What is an operational plan and how to create one for your business
Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 6:17 am
Nowadays, there are all kinds of resources that can be used to boost a business: from advertising to having an effective business marketing plan , every detail counts. In this post, we review what an operational plan is , how to prepare one, its characteristics, and an example.
What is a company's operating plan?
An operational plan is a tool for companies and businesses with which you can convert your strategic objectives into concrete and measurable actions , through a document that describes in detail the actions that a company must take to achieve its strategic objectives.
operational plan for companies
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A distinction must be made between an operational plan and a strategic plan : the former focuses on short-term objectives, detailing the specific activities that must be carried out to meet those objectives; the latter is more long-term.
Also, keep in mind that a well-crafted operational plan has a dominican republic phone number lead direct impact on operational efficiency , as it reduces ambiguity and ensures that all team members know exactly what to do and when to do it, minimizes time wasted in planning and executing tasks, and resources are allocated rationally and strategically, among other advantages.
How to make a company's operational plan
To make the operational plan for your company or business, you must follow a series of steps.
Before you start planning, the first thing you need to do is to be clear about the company's strategic objectives . To do this, use the SMART methodology , the acronym translated into Spanish that indicates that these objectives must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and defined in time .
customer success manager
Once the objectives are clear, the next step is to identify the activities necessary to achieve them . To do this, break down your tasks into smaller tasks: each activity will have a set of appropriate resources. Whether these are human, financial, technological or material resources, it is very important to ensure that the resources allocated are sufficient to complete the tasks.
In addition, each task and activity must have an assigned person in charge . In this way, all these tasks can be decentralized, leaving someone in charge to supervise the progress of each activity independently without having to depend on a single superior. We recommend reading our guide with the best apps to manage work teams .
On the other hand, you will need to calculate the execution times for each task . To do this, your business operating plan must have a schedule that indicates start and end dates for each activity.
To measure the success of your operational plan, it is essential to establish performance indicators or KPIs . For example, if you have a sales business, remember to rely on the most commonly used KPIs .
Finally, remember that a business's operating plan can vary . That's why it's important to review it periodically and make adjustments as needed.
Example of a company's operating plan
Suppose a company needs to improve its customer base by 20% over the next year and decides to make an operational plan with this strategic objective.
To do this, they have analyzed the activities that the company will carry out: a series of tasks for which they have created two working groups.
What is a company's operating plan?
An operational plan is a tool for companies and businesses with which you can convert your strategic objectives into concrete and measurable actions , through a document that describes in detail the actions that a company must take to achieve its strategic objectives.
operational plan for companies
You may also like: The best HR software you should try
A distinction must be made between an operational plan and a strategic plan : the former focuses on short-term objectives, detailing the specific activities that must be carried out to meet those objectives; the latter is more long-term.
Also, keep in mind that a well-crafted operational plan has a dominican republic phone number lead direct impact on operational efficiency , as it reduces ambiguity and ensures that all team members know exactly what to do and when to do it, minimizes time wasted in planning and executing tasks, and resources are allocated rationally and strategically, among other advantages.
How to make a company's operational plan
To make the operational plan for your company or business, you must follow a series of steps.
Before you start planning, the first thing you need to do is to be clear about the company's strategic objectives . To do this, use the SMART methodology , the acronym translated into Spanish that indicates that these objectives must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and defined in time .
customer success manager
Once the objectives are clear, the next step is to identify the activities necessary to achieve them . To do this, break down your tasks into smaller tasks: each activity will have a set of appropriate resources. Whether these are human, financial, technological or material resources, it is very important to ensure that the resources allocated are sufficient to complete the tasks.
In addition, each task and activity must have an assigned person in charge . In this way, all these tasks can be decentralized, leaving someone in charge to supervise the progress of each activity independently without having to depend on a single superior. We recommend reading our guide with the best apps to manage work teams .
On the other hand, you will need to calculate the execution times for each task . To do this, your business operating plan must have a schedule that indicates start and end dates for each activity.
To measure the success of your operational plan, it is essential to establish performance indicators or KPIs . For example, if you have a sales business, remember to rely on the most commonly used KPIs .
Finally, remember that a business's operating plan can vary . That's why it's important to review it periodically and make adjustments as needed.
Example of a company's operating plan
Suppose a company needs to improve its customer base by 20% over the next year and decides to make an operational plan with this strategic objective.
To do this, they have analyzed the activities that the company will carry out: a series of tasks for which they have created two working groups.