General

The Value Stream Management Consortium is a member association for enterprises and individuals working with value stream management practices and platforms. Our purpose is to advance value stream-centric ways of working in technology teams to lead to higher-performing organizations.

Our mission is to cultivate and nurture the emerging market for value stream management and to help the community learn, devise practices and standards, and grow through their use.

The following guidelines will help us to collaborate with our members while strengthening, clarifying, and protecting the Consortium’s intellectual property, trademarks, and standards. Failure to comply with our Member Rules of Conduct may result in limitations on a member’s activities or termination of membership.

Content

Scope and Focus of Consortium Communications

Consortium news releases, statements, events, blogs, podcasts, webinars, and lean coffees will be focused on the following subjects:

• Initiatives of the Consortium
• Strategies, business models, open standards, good practices, and operational guidelines that advance value stream-centric ways of working
• Member case stories
• New member announcements

Anti-Trust Considerations

The Consortium encourages collaboration among members in order to help advance the understanding and practices for knowledge management, collaboration, and customer engagement. For the same reason, the Consortium prohibits collusion and other activities, as required by anti-trust law.

Collaboration

Cooperation does not violate anti-trust laws if it is for the purpose of creating a new product or new market that has a positive effect on customers. Within the Consortium, competitors can discuss and identify:

• The flow of information between vendors
• Rules or guidelines for participating in the market for solutions

Collusion

Members who are in competing businesses will avoid product/service-related discussions and actions that may result in limiting competition or fixing prices. They will refrain from:

• Price discussions
• Allocating customers
• Dividing up markets
• Discussing specific future products or services, features, or packaging
• Discussing company-specific plans such as “Where are you headed?” “What do you see (in terms of products and services) in the future?” and “Are you going to continue to do this?”

Intellectual Property

Intellectual property including concepts, models, and processes developed in Consortium working groups, web sessions, conferences, committees, and other forums will be the property of the Consortium and for the benefit and use of its members.

Members must respect the intellectual property rights of other member companies as well as the intellectual property rights of the Consortium. Members may not use Consortium trademarks without prior permission from the Consortium and the trademarks may only be used as directed by the Consortium. Improper or unauthorized use of the Consortium trademarks or other members’ intellectual property may result in immediate termination of membership.

Member Sales to Other Members

Members will not make unsolicited sales presentations or unsolicited phone calls to set up sales presentations to other members. During meetings, member sales activities will be restricted to specific times, functions, and designated areas as defined by the Consortium.

Member Communications

Any public communication by a member about the Consortium, and any use of Consortium trademarks or service marks, must be approved in writing by the Consortium before release. The Consortium will respond within five business days to such requests. To ensure accuracy, the Consortium reserves the right to require changes to such communications.

Exceptions to this are all “approved for member use” Consortium materials. These include descriptions of the Consortium and other initiative names or concepts that members may use in explaining the Consortium and its initiatives or services.

Any member company which implies through its conduct or communications, that its product or service has been endorsed by the Consortium, without prior written consent from the Consortium, will be asked to cease such activity immediately. 

Member Behavior

The Consortium expects that all members (or others who might be allowed to participate in membership activities) will deal with each other and the Consortium’s staff professionally and respectfully. Among other things, the Consortium will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on characteristics that are protected under applicable law, like sex, race, national origin, etc. Concerns regarding discrimination, harassment, or other unprofessional or disrespectful behavior are to be shared with the Consortium. Membership benefits may be restricted or discontinued for engaging in such behavior.

Inaccurate Information

If inaccurate information is published or broadcast concerning the Consortium, its intellectual property, or relationships, the Consortium will vigorously act to clarify its position. This will protect the intellectual property of the Consortium from misrepresentation or dilution, and make all of our efforts more effective in shaping the future of customer support and the customer experience.

Approvals

Please send requests for approval of Consortium-related communications to [email protected].