RFU and PRL EQP payments.2 To operate within (but close to the ceiling of)

the PRL Salary Cap regulations.3 To implement a formal Player Recruitment and

Retention policy.

Management & Coaching 1 To encourage individuals to identify and adopt

innovative ideas and best practice from other sportsand other countries.

2 To have all current coaches qualied to RFU Level 4or equivalent by end of 2016.

SPECIFIC GOALS


Academy 1 To secure 100% RFU Academy funding.2 To have at least two players each season offered a full-time senior contract.3 To operate within the PRL Academy Cap regulations.4 To utilize the dual registration system to give developing players adequate match play experience.5 To seek opportunities to develop and extend the clubs network for the identication and introduction

of young talent.


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Financial viability is at the core of the clubs success and this isdependent on repeat business from customers. Commitment torepeat business will only come from customer satisfaction butexceeding customer expectations should mean we can also lookforward to new business recommendation and loyalty.

Our customer groups

1 Individual supporters Season Ticket Holders, regular oroccasional match ticket purchasers, 1st XV club membersand supporter club members.

2 Corporate sponsors.

3 Regular or occasional hospitality business clients, groundadvertisers.

4 Conference and meeting room users on non-matchdays.

5 Individual and corporate attendees at events staged by theclub dinners, representative matches, concerts andreworks.

6 Schools, junior rugby clubs, charities and other disparateorganisations falling into any or all of the above.

7 Competition sponsors and partners e.g. Aviva, LV=Insurance,Heineken, BT Vision.

CUSTOMERS


o deliver anexceptional experienceto all customer groups

on and off the pitch,developing mutualtrust and loyalty


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1 Close liaison with business partnersservicing and/or affecting service deliveryto our customers Kudos (catering),Tickethour (ticket sales system), Fine Foods(Village catering), and Premiership Rugby.

2 Establishment of a SupportersLiaison Group to seek objectivefeedback from supporters on club(not team) performance.

3 Implementation of a formal feedbackprocedure for all hospitality and non-matchday business clients.

4 Quarterly review meetings with all EliteSponsors.

5 Continued monitoring and development of

club website, online shop, ticketing systemand social media with a view to improvinguser friendliness and features.

6 Continually seek to improve thesophistication of customer data andelectronic marketing communications to bemore relevant and less intrusive.

7 Continually seek to attract new customersand increase their frequency of custom.

8 Publication of a Customer Charter deningour commitment and philosophy towards ourkey stakeholders.


SPECIFIC GOALS


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We are a rugby club and our principal objective is to win silverware.However, competing in the professional era means that playing successis likely to be signicantly inuenced by investment into players andcoaching and specialist support staff and resources. It is thereforeimperative that the club is able to generate a prot each year forre-investment in our rugby effort and stadium facilities.

COMMERCIAL


o support the nancial business plan by development

of the Saints brand,maximizing returns from the teams successand developing newincome streams


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Ticket Revenue1 To implement a variable pricing marketing

strategy based on anticipated match demand tomaximise attendance and income derived.

2 To achieve an average of 50% sold of increasedcapacity in the rst season of new stand.

3 To submit winning nancial bids to host at leastone neutral venue/one-off match at FranklinsGardens each season.

Sponsorship1 To renew all sponsorship agreements before they

reach end of term.

Membership1 To increase number of season ticket holders and

club members each season to achieve 10% and20% increase by 2016, respectively.

Hospitality 1 To implement a variable package and pricing

policy based on anticipated demand to maximizeattendance and income derived.

2 To achieve 100% sold capacity on completion ofnew stand.

Merchandising 1 To implement a user friendly online retail platform

and to increase online sales by 15% each year.2 To create and implement a specic retail

proposition for matchday hospitality customers.

Conference & Events1 To increase revenues year on year to achieve

1m by 2016.2 To increase the range of public events held at

Franklins Gardens in order to generate higherprole and a growing revenue stream.

SPECIFIC GOALS



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As individuals we appreciate that there are many people who are lessfortunate than ourselves through no fault of their own. By harnessingthe goodwill and kindness, the attributes and time and effort of thosearound us in our club we are able to reach out and offer some positivity,friendship, care and support to those in need. We see this not as an

impingement on our own lives but as an enhancement to them.We enjoy being able to help.

SOCIAL & COMMUNITY


o continue toengage with ourcommunity and

to utilize the clubsresources to enrichlocal peoples lives


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1 To always be the regions most activeprofessional sports club in terms ofcommunity engagement, drivinginterest, involvement, enjoyment andloyalty to the club.

2 To leverage our sponsor and businessrelationships to extend the reachand understanding of the intrinsicvalues of rugby and Northampton

Saints through our communityprogrammes.

3 To play a major role in the engagementof non-rugby supporters throughthe Milton Keynes RWC2015programme.

4 To be acknowledged in the communityas the leading Ambassador for the townand county.

SPECIFIC GOALS


5 To play an integral partin the town and countycouncils strategy forhealthy living and thewellbeing of itscommunities.


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In rugbys professional era little can be achieved without employees whoare prepared to strive to improve their individual performance whilstrecognizing the importance of teamwork. Our employees must all beproud of themselves and the club.

EMPLOYEES


o treat employees fairly and withrespect and to provide

them with theresources to enablethem to be proudof their individualcontribution to theachievement of the

clubs overall plans


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1 All job descriptions will be reviewed andemployees appraised by the end of 2013 andevery six months thereafter in terms of pastperformance and future goals.

2 Where employee skill/knowledge gaps areidentied at appraisals, specic correction/development plans will be put in place for each

individual.

3 Maintain staff turnover rates at less than 10%.

SPECIFIC GOALS



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FRANKLINS GARDENS


o maintain anddevelop the facilitiesand operationalservice level to further the clubsclaim to have the beststadium and bestmatch atmospherein club rugby whilstcontinually developingthe stadiums non-matchday commercialuse

OUR HOME SINCE 1888

Following the stadium development projects completed in the rst veyears of the 2000s Franklins Gardens has consistently been referredto as the best dedicated rugby ground in the country with facilities andatmosphere commended by both home and opposition players and

supporters alike. Careful development of spectator capacity has helped tocreate an atmosphere which is intimidating to the opposition and greatlyinspiring for our own players. We now need to complete the fourth phaseof the development.


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Stadium Facilities1 To complete the redevelopment of the Sturtridge Pavilion,

increasing the overall spectator capacity of the stadium to

approximately 15,500 by the commencement of the 2015/16season.2 To maintain a repair, maintenance and improvement

programme around the ground to ensure the attraction andfunctionality of the venue to all customer groups.

3 To meet all criteria as required by PGB, the Safety AdvisoryGroup and all competition and regulatory bodies.

4 To maintain the clubs reputation as a stadium of choice byRFU for appropriately sized xtures.

Stadium Management1 To maintain the clubs proud record of managing adverse

weather conditions so as to avoid the need for matchpostponements.

2 To ensure the clubs excellent reputation as a welcoming,family friendly environment is maintained.

3 To maintain the high standard of training, development andqualications of matchday and full-time staff to ensurethe safety and control of spectators whilst enhancing their

matchday experience through excellent customer service.

Rugby Facilities1 To continue to maintain the match and training pitch

surfaces to the highest specication, prepared for play inaccordance with the Director of Rugbys wishes.

2 To develop a plan for the development of a complete on-siteteam training facility.

SPECIFIC GOALS

SPECIFIC GOALS



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www.northamptonsaints.co.uk

Saints Strategic Plan

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