Strategic Planning

STRATEGIC PLANNING means to take responsibility on your vision. This is the main route an organization’s management should follow in order to determine its overall vision, the strategies required to achieve that vision, the resources and decisions to implement the selected strategies, and finally, the alignment of the vision and strategic direction throughout all levels of the organization.

Strategic Planning appraises the full potential of a business and explicitly links its objectives to the actions and resources required to achieve them. This is an essential and systematic process that generates answers to the most critical questions a management team has to deal with.

Methodology

A successful Strategic Planning process should…

• Describe the organization’s mission, vision and fundamental values
• Target potential business arenas and explore each market for emerging threats and opportunities
• Understand the present and future priorities of targeted customer segments
• Analyze the company’s strengths and weaknesses relative to its competitors and determine which elements of the value chain the company should make versus buy
• Identify and evaluate alternative strategies
• Develop an advantageous business model that will profitably differentiate the company from its competitors
• Define stakeholder expectations and establish clear and compelling objectives for the business
• Prepare programs, policies, and plans to implement the strategy
• Establish supportive organizational structures, decision processes, information and control systems, and hiring and training systems
• Allocate resources to develop critical capabilities
• Plan for and respond to contingencies or environmental changes
• Monitor performance

Common Uses

Strategic Planning processes are often implemented to achieve the following objectives:

• Change the direction and improve the performance of a business
• Encourage facts-based discussions on politically sensitive issues
• Create a common framework for decision making in the organization
• Set a proper context for budget decisions and performance evaluations
• Train executives to mine in-depth information and make knowledgeable decisions
• Increase confidence in the direction the business is heading

ORTNER CONSULTING will provide your company the experts who will join your ‘Strategic Planning Project Team’, helping you define and implement your organization’s future strategy.