CAS - What Does It Do ?

So, what is CAS, what does it do, who does it represent and what does it offer those that it represents?  

I have been asked this many times. CAS came into being in 2002 by evolving from the Arboricultural Mortgage & Insurance Users Group (AMIUG).  

The AMIUG was set up around 1996 to represent the interests of those using the Mortgage Module report format.  

Lessons learned and the growing awareness that as a group of people, we had an idea of the kinds of reports and advice that we were being asked for, we could and indeed we should, be suggesting to training providers the kinds of products that we would be able to apply commercially.  

I think this is one key to CAS’s success because this is the point that the CAS Members started to say what kinds of seminars we wanted and it was all based on services that we were being asked to provide. Demand based, that’s the key. 

With that in mind and the growing number of “Areas of Professional Competency” (APC’s) that we were interested in covering, CAS came into being. 

So, first and foremost, CAS represents those interested in starting to sell the insights they have gained in trees by becoming tree consultants. We also represent those who are already established tree consultants, but who want to develop the range of commercially applicable services that they provide. We facilitate personal, professional but always commercial, growth. 

Now, the key word here is “commercial” and that is by design.  CAS most certainly is a commercial entity. The public demand leading to enquiries is the need that our members collectively express as opportunities for product innovators and training providers to bring to our members. 

Our members (and others) subscribe to those seminars and bring those solutions to their clients, (the members of the public who created the demand in the first place). CAS is therefore truly responsive to the demands of the times and this is another commercial strength. 

Communication is the key to the organisation though, and by communication I mean “commercial communication”. That is, reaching the general public by offering them the products they want to address their specific problems, from service providers who are local to them.

We do this by primarily promoting CAS through the website www.consultingarboristsociety.com and by attracting editorial coverage in key publications.  

Key to that website’s success is the ease of use supported by very visible search engine profile. So after referral from a search engine, in literally only three clicks of a mouse a member of the public can send an email to somebody close to them who provides the product they want.  It’s really as simple as that. What do you want? Where? OK, here are your choice of providers and a convenient way to contact them. 

I know this works because our members regularly tell me that they are receiving regular and valuable sales leads directly from the website. That’s not vague enquiries, that’s sales requests and they are the best and only reason to become and stay a member of CAS. Sales of products that people want, that address real problems that they have. You see, CAS simply and accurately offers people solutions to common problems.  

Training providers and innovative researchers are the other part of this equation and so CAS is very careful to set out to preserve and even enhance Intellectual Property Rights. By doing so we hope to be an organisation that will encourage product developers to use us to bring their best works to our members. The New TPO seminar is a classic example of this relationship in action. 

We are also looking to the future and other commercial challenges creating demand amongst our members.

Shortly we hope to announce two new APC’s. Expert Witness Training and accreditation and AutoCAD plan manipulation. Beyond that we hope to establish a new report format to guide compliance with BS5837:2005.  

I hope that answers the questions what we do, who we represent and how. Overall I hope that CAS represents Arboricultural Consulting reactively and responsively. For it to do so however, the key to it’s success is addressing commercial demands.  

David Lloyd-Jones     CAS Chairman 2002-2008

Copyright © 14/4/2008