4 guidelines for successful business plan implementation

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How To Implement Your Business Plan Objectives

Breaking down your business goals into actionable steps is key for success

What Is a Business Plan Objective?

Be specific and define clear objectives, break down objectives into tasks.

• Assign Responsibilities/Allocate Resources

Be Mindful of Risks and Create Contingencies

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A business plan is an important tool to help business owners map their path to success. In addition, business plans may be used when applying for loans or seeking outside investment. But a business plan isn’t worth it if you leave it gathering dust. To make a business plan effective, you have to implement your business plan objectives.

Whether you’re a new business owner or a veteran returning for a refresher, here’s a closer look at common strategies to implement on your business plan objectives.

Key Takeaways

• A business plan objective is a specific goal for your business.
• Making achievable and specific tasks is helpful for successful implementations.
• Track your results and stay prepared to update your business plan if necessary.

A business plan objective is a specific goal you hope to reach with your business. This may be a number of customers, revenue, or profit goal, among others. There are no right or wrong business objectives, in theory, but it’s important to take the time to pick the best goals for your unique business if you’re going through the work to create business plan objectives.

The SMART framework is a popular way to frame goals, and it can be helpful for creating objectives, too. To qualify, an objective must meet these criteria:

• Specific : A general goal like “add more customers” could leave you floundering. Pick a specific number of customers. Every objective should have a clear finish line.
• Measurable : Identify objectives you can measure. For example, you can’t necessarily measure something like “customer loyalty,” but you can measure repeat customers, sales and revenue per customer, and other data points related to loyalty.
• Attainable : You might dream of turning your startup into a $1-million-per-year business. However, that may not be attainable in your first few years. What’s attainable varies widely by the business but in general, you’ll want to find the middle ground between unrealistic and underachieving.
• Relevant : Perhaps part of your business growth strategy involves social media. While it may be fun to see your accounts grow, that may not necessarily be relevant to your revenue and profits. Keep goals focused on what’s most important to achieve, which may not include vanity numbers that are more about ego than results.
• Time-bound : Each objective should have a deadline. If you give yourself unlimited time to get something done, you may never get around to it. With a set due date, you’re giving yourself a little pressure and motivation to hit that goal as planned.

SMART goals are just one method of choosing business plan objectives. You can work to create any objectives you’d like that make the most sense for what you’re trying to achieve.

Even if you don’t follow the SMART goals framework, it’s still wise to be specific and clear when choosing your goals and objectives. Vague and loosely defined goals often set business owners up for failure. Specific and clear business objectives give you and your team, if you have one, a common mission to work toward.

Breaking each objective into smaller tasks can prevent teams from getting overwhelmed and even help you get a clearer picture of what you need to do to prevail. Smaller goals also help you see faster and more frequent successes, which is a good way to stay motivated. An added benefit is an opportunity to foresee any needed resources or roadblocks, such as a need for an outside consultant or a government-issued permit.

Assign Responsibilities and Allocate Resources

Entrepreneurs with “superhero syndrome” think they can do everything themselves and often get burned out in pursuing business goals. Rather than do it all yourself, even if you have the capability, it’s often wise to delegate to others . Employees, freelancers, contractors, and business partners are part of the team. When you can count on others and best utilize their time and skills, you take a wise step to reach your objectives.

Create Milestones and Monitor Progress

Just as it’s a good idea to set smaller goals along the way, it’s also wise to create key milestone moments and monitor progress. You may learn along the way that a certain process can be improved. When a process works well, try to capture and double down on that success. When you stumble or discover inefficiencies, you could have an opportunity.

Monitoring progress helps you know what’s working and what isn’t, so you can adjust goals or methods if necessary.

Not all things go according to plan. If you miss the mark, you could join one of the millions of failed business owners. Stay mindful of risks and if it may be time to pull the plug rather than sink in more money.

Also, you may find successes outside of what you expected. Even the biggest companies pivot to a related product or service when their first idea fizzles. Remember that there’s a lot you can’t control in the business world, so not all business failures should be considered personal failures. Instead, look at them as learning opportunities to draw on in the future.

The Bottom Line

A business plan without clear objectives is at risk of being ineffective. Identify what your objectives are, break them down into small steps, delegate responsibilities, and be comfortable with pivoting when needed and dealing with risk. Taking the proper steps to create realistic objectives isn’t a guarantee that you’ll meet your goals, but it provides the framework to set you up for success.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What goes in the objectives section of a business plan.

There is no set template you must follow for a business plan. Business plans can range from a one-page summary to a lengthy, detailed document. If a business plan includes an objectives section, it should include clear and specific goals that help define success for the business.

What is the difference between a goal and an objective in a business plan?

The terms “goal'' and “objective” can be used interchangeably in a business plan. Some businesses may consider objectives as smaller tasks that help reach goals. Regardless of the terminology, goals and objectives are both good for your business’s long-term success.

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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “ Setting Goals and Developing Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound Objectives ,” Pages 1-2.

Chris Drucker. “ Virtual Freedom Companion Workbook ,” Page 3.

Chamber of Commerce. “ 10 Hugely Successful Companies That Reinvented Their Business .”

Small Business Administration. “ Write Your Business Plan .”

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6 Tips for Transitioning from Strategy Formulation to Implementation

• 17 Nov 2022

Strategy formulation is key to a successful business, but it's only effective when implemented correctly. Some professionals are experienced in developing comprehensive business plans, while others are well-versed in execution —more commonly known as "thinkers" versus "doers."

A balanced combination of both is an invaluable asset to any business. If you're struggling to bring your business strategy across the finish line, here are tips for transitioning from strategy formulation to implementation and a deeper understanding of why it's essential to your company's long-term success.

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Formulating a Successful Strategy

Developing an effective strategy requires in-depth knowledge, critical thinking, and careful planning. While several frameworks can help set the foundation, Harvard Business School Online's Business Strategy course uses the value stick.

The value stick is a visual representation of value-based strategy and can help you formulate a business model that factors in pricing, product positioning, and vendor management. Value-based strategy relies on customers' perceived value of the products or services being sold and determines the organization's prices, costs, and supplier strategy.

Some key terms for formulating a value-based strategy include:

• Willingness to pay (WTP): The price customers are willing to pay for a product or service. The margin between a customer's WTP and the actual price is deemed "customer delight," or customers' perceived received value.
• Price: The price the product is sold for. The margin between the price and cost is the firm margin, or the money the business makes.
• Cost: The cost of manufacturing the product.
• Willingness to sell (WTS): The lowest price a supplier is willing to accept for its services. The margin between WTS and cost is called "supplier surplus" or "supplier delight"—the value suppliers believe they're receiving.

This is just one framework for formulating a successful strategy. You can use similar tools, but the best option will always depend on your company's strategic planning needs . To ensure you're on the right path to an effective business strategy, here are six tips for formulating and implementing successfully.

6 Tips For Transitioning from Formulation to Implementation

After formulating a well-developed business strategy, it's time to execute, which is easier said than done. Strategy execution often poses several challenges that can be hard to overcome.

According to the HBS Online course Business Strategy , there are three characteristics of strategy implementation that make the process difficult for many companies:

• Boring: Strategy tends to be exciting; implementation, by comparison, can be rather mundane
• Time-consuming: The best strategies typically require years to implement effectively
• Detail-oriented: Good strategy implementation requires an attention to detail many managers don't have

To prevent these obstacles and ensure a smooth transition from formulation to successful implementation, here's an overview of what you can do to set your business strategy up for success .

1. Set Clear Goals

A simple and effective way to transition from formulation to execution is to set clear strategic goals . Strategic goals are measurable, actionable objectives that align with an organization's purpose and long-term vision. These goals ensure that individuals implementing the strategy have clear guidelines on how to define successful execution.

“When we set goals, we like to imagine a bright future with our business succeeding,” says HBS Professor Robert Simons in Strategy Execution . “But to identify your critical performance variables, you need to engage in an uncomfortable exercise and consider what can cause your strategy to fail.”

Planning in advance and identifying possible weaknesses in your strategy can help you achieve these business goals and objectives without additional roadblocks.

2. Create a Value Map

A value map is a visual tool that helps organizations determine the needs, pain points, or desires its products or services can solve or fulfill for potential customers. It's a tool that illustrates a business's potential value drivers, the factors that influence customers' willingness to pay for a product or service. Identifying and mapping value drivers can be used to formulate an organization's value proposition and key differentiators.

According to HBS Online's Business Strategy course, there are five steps to creating an effective value map:

• Identify value drivers: Determine 10 purchasing criteria customers use when choosing between your product and competing products.
• Rank value drivers: Rank those 10 criteria from most to least important.
• Rate your company's performance: For each value driver, rate how your company is performing from a score of one (poor) to five (excellent).
• Rate your competitors' performance: Repeat this process for two or three of your main competitors.
• Review your value map: Ask yourself if your findings accurately reflect the market's competitive situation, your company's strengths and weaknesses, and if there are actionable next steps to mend any competitive gaps.

By creating a value map, you can review your business's performance and discover new opportunities to improve your position in the market. A value map can also rank how well your company is attracting and maintaining talent compared to competitors.

3. Strengthen Important Value Drivers

Once you've identified your key value drivers, the next step of execution is to strengthen them. Yet, it's important to focus on strengthening the most important ones rather than all of them.

"If you strive to be exceptional everywhere and spread resources evenly across all your value drivers, you end up being mediocre throughout," says Harvard Business School Professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee, who teaches Business Strategy .

Once you've identified the most important value drivers, strengthening them requires generating creative ideas . Since enhancing value drivers can be a relatively vague task, creativity provides ideas and direction. Don't be afraid to think outside the box, take risks, or even fail. Through experimentation and testing, new ideas can strengthen your value drivers and propel your business forward.

4. Create a Plan For Evolving Your Value Proposition

A value proposition is a short statement explaining the value your company provides and how your product or services differ from competitors. As the business landscape and market shift, so must your value proposition.

Competitors often become imitators or substitutes, which can cannibalize your revenue. To stay on top, your strategy—including your value drivers and value proposition—will have to evolve continually.

5. Delegate Work Effectively

Successful strategy implementation can be an overwhelming, multi-step process. It's important for managers to delegate effectively . By assigning tasks to other team members, leadership can spend more time focusing on bigger picture elements and:

• Engage other team members
• Share core business values
• Encourage strategy buy-in
• Win together and boost team morale

6. Continue to Review Performance

While these tools can be helpful for any strategy implementation, they don’t guarantee success without constant review and oversight. A successful strategic plan that drives value for a business and its customers requires continuous performance reviews and improvements.

One factor of strategy implementation to review is your employees. According to Strategy Execution , it can be beneficial in some cases to use ranking systems when reviewing employee performance to ensure your strategic initiatives receive the support needed to succeed long term.

“Ranking systems have really good features that managers can use to stimulate performance,” says HBS Professor Susanna Gallani in Strategy Execution . For example, employees who are highly motivated by personal achievement often thrive as a result of ranking systems.

It’s also important to continuously review your strategy, even after implementation. To ensure you get the most out of this review process, consider setting up a standardized operating procedure (SOP) for a designated task owner to run regularly to analyze and determine if an update is necessary. This can help you avoid common pitfalls of business strategy failures.

Why Business Strategy Formulation and Execution Are Important

Business strategy is an essential component of long-term growth and success. It offers value to customers, encouragement to key stakeholders, purpose for your company initiatives, and direction to your team. Yet, formulation only gets you so far.

Don't lose momentum during the implementation phase—ensure all your hard work pays off. With the right framework, you can create value for your customers and implement a frictionless strategy to achieve outstanding financial results.

Are you interested in learning about strategy implementation? Explore Business Strategy and Strategy Execution , two of our online strategy courses , to develop your strategic planning and implementation skills. To determine which strategy course is right for you, download our free flowchart .

This post was updated on November 3, 2023. It was originally published on November 17, 2022.

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From Strategy to Execution: How to Create a Sustainable, Repeatable Implementation Plan

By Kate Eby | December 14, 2017

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In this article, you’ll learn the fundamental elements of a strategic implementation process, and how you can create a comprehensive implementation plan. We’ve also included free, downloadable implementation plan templates to get you started. 

Included on this page, you’ll find the components of an implementation plan , how to write an implementation plan , and tools for successful implementation planning .

What Is an Implementation Strategy?

An implementation strategy is based on a strategic plan , which defines the strategy used to accomplish certain goals or make decisions. Organizations can make strategic plans to guide organizational direction, a particular department’s efforts, or any project or initiative.

Implementation strategy is the process of defining how to bring the strategic plan to life. To execute the objectives outlined in the strategic plan, you must define how you will implement each aspect, from funding and personnel to organization and deliverables. Therefore, without an implementation strategy, it can be difficult to identify how you will achieve each of your stated goals and objectives. 

Ray McKenzie is the Founder and Managing Director of Red Beach Advisors . He breaks down the differences between strategy, implementation, and execution: “Implementation planning is the act of developing a tactical plan to complete a strategic initiative. Strategy is the overarching plan to move the organization, department, or project forward. Implementation is the act of putting the strategy into place utilizing resources within an organization or department. Execution is completing the tasks as part of the implementation plan to complete the strategic initiative through resources of the organized team.”

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What Is the Strategic Implementation Process?

The strategic implementation process refers to the concrete steps that you take to turn your strategic plan into action. The implementation tactics you use and steps you take will depend on the specific undertaking, organization, and goals.

A strategic implementation plan (SIP) is the document that you use to define your implementation strategy. Typically, it outlines the resources, assumptions, short- and long-term outcomes, roles and responsibilities, and budget. (Later on, we’ll show you how to create one.) An SIP is often integrated with an execution plan , but the two are distinct. 

The SIP outlines the activities and decisions necessary to turn the strategic goals into reality, and the execution plan is a schedule of concrete actions and activities to achieve goals and drive success. You can consider your strategy “implemented” once you determine that you have the requisite resources to meet your strategic needs, but you haven’t “executed” until you’ve actually taken action and achieved objectives. You can read more about the differences between strategy, implementation, and execution in this article by the Harvard Business Review . 

The strategic implementation process is often compared to the following activities:

Jennifer Hancock is the author of several books and Founder of Humanist Learning Systems , an organization that provides online personal and professional development training in humanistic business management, along with science-based harassment training. She describes the difference between organizational and implementation planning: “Organizational planning is the structure of the organization: What work needs to be done? How does it relate to the other work that needs to be done? Who is responsible for getting it done? How are the parts of the organization going to work together to accomplish shared objectives? Implementation planning has to do with specific projects and processes. For instance, an organization may have an HR department — that is, organizational planning. Implementation is when the HR department rolls out a new set of benefits or a new health care plan.”

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• Strategic Management Process: This is the ongoing effort to manage an organization, including both the decisions and actions that flow from the organizational strategy. Continuous strategic management can inform organizational planning by providing a strategy that outlines the organization’s goals. 
• Change Management: Change management is how you prepare and manage organizational planning, from the high-level processes and culture down to individual roles. Effective change management involves strategy and careful monitoring so that you can plan for change rather than react to it. 

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• Differentiated Planning: This is a reordering method that you can use to identify which resources you need based on the frequency with which you typically use them. Separate the items on your reorder list into three categories: routine, regular, and rare. This will give you a rough idea of the different demand levels for each resource, so you don’t have to spend time considering whether or not to restock. Because identifying and accumulating resources is an important component of implementation planning, it’s useful to understand differentiated planning. 

Why Implementation Is Important

Implementation planning largely determines project success because without it, your strategic goals remain unactionable. Therefore, implementation is the necessary step that transforms your strategic plans into action to achieve your goals. 

There are many examples where implementation planning heightens project success. In fact, the Harvard Business Review reported that companies with an implementation and execution plan saw 70 percent greater returns. 

McKenzie says that implementation planning is critical to project success. “This is the stage which allows the planned strategy to be executed,” he says. “The primary benefits to implementation and implementation planning are the abilities to outline the tasks needed to complete the project, identify the personnel and resources needed, and document the timeline for project completion to ensure you’re meeting the strategic goals.”

Hancock agrees. “If you don’t implement your plan — you don’t get anything done,” she says. “So, implementation is crucial. [Even] if you have the best plan in the world, it’s totally irrelevant if you don’t put the plan into action,” she adds.

Fiona Adler writes about entrepreneurship at DoTheThings.com and is the Founder of Actioned.com , a productivity tool for individuals and teams. With an MBA, multiple business successes, and a family living in a foreign country, she enjoys pushing the envelope to get the most out of life and loves helping others do the same. Adler explains that implementation is often more crucial than the strategy itself. She says, “In my opinion, implementation is far more important than strategic planning. After all, it doesn't matter if you have the best plan in the world. All that really matters is what you end up doing!”

The practice of implementation planning is also important in some of today’s organizational shifts. Most notably, implementation plays a part in the current shift from reactionary to strategic companies — in other words, organizations that plan for change and adaptation rather than react to it. Additionally, implementation supports the movement toward employee-oriented organizations, which it does by valuing communication, encouraging mutually-supported goals, and emphasizing accountability. Implementation planning is necessarily a human (and team) endeavor and making it a part of your daily processes helps ensure collaboration, trust, and transparency among project team members all the way up to C-suite management. 

What Is the Implementation Plan of a Project?

Implementation plans are commonly used for discrete projects, technology deployment within a company, and inventory planning. You can also create an implementation plan for personal use if it will help you organize and take actionable steps toward your goal(s).

A project implementation plan is the plan that you create to successfully move your project plan into action. This document identifies your goals and objectives (both short and long-term), lists the project tasks, defines roles and responsibilities, outlines the budget and necessary resources, and lists any assumptions. A project implementation plan sometimes includes a rough schedule, but teams usually set the hard timeline in the execution plan. 

In the following sections, we’ll delve deeper into each component of an implementation plan and show you how to write your own. 

Components of an Implementation Plan

The following are the key components of and questions that drive a successful implementation plan:

• Define Goals/Objectives: What do you want to accomplish? The scope of these goals will depend on the size of your undertaking.
• Schedule Milestones: While task deadlines and project timelines will be formally set in the execution plan, it’s a good idea to outline your schedule in the implementation phase.
• Allocate Resources: One of the core purposes of an implementation plan is to ensure that you have adequate resources (time, money, and personnel) to successfully execute. So, gather all the data and information you need to determine whether or not you have sufficient resources, and decide how you will procure what’s missing.
• Designate Team Member Responsibilities: Assign roles. This doesn’t necessarily mean you must define who will execute each individual task, but you should create a general team plan with overall roles that each team member will play. 
• Define Metrics for Success: How will you determine whether or not you are successful? What data (whether quantitative or qualitative) will you use to measure your results, and how will you accrue the necessary data?
• Define How You Will Adapt: Make a plan for how you will adapt, if necessary, to changes in your plan. Be sure to consider factors outside your control that could significantly alter the schedule or success of your project, and create emergent strategies ahead of time, so you don’t get derailed down the road — doing so helps build a culture of flexibility, agility, and fast action. 
• Evaluate Success: In addition to defining your metrics for success, decide how often you will evaluate your progress (e.g., quarterly reviews). 

In the following section, we’ll break down each element of a successful implementation plan to show you how to write one yourself. 

How to Write an Implementation Plan

Implementation plans are split into sections. Each section should be detailed, combining the information from your strategic plan and incorporating the necessary research and data to make your objectives actionable. Here’s how to write each component in an implementation plan:

• Introduction: The introduction of your implementation plan explains the purpose, vision, and mission statement of your project or initiative. You should identify the high-level risk areas, include any assumptions, and describe how you will identify the value stream in your proposed work. 
• Management Overview: In this section, you describe how implementation will be managed. This includes who is managing it, the underlying roles and responsibilities, and key points of contact. You should identify the strategy director, who is the person that develops and steers the strategy (this may or not be the same person who is leading implementation). 
• Major Tasks: This is where you list and describe the specific tasks, actions, and targets in implementation. You should also note the status of any tasks that are already in progress. 
• Implementation Schedule: You do not need to create a detailed, inflexible task schedule in your implementation plan — we’ll talk later on about how to create a schedule in the execution plan. At this stage, it’s appropriate to simply list the task order and predicted phase durations to roughly outline and allot for all the many moving pieces. 
• Security and Privacy: Discuss the privacy features and considerations of the software tools, processes, or information that you may use in implementation. Address security issues and how to handle sensitive information (personal data, medical history, financials, etc.). 
• Implementation Support/Resources List: Describe the various tools, activities, and departments that you require to support successful implementation. These might include hardware or software tools, facilities, and additional external human resources or services.
• Documentation: In this section, you must attach any other documentation that supports your implementation plan. This could include your strategic plan, confirmation of adequate materials and resources, and a history of past successful projects. 
• Monitoring Performance: Define the metrics by which you will measure success. How and when will you review your progress? 
• Acceptance Criteria: How will you define implementation “completion?” This differs from performance monitoring because rather than defining metrics for milestones and appropriate implementation, here, you describe how you will know when you have buy-in from management on your implementation plan. 
• Glossary: Define any key terms used in your implementation plan. 
• References: Indicate where you received your information, or list people who support your plan.
• Project Approval: If you need management’s approval before moving into execution, this section provides space for official signoff. 

To make it easy, you can also use a template to write your implementation plan. This will ensure that you don’t overlook any steps or sections and also provide a professional layout that you can use to deliver to management, clients, or other stakeholders. Download the template for free, and edit the fields to fit the needs of your specific project  — for example, for enterprise resource planning (ERP) . 

‌ Download Project Implementation Plan Template - Word

Software deployment is another common category of initiative that merits an implementation plan. Use the following template to create a software and systems implementation plan. 

‌ Download Software Systems Implementation Plan Template - Word

Implementation Planning Best Practices

Although you should include all the detailed aspects listed above in your implementation plan, simply having all these components will not ensure success. Instead, you should focus on the process of implementation and foster the following behaviors within your team:

• Create a Designated Implementation Team: An implementation team is the team responsible for ensuring successful implementation of a particular initiative. While it’s possible to move through implementation without creating a specific, organized body to oversee the processes, doing so heightens your chances of success. 
• Create a Shared Vision among All Team Members: Establish “why” you are making strategic changes so that team members have both a greater understanding of the root cause and a deeper connection to their work. Ensure individual compliance, so people don’t feel like their voices went unheard. Adler emphasizes, “Involve the people who will actually be implementing the change during the planning phase. Ideally, the idea will even come from them. This inclusion greatly increases the buy-in and commitment that the team has to actually getting the project implemented.”
• Choose a Strong Team Leader: The team leader should coach and educate team members along the way and seek out guidance from past implementation plan leaders to improve upon existing implementation processes within the organization. Adler explains that there can be multiple team leaders with slightly different responsibilities: “Each initiative needs a team. The team includes a ’champion,’ someone who is ultimately responsible for getting the thing done. They should also have a ’management sponsor,’ someone that can help the team get through any blocks they might have,” she says.
• Define Actionable Goals: Stay specific, define current issues, and identify root causes. Methods for defining current problems include brainstorming, surveys, and new member information forms. You can also use the note card method: Ask each team member to answer three questions anonymously ( What is the single biggest issue facing our team?, What will be the most important issue in five years?, What is the best way for our team to be involved in these issues? ), separate the cards into piles with similar answers, and count which answers are the most common within the group. Use the highest ranking similar answers to stimulate discussion of how to proceed. 
• Create an Action-Oriented Plan: Regardless of the size or predicted duration of your goals, create a plan focused on incremental action (rather than on continual planning). Small steps add up, so stay positive and focus on the future. That said, Hancock reiterates that your plan must be realistic: “Make sure your plan is reality-based,” she says. “You need to know what problem you really should be solving so that you don’t end up solving proxy problems (problems you think are your problem but really aren’t — an example of this is praying for rain when your real problem is that you need water on your field). You need to know what is really going to impact your problem so that you don’t pray for rain, which doesn’t affect anything. And, finally, you need to know what you really need to do to get the work done. What resources do you need? Do you have the resources you need? Can you get the resources you need? If not, your plan won’t work” she continues.
• Value Communication: The team leader should not only value others’ input, but also make active participation an expectation. Open, honest communication keeps processes transparent and helps generate new ideas. 
• Continually Monitor Incremental Success: Perform analysis and hold regular progress meetings to analyze your development. Closely monitoring your progress enables you to make adjustments before crisis hits and allows you to adapt before processes or expectations become solidified. Additionally, treating incremental milestones as successes helps foster a culture where employees feel valued for their contributions. Adler explains, “Building a culture where employees expect that projects will be successfully implemented is important. Celebrate successes and reference previous projects frequently.”
• Involve the Correct People at the Correct Times: This includes defining when and why it is appropriate to involve upper management. As McKenzie says, “Include the critical stakeholders that are part of the project. The beginning of planning should only include the decision makers and not every team member that is part of the project. Outline the critical tasks that are needed first. Once the tasks are outlined, dictate the personnel who will be responsible for the tasks. Once you identify the personnel, then bring in the additional resources to find what other tasks are needed to complete the larger tasks. To draft a proper implementation plan, it is imperative to include the critical stakeholders to outline the initiative.”
• Publicize Your Plan: While you don’t necessarily want every stakeholder’s input at all times during implementation planning, you do want to maintain transparency with other teams and management. Make your plan available to higher-ups to keep your team accountable down the line.

Difficulties in Implementation Planning

While implementation planning is critical to successful execution, there are several hurdles:

• Unless you are disciplined about moving into the execution phase, you can get stuck in planning and never get your project off the ground. 
• In any project, you may struggle to gain buy-in from key stakeholders. 
• It can also be difficult to break down every goal into an actionable step. If you keep your goals tangible, you can more easily identify targeted actions that will move you toward them. 
• No matter how well you plan, all projects have a high propensity for failure. Don’t get discouraged, though — dedicated, strategic implementation planning will raise the likelihood of project success. 

Although the above hurdles can be time-consuming and tedious, they are investments that will help you create a culture of trust. Because implementation is an ongoing team effort, you can’t afford to lack buy-in and commitment from any member of your team or direct stakeholders. So, communicate often and honestly, and prioritize teamwork when implementing your strategic plan. 

Still, even though inclusion and teamwork are key to a successful strategy, McKenzie reiterates that implementation planning won’t work if too many people are involved. “Implementation planning often gets derailed due to the input from various people that are not involved in the project,” he says. “There needs to be a clear line between the implementation team who is responsible for the execution and final project completion and the customers, internal or external, who are the recipients of the project. The customers can outline their requirements, but the implementation, tasks, and deliverables should be guided by the implementation team,” he concludes.

Adler explains that another common mistake is taking on too much at once. “It takes a lot of work to get something significantly new implemented,” she notes. “For this reason, the fewer initiatives the business takes on simultaneously, the greater the chances of success. Each initiative will take its team members away from their 'normal' work to some degree, and the business needs to be able to support this. If there are six things the business wants to implement, it is better to take on one or two at a time than to try to tackle all six at once,” she points out.

Tools for Successful Implementation Planning

While the implementation plan itself is a relatively low-tech document, software tools can help you track and manage your progress. From Gantt charts to advancements in information and communication technology, you’ll find popular implementation planning tools and their benefits below.

A Gantt chart is a graphical bar chart that you can use as a project timeline, and many software programs exist that allow you to create these online charts. As you move from implementation to execution, a Gantt chart can help you track individual task progress, see relationships among tasks, and identify critical or at-risk tasks. 

Download Basic Gantt with Dependencies Template 

Excel | Smartsheet

You can use a PERT (program evaluation and review technique) chart to forecast project duration by creating a timeline for individual tasks and identifying dependent tasks. PERT requires you to forecast three separate timetables — the shortest possible, the most likely, and the longest possible — which forces you to stay flexible in your planning, so you can adapt your schedule as factors inevitably change over the course of a project. 

When you have successfully implemented your plan, you’re ready to move to project execution. Execution planning and monitoring is outside the scope of this article, but below you’ll find more helpful templates to move your project toward successful completion. 

Download General Action Plan Template

Download Project Timeline Template

Download Project Charter Template 

Excel | Word | Smartsheet

Advancements in information and communication technology (ICT) have led to the development of cloud-based software that allows for anytime, anywhere access and multiple users. This technological capability is especially helpful for group work, in which multiple team members need to access a certain file simultaneously while also avoiding version control issues. For example, organizations commonly use cloud-based software to create a project management system or performance management system.

Using software to manage your implementation plan can provide the following benefits:

• Drive Accountability: By creating a single record of project progress, you build transparency (both in team members and processes) and reliability. 
• Keep Everyone up to Date: All users can access the most current information, which, in turn, cuts out unnecessary communication or erroneous double-work. 
• Improve Flexibility: Project management software can help you identify bottlenecks and potential problems early on, so you are able to adapt in anticipation. If you are attempting Agile project management, flexibility is crucial. 
• Support Organizational Commitment: Using a software tool often provides the transparency necessary to get executives to support your project. Once they have visibility into processes and progress, they will be more likely to grant the buy-in you need to procure resources and succeed.

When deciding which tool to use, consider the following:

• Buying Tools vs. Developing Software Internally: This will depend on the capabilities and availability of your in-house developers as well as on your budget. Additionally, consider whether or not you have the bandwidth to engage with a vendor and maintain the relationship over time. 
• Open Source vs. Free vs. Subscription: Open source software provides a great opportunity for organizations with limited budgets and development resources to build on top of the existing open platforms. There are also many free programs available (not open source). However, be wary that free options may have limited functionality. For organizations with larger budgets and a greater need for powerful functionality, most paid platforms bill on a subscription basis.
• Usability Requirements: Consider your team’s skill level. While you might be drawn to a tool with fancy functionality, it will be pointless (and perhaps even detract from project success) if it is too difficult for your team to use or learn. 

Ultimately, software tools are a fantastic way not only to elevate the accuracy of tracking project metrics and progress, but also to save time, build flexibility, and stimulate communication among your team. 

Improve Implementation Efforts with Smartsheet

Empower your people to go above and beyond with a flexible platform designed to match the needs of your team — and adapt as those needs change. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. 

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

Discover why over 90% of Fortune 100 companies trust Smartsheet to get work done.

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• What is an implementation plan? 6 steps ...

What is an implementation plan? 6 steps to create one

An implementation plan—also known as a strategic plan—outlines the steps your team should take when accomplishing a shared goal or objective. This plan combines strategy, process, and action and will include all parts of the project from scope to budget and beyond. In this guide, we’ll discuss what an implementation plan is and how to create one.

Projects require planning to be successful. Would you build a house without a blueprint? Probably not, because nailing pieces of wood together without a plan could lead to disaster. The same concept is true in the corporate world. An implementation plan functions as the blueprint for any shared objective. Your plan should include everything from the project strategy, to the budget, to the list of people working on the project. 

In this guide, we’ll discuss what an implementation plan is and how to create one. These steps can help you and your team prepare for projects both big and small.

What is the purpose of an implementation plan?

The purpose of an implementation plan is to ensure that your team can answer the who, what, when, how, and why of a project before moving into the execution phase. In simple terms, it's the action plan that turns your strategy into specific tasks.

A good way to know whether your implementation plan is effective is to hand it to someone outside of your team and see if they can understand the project in its entirety. Your implementation plan should leave no questions unanswered.

How to create an implementation plan in 6 steps

If you want your implementation plan to be comprehensive and beneficial to your project team, you’ll need to follow specific steps and include the right components. Use the following steps when creating your plan to reduce the risk of gaps in your strategy.

1. Define goals

The first step in the implementation process is defining your goals . Determine what you hope to accomplish when your project is complete, like whether you hope to win over a new marketing client or revamp your internal content strategy. Starting with your project objectives in mind can help flesh out your project plan. 

Tips to consider:

Ask questions: When defining your goals, you and your team may want to ask questions about your project such as, “What are we trying to achieve with this project? What deliverables do we hope to produce? Who are the stakeholders we plan to share our project deliverables with?”

Brainstorm risk scenarios: Although you’ll perform a more in-depth risk assessment later on in your implementation plan, brainstorming potential risk scenarios early on gives you a more realistic idea of what you’re able to achieve. 

2. Conduct research

Once you have a broad idea of the project goals you want to achieve, you can hone in on these goals by conducting research such as interviews, surveys, focus groups, or observations. Your research should come from key experts in your field. These experts may be team members or external stakeholders. Your research outcomes should include a list of what your project timeline, budget, and personnel may look like.

Collaborate using shared tools: Collaboration is easier when you have the right communication tools in place to do so. Use a team collaboration tool to share your project goals and get feedback from others, regardless of their location. 

3. Map out risks

You brainstormed risk scenarios in step one of your implementation strategy, and in step three, you’ll map out all the potential risks you may face in your project. Risks can include anything from paid time off and holidays to budget constraints and loss of personnel. 

A great way to map out your risks is by using a risk register. This tool will help you prioritize project risks and prepare for them accordingly. You can also conduct a SWOT analysis , which will identify any weaknesses or threats affecting your project. 

Be flexible and proactive: Mapping out risks is more than just a preparation strategy. If you identify preventable risks during this stage of the implementation plan, you can take action to prevent those risks. This may mean adjusting your initial project goals. 

4. Schedule milestones

Scheduling your project milestones is an important step in the planning process because these checkpoints help you track your progress during execution. Milestones serve as metrics—they are a way to measure how far you’ve come in your project and how far you have left to go. 

To visualize project milestones and keep your entire team on track, use a Gantt chart . With a Gantt chart, you can visually lay out your implementation schedule and show how long you think each task will take.

Add wiggle room: Things don’t always go as planned, even if you do everything in your power to a schedule. By adding wiggle room to your schedule, you can ensure your project stays on track instead of keeping tight milestones and failing to meet them.

Clarify dependencies: Dependencies are tasks that rely on the completion of other tasks. Clarifying your dependencies makes it easier to keep the project on track and hit your milestones.

5. Assign responsibilities and tasks

Every action plan must include a list of responsibilities with team members assigned to each one. By assigning responsibilities, you can assess the performance of each team member and monitor progress more closely. Using a RACI chart can be an effective project management tool for clarifying roles and responsibilities. 

Assigning responsibilities is different from assigning individual tasks. One team member may be responsible for overseeing the project review, while you may assign three other team members to handle the delivery and communication of the project to various teams for review. When you assign responsibilities and tasks, be sure to make your expectations clear. 

Communication is key: When you assign roles, responsibilities, or tasks, it’s best to communicate why you’re choosing one team member over another. Instead of letting team members question why they have specific roles, you can use this step in the planning process as an opportunity to highlight team member strengths.

Track responsibilities in a shared tool: Having a shared tool, like project management software, can give team members clarity on who's doing what and by when.

6. Allocate resources

Resource allocation is one of the best ways to reduce risk. If you can plan out what resources you need for your project and ensure those resources will be available, you’ll avoid the risk of running out of resources mid-project. If you notice that you don’t have enough resources in this step of the implementation process, you can adjust your project accordingly before it kicks off. 

Resources may include money, personnel, software, equipment, and other physical or technical materials. Time can also be a resource because the team members you need to complete the project may be working on other projects.

Tips to consider: Ask yourself the following questions when identifying available resources for your project: 

What is the project’s priority level? 

Who is available to work on this project? 

What budget or tools are available? 

What additional resources do we need? 

Who needs to approve the resource allocation plan?

Following these steps as you create your implementation plan will increase the likelihood of hitting your project goals. Having a checklist of the items to include in your implementation plan can also lead to successful implementation. 

What to include in an implementation plan

Knowing how to create your implementation plan is crucial, but you also need to know what to include in your plan. This checklist includes the six most important items you’ll want to consider if you want to move forward with a successful project. 

1. Objectives

You’ll outline your project objectives in step one of the implementation process. Set your goals and decide what metrics your team will use to measure to monitor progress. By clearly identifying your project objectives, you and your team can measure progress and performance as you move forward.

2. Scope statement

You’ll set the scope of your project in step two when conducting research. Your project scope statement should outline the boundaries you’ve set for your project and broadly define what goals, deadlines, and project outcomes you’ll be working toward. Defining your project scope in the implementation plan can help prevent scope creep when you’re farther along in the project.

3. Outline of deliverables

Deliverables are the tangible goals of your project. Outlining the deliverables you hope to create can serve as a resource when managing time frames, delegating tasks, and allocating resources. 

4. Task due dates

Although the project timeline may change as your project progresses, it’s important to clarify your expected due dates during implementation planning. When you estimate task due dates, you can schedule milestones around these due dates and plan for project completion. You will commonly see Gantt charts used for strategic planning and implementation planning. This is because Gantt charts display information in a follows a linear path, similar to a timeline. 

5. Risk assessment

You’ll conduct your risk assessment in step three of the implementation process. Whether you use a   risk register , SWOT analysis , or contingency plan to identify risks , be sure to include these documents in your plan. That way, others involved in the project can look through your findings and potentially help you prevent these risks. 

6. Team member roles and responsibilities

You assigned roles and responsibilities to team members in step five of your plan, and keeping a detailed record of what these are can hold everyone accountable. Whether you use a RACI chart or another tool to clarify team member roles, there should be a place in your plan for everyone to refer to in case questions arise. 

Your implementation plan will likely be unique to the project you're working on, so it may include other components not listed above. However, you can use the six items above as your guide so you know your plan is comprehensive.

Many aspects of project implementation overlap with strategic planning. As a project manager , working on the project implementation plan while you are also working on the strategic plan can help minimize the total time spent on planning.

Another way to save time during the planning process is to house all of your plans in a work management platform. When your project team is ready to start the implementation process, everything is in one convenient place.

Benefits of having an implementation plan

There are many benefits to implementation planning, with the top benefit being an increased chance of project success. Implementing a project plan creates a roadmap for executing your project so you can prevent issues from occurring. 

Other benefits to having an implementation plan include:

Improved communication between team members and key stakeholders

Better organization and management of resources

Increased accountability for everyone involved in the project

More structured project timeline and daily workflow

Easier collaboration between team members

Going straight into the execution phase without an implementation plan may feel like walking on stage to give a speech without knowing what you’re going to say. Preparation is key for top-notch performance. 

Simplify implementation planning

Knowing the steps for implementation planning is the foundation of project management. A well-planned project leads to a successful project.

Related resources

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How Asana uses work management to drive product development

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You Need These 5 Elements for Successful Strategy Implementation

By Anthony Taylor - January 28, 2022

Are you ready to turn your strategic plans into reality? The key lies in effective strategy implementation. In this blog, we explore the essential elements that contribute to successful strategy implementation. From creating a clear roadmap to fostering a culture of accountability, we provide practical insights and tips to help you navigate the challenges and achieve your strategic goals. 

What if I told you that the key to successful strategy implementation was not doing more tasks? 

TL:DR: In order to successfully implement your strategy, you need to be accomplishing the various outcomes within your strategic plan, the right projects that will drive those goals and objectives forward, and (most importantly) you need to have built the capacity within your team to identify what those needs are, and collaborate to get them done. 

I've been leading strategic planning sessions for a while, having helped hundreds of teams set up their strategy implementation process . You'd be amazed (or not) at how many people want to get into doing the work, without thinking of the outcomes they are trying to get, or the strategy (choices they need to make) to get there. 

Not all actions are created equal and not all results are created equal. I can't stress enough how important it is for you to create a strategic implementation plan (12-month implementation calendar, for example) AFTER you've gotten your team aligned on a clear strategic direction and plan. 

I believe there are several key ingredients to a successful strategy implementation that you as a CEO or senior manager needs to make sure exist within your team and within your organization. Here they are:

• You can't get anywhere successfully if you're not on the same page in terms of where you want to go.
• Many leaders and organizations assume they are on the same page, or it's implied they are on the same page, but when it comes to strategy implementation and prioritizing time, different people work on different things.

This reduces your overall capacity and effectiveness, creates frustration, and erodes trust in the team. It's also the catalyst for major road blocks, because most teams are ready and willing to confront their lack of alignment. That's because its easier to keep doing their own thing than to have fundamental conversations on if they are doing the right thing.

Accountability

• Accountability as part of strategy implementation does not mean using guilt and penalties on team members, or locking them in a room until they complete their deliverables.
• It really means providing a system of oversight and follow up to help both the individuals and teams doing the work. It also means other members that are part of the strategic plan implementation know what is going on, providing a system for follow up and communication, and creating a built-in opportunity for colleagues to ask for help when they need it. 
• You might not have a full time designated project manager for each project and each priority, and odds are the person who is championing your strategic priority is already leading a functional area (and has important work to do). 

So help them do that work by building in stage gates and communication structures to support them in getting their projects over the line. High performing people, love performing highly. And they get things done because they have deadliness. Provide them a structure for accountability that supports both them and the team, and you'll be in a much better place for your strategy implementation. 

• Collaboration
• Your strategic plan, and your strategy is not one single person's responsibility. In fact, I'll go as far as saying that your plan will be impossible to accomplish with one person alone. 

Why do I say that? Because every strategic plan I see has strategic priorities that overlap and that require communication and collaboration across functions and departments to accomplish them successfully. 

• The REALLY successful plans engage the entire organization and functions that don't have a direct impact on the implementation of the plan, because those people still have a part to play. 

Collaboration within your plan, whether that's communication within the strategic plan, collaborating for deliverable work, or thought leadership for the needs/wants and priorities within each area is a requirement for a successful implementation process.

Your plan might look like there's a bunch of tasks and projects that need to get done, but if part of your PLANNING doesn't include HOW you're going to collaborate , support each other, communicate on a regular basis and across the organization, you're going to struggle getting the strategic plan across the line. 

"It's not that tasks and projects aren't part of the strategy implementation, but communication/collaboration is a foundation to getting those tasks done. So build the communication and collaboration plans as part of your strategy implementation process"

Roles and Responsibilities

• One of the biggest frustrations I've seen in fast moving organizations, whether that's fast moving because they are growing, or fast moving because there's lots going on, is a confusion around who is doing what at what time. 

In fact, when McKinsey did a study in 2011 about traits that align with strong strategy execution. 'Decision rights' was the number two most important factor (behind information flow). 

• You know what they say: If someone should do it, no one will do it.  This is largely because it assumes that "SOMEONE else will do it".

As part of your strategy implementation process it's critical that you have a list of accountability, roles and responsibilities throughout your strategic plan and throughout project groups so that there's no misunderstanding as to who is doing what and by when. 

When we work with clients on their strategic priorities, we recommend that each priority area has an individual champion for where the buck stops. This not only supports greater collaboration because everyone knows who to go to for communication, but also supports the strategy implementation when it comes to having an owner of the success of each priority. 

Assess your team's alignment and readiness to implement it's strategy with our free One Destination Scorecard. Download now!

Commitment & buy-in (time, money, focus).

One principle of strategy implementation assumes that you are going to be in a tornado of work with all the operational tasks your team will have beyond your strategic plan and overall strategy implementation program. 

I've had one of our clients call it 'The Tyranny of the Urgent'. 

As a leader of an organization, it should be obvious that you have the organization's best outcome and goals in mind at all times. Why is it then that teams and leaders prioritize what's right in front of them (putting out fires) versus working on the systems to prevent those fires from happening in the first place?

There's a few reasons:

• It's easier to deal with what's in front of you.
• You'll get results faster.
• It's less likely you'll be wrong.  

Humans have a couple default psychological settings that guide our behaviour: 

• Desire for certainty.
• Risk aversion.
• Instant gratification.
• The need to survive and look good.

Strategy implementation naturally challenges all of those desires. You have to think long term, you might not do the right thing, and you're likely to fail because it's new.  And then add the fact that the environment around you is probably not set up for you to win either.  You don't have enough time, money, or focus because they are being prioritized in other places. 

As you build your strategic implementation process for your team and create the conditions for your strategic plan to be implemented successfully, keep these key questions in mind: 

• Have I made it easy for my team to buy-in and commit to the plan? 
• Have we provided enough resources (time, money and focus) to get the plan implemented as intended?
• Are our internal systems designed to support long term thinking and implementation, not just short term operations? 

Implementing a strategic plan successfully is not complicated, but like all great recipes, it requires a couple fundamental ingredients:

• Accountability.
• Roles and Responsibilities.
• Commitment & Buy-in.

Develop a system to integrate all of the above within your strategy implementation process so that it's complementing the operations work you're already doing.

Related Content:

Improve Strategy Implementation with our 7 Best Practices for Action Planning

Strategic Problems and how to address them

What to do next (practically):

• Ask yourself: Are you Aligned? Make sure your team has a common vision, mission and goals. Reach out to us if you're not sure, and we can facilitate the strategic planning process for you.
• Do you have clear outcomes in mind? How will you know if you're successful with your strategic plan?
• Do you have meetings to support accountability?
• Do you have a communication structure sufficient enough to meet your goals?
• Do you have enough resources (time, money, people) to accomplish the plan?
• Does everyone know who is doing what and by when?
• Is your team collaborating across functions and departments? 

If you don't have answers to the above, reach out to our team to discuss your strategy implementation process and some options we can put in place to help you accomplish your biggest goals. 

Our implementation programs include monthly and quarterly strategy meetings, coaching for your leadership team, and training workshops to elevate your capacity and help you implement your strategy successfully. 

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4 Key Elements for Developing a Business Plan that Drives Success

by Personal-Development.Com

A well-crafted business plan is the blueprint for success, guiding entrepreneurs through the intricate journey of building and growing a business. Whether you’re a startup seeking funding or an established business aiming to pivot and expand, a comprehensive business plan is vital. This article will explore four critical elements for developing a business plan that articulates your vision and drives success.

Thorough Market Analysis

A robust market analysis is the cornerstone of a successful business plan. Understanding the market dynamics helps you identify opportunities, mitigate risks, and position your business effectively. Provide an in-depth analysis of the industry landscape, including current trends, challenges, and opportunities. Identify your direct and indirect competitors. Analyze their strengths, weaknesses, and market positioning. Clearly define your target market segments. This section should showcase your market research efforts and how you plan to address the needs of your target audience. You should also outline your CS operations and strategies to ensure a seamless and satisfying experience for your target audience. A well-researched market analysis demonstrates your business acumen and provides a foundation for informed decision-making and strategy development.

Clear and Concise Executive Summary

The executive summary is the gateway to your business plan, providing a concise overview of your company’s mission, vision, and core objectives. While it appears at the beginning of the document, it’s often the last section written. The executive summary should encapsulate the essence of your business, including:

• Business Concept: Clearly articulate the nature of your business, the problem it solves, and the value it provides to customers. This is where you define your unique selling proposition (USP).
• Mission and Vision: Outline the long-term aspirations and goals of your business. This section should convey the overarching purpose and direction that drives your company.
• Target Market: Identify your target audience and illustrate your understanding of their needs, preferences, and behaviors. A well-defined target market demonstrates market research and strategic planning.
• Financial Summary: Provide a snapshot of your current financial status and future projections. This includes critical financial metrics such as revenue, expenses, and profit margins.

A compelling executive summary sets the stage for investors, partners, and stakeholders to delve deeper into your business plan with a clear understanding of what your business aims to achieve.

Strategic Business Goals and Implementation Plan

Articulating clear and achievable business goals is fundamental to the success of your business plan. These goals should align with your mission and vision, providing a roadmap for your business’s growth and development. Break down your goals into short-term (one to two years) and long-term (three to five years) objectives. Each goal should be SMART—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Strategic goals and implementation plans guide your business and serve as a valuable tool for securing funding and partnerships.

Financial Projections and Funding Requirements

Financial projections are critical to your business plan, offering insight into your business’s economic viability and sustainability. Provide a detailed sales forecast based on your market research and anticipated demand. Break down the forecast by product or service category and include assumptions that support your projections. Outline your expected operating expenses, including production, marketing, personnel, and overhead costs. Categorize expenses as fixed or variable to demonstrate financial prudence. Include a balance sheet that outlines your assets, liabilities, and equity. This snapshot provides an economic overview at a specific time and is essential for understanding your business’s financial position . Clearly articulate your funding requirements if seeking investment or loans. Specify how you intend to use the funds and the expected outcomes. This section should align with your financial projections.

Developing a business plan is not just a requirement; it’s a strategic exercise that defines the trajectory of your business. By incorporating these four key elements—clear and concise executive summary, thorough market analysis, strategic business goals, and implementation plan, and financial projections and funding requirements—you create a comprehensive roadmap for success. A well-crafted business plan attracts investors and lenders and serves as a guiding document for your business’s day-to-day operations and long-term growth. With a robust plan, you are better equipped to navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and drive your business toward sustained success.

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The Ultimate Guide to Implementation Plans

May 4, 2022 - 10 min read

Implementation plans provide step-by-step instructions for everything from digital marketing campaigns to ending hunger in rural communities . They’re used to transform abstract concepts within strategy plans into real-world action. The only downside is that implementation plans can be challenging to pull off. Some industries see as much as a 75% failure rate in plan execution. 

The good news is you can succeed where others have failed by creating a successful implementation plan with the tips and strategies outlined in this guide. 

Keep reading to discover must-have components for implementation plans, a thorough step-by-step planning method, and advice on how to avoid common pitfalls. 

What is an implementation plan?

A project implementation plan (also called a strategic plan) is a combination of strategy, process, and action. It outlines the steps a team will use to achieve a shared objective. An implementation plan covers all aspects of a project , including the budget, timeline, and personnel.

The perfect project plan includes: 

• Objectives, requirements
• Scope assessment
• An outline of deliverables
• Task due dates
• Risk assessment
• Stakeholder, team, and process management plans
• Team member roles and responsibilities
• Resource management
• Communication tools

Roadmap planning breaks down big-picture goals into measurable project phases, tasks, and subtasks. Each category is clearly defined with its own deadlines and resource allocations. Tasks and subtasks are assigned to team members who will complete and approve each one. 

In other words, if the goal is the "what," the implementation plan is the "how."  

An implementation plan is often presented as a written document or planned in a project management solution . The latter is a better fit for this particular roadmap because, as you can probably tell, implementation plans are complex and comprehensive. Implementation plans should all contain solutions for:

• Tasks and subtasks
• Timelines 
• Collaborators
• Any additional resources

It’s also important to note that having a flexible implementation plan is key for dealing with changes that come up once the project is live. 

What are the benefits of implementation planning?

The benefits of implementation planning range from organizational to relationship-building to increased profitability. A solid implementation plan: 

• Creates an actionable roadmap from project inception to completion
• Makes communication simple and crystal clear
• Improves employee retention in the long-term
• Organizes all resources in one manageable place
• Helps businesses be proactive instead of reactive
• Offers transparency to clients and collaborators
• Builds trust among stakeholders
• Holds everyone accountable
• Outlines a daily and weekly workflow the whole team can follow
• Improves the likelihood of buy-in
• Makes collaboration more fluid and synergistic
• Helps businesses commit to long-term goals
• Gets everyone’s thoughts out of their heads and into one accessible place

When do you begin implementation planning?

Because it’s so involved, it’s important that you don’t begin implementation planning too early or too late. 

Why? The process of creating an implementation plan is time-consuming. Most of the tasks involved require you to wait on communication or approvals from multiple stakeholders. The process also requires lots of research, goal-setting, gathering or defining resources, and getting team availability together. 

Avoid planning too early by waiting until the project is officially greenlit. The definition of greenlit means something different to every agency. However, most would agree that a signed contract and successful deposit payment are good markers. 

After those client onboarding tasks are complete, you can begin implementation planning. Remember, the project can’t begin without these plans, so have a system in place to kick off and support implementation planning ahead of time. 

What is an implementation timeline? 

An implementation timeline is a visual representation of all project-related due dates. That includes:

• The final project due date
• Dates your team needs to complete each phase by 
• Due dates for individual tasks and subtasks 

These dates aren’t set in stone yet. However, accurately forecasting effort and mini-milestones now will make the implementation phase that much easier. 

Implementation timelines are often represented by visual Gantt charts . A Gantt chart uses bars to track the progress of each phase, task, and subtask all at once. Wrike users can add task dependencies, which trigger automatic chart updates and notifications to team members in charge of the next steps. 

Gantt charts also help project managers identify possible roadblocks. With every single step laid out, it’s easy to see where resources are stretched too thin and whether or not milestones are realistic. 

How do you make an implementation plan?

Follow these steps to create a successful implementation plan: 

• Choose an implementation planning tool Project management solutions like Wrike can help teams share information, start and complete approvals, and set up timelines with ease. 
• Holidays or upcoming PTO
• Delivery time for goods and materials
• Additional training or onboarding of outside team members
• Review the strategic plan Ask yourself, where do the implementation plan and strategic plan align so far? Where does it conflict? When in doubt, always edit your implementation plan to support your strategic plan. 
• What the project is
• Why it’s important
• Who is involved 
• What is each person’s role in the project 
• What all parties hope to achieve
• The obstacles you foresee and how your team will overcome them
• Which ROIs you’ll use to measure success
• Is available for the project as a whole 
• Should be allocated to each key phase
• Will be monitored, and who will oversee it
• Will be broken down into trackable categories
• Collect related materials Gather the documents you need to plan and execute the project all in one place. Include data from past projects that may help you accurately forecast this one. 
• Define how progress will be measured and monitored Choose KPIs that align with your project goals, then chart progress within your project management solution. Come up with a plan for who is in charge and how often they’ll check in. 
• Outline management buy-in criteria Get crystal clear on what managers are looking for, what information they need to approve or reject, and any other information that will decrease resistance. 
• Do a stakeholder analysis Create a chart that defines each stakeholder’s level of impact, influence, and attitude. Explain the evaluations further and create an action plan for each person or group. 
• Clarify day-to-day operations Include a work plan that goes over which processes will be used, which will be changed, and how future changes will be dealt with down the road. Choose who is responsible for approving, managing, and finalizing adjustments as they come up. 
• Everyone’s preferred mode of communication
• What type of updates are expected when 
• And how information will be shared  Also, designate communication channels and leaders who will oversee them.  Don’t forget to loop in both your implementation leader and strategy director. Stakeholders do not need to sign off on this section. However, you may choose to share it with them so they can see how you plan to keep everyone on track. 
• Identify key project phases, tasks, and subtasks Break the project goal down into actionable steps. Give each phase a name, deadline, and set of related tasks. Use project status updates in Wrike to communicate task and subtask due date expectations with everyone involved. Updates are formatted as dropdown menu options which make it easy for individuals to quickly update the entire team when they’ve moved on to the next step.  After, assign team members to complete and approve each task. Set up task dependencies within Wrike, so status notifications are automatically sent to those who were waiting to move on to the next step. 
• Go over security needs If your project deals with sensitive data, outline what you’ll need to keep the entire project and team compliant throughout. List all digital and physical information sources that require privacy (think sensitive company financial data, home addresses, credit or bank account information, etc.). 
• Provide a glossary Include industry terms that clients, stakeholders, and teams will need to know throughout the course of the project. Add project-related abbreviations, slang, or resource nicknames you expect will come up in communications. 

What are the components of an implementation plan?

There are 13 components every implementation plan needs to have:

• Selected tools
• Preliminary research
• Strategic plan alignment
• Project summary
• Resource and materials list
• Goal monitoring and measurement
• Buy-in criteria
• Stakeholder management
• Operations plan
• Management plan
• Key phases and tasks
• Glossary of terms

A simple implementation plan template

Your own project implementation plan will have lots of information included, but a simple table including the steps needed to launch the project is always a good place to start.

In this example, a small business is preparing to launch an online store to sell its products. Let's take a look at how this looks on a simple table. 

What are implementation planning best practices?

• Always be as specific as possible 
• Don’t shy away from consulting experts and conducting additional research as needed 
• Pull data from similar past projects (successful and unsuccessful), then apply what you learned 
• Remember that 100% alignment between all stakeholders and personnel across the board is unrealistic 
• Use a project management solution to quickly update plans when changes come up 
• Centralize communication to save time and keep everyone on the same page 

What information do you put in an implementation schedule?

Include an outline of the project timeline, goals, and tasks to keep teams on the same page. Combine that with key updates on:

• The progress of major phases
• Adjustments made to budgets, timelines, or personnel
• Upcoming challenges and planned solutions

Implementation schedules are also meant for stakeholders, so the information you put in one needs to be tailored toward their needs. Identify each stakeholder’s level of involvement and what information they want to receive. 

What is the implementation process?

The implementation process is the step-by-step plan a team follows to achieve a shared objective. Each step is concrete and actionable. These instructions should be easily understood by anyone who reads them. 

What is a good implementation plan example? 

One good implementation plan example comes from Outdoor Equipment Manufacturer MTD . The brand uses Wrike to optimize its complex product development process. 

Their projects involve having multiple active tasks open across a variety of teams at the same time. As a result, their implementation plan relies on custom workflows, visual progress updates, and a bird’s eye view of what’s going on across the entire organization. 

Who creates implementation plans?

Project managers create implementation plans. They may choose to collaborate with team leads, subject experts, suppliers, and stakeholders to add important details. However, project managers are responsible for drafting, revising, and monitoring implementation plans the whole way through. 

What are the challenges of an implementation plan?

• Foggy vision Implementation plans are only as good as the strategy they’re based on. Connect back to your original goals and strategy plan frequently when drafting the implementation process. 
• Bad communication Instant messenger notes and email updates tend to get lost over the course of a project. Centralize all communication in your project management platform. In Wrike, use @ mentions to loop in stakeholders and collaborators. 
• Lack of training Hire outside specialists or plan time for proper employee training on new projects, especially if those skill sets come with a learning curve. 

How to use Wrike as implementation planning software

Create a foolproof project plan using Wrike’s visual Gantt charts, detailed task options, and robust templates . Each of these features helps project managers easily make and monitor progress. Use our two-week free trial to save time with customizable implementation plan templates you can use over and over again.

Maria Waida

Maria is a freelance content writer who specializes in blogging and other marketing materials for enterprise software businesses.

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Implementing the Plan

You’ve spent the last few months creating your 2022 business plan, and you’re breathing a sigh of relief. Pat yourself on the back for a moment but understand that your job is not done.

You may be able to cross creating your business plan off your to-do list, but don’t shove your hard work into a drawer and forget about it.

If you are at a loss of what to do next, here comes the fun part: implementing it. Follow these five simple steps:

Step 1: Assemble your team

Schedule time with your team to go over the details of your business plan. Talk about the who , what, where, when and how so everyone is “in the know.” Then decide what metrics need to be a priority—such as sales numbers, people numbers, or website traffic—and establish a timeline for accomplishing those goals.

Step 2: Break it down into manageable chunks

Big goals can seem overwhelming until you turn them into manageable objectives. Then create an action plan for the first 90 days to identify how you will get them done.

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Step 3: Delegate responsibilities

You don’t have to do everything yourself. Utilize your team's strengths, especially for those tasks you are not the best at or don’t enjoy doing. Delegating parts of your business plan to others is a great way to get everyone involved, make them feel empowered, and achieve your results faster.

Step 4: Measure results

Numbers are powerful. Put systems in place that will measure your goals’ progress. These numbers will help you determine if your goals are on track, how you can do more of what is working well, and what you need to change that is not working.

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Step 5: Schedule regular business plan reviews

Identify a date on your calendar each week to review the progress of your business plan. During this meeting, everyone will report their metrics, brainstorm ideas, and decide on next steps.

"Good Business Planning is 9 parts execution for every 1 part strategy."

Understand that it is a working document

The only guarantee in business is that there are no guarantees. Just because you crafted a beautiful roadmap doesn’t mean everything will go according to plan. The best part about an actionable business plan is that it is not set in stone. It’s a working document that you can change or modify as situations arise throughout the year.

New Ideas will emerge

New ideas will inevitably present themselves as you work through your goals. But what happens if those ideas conflict with your business plan? Next month’s blog will discuss how to handle these unplanned but good ideas and how to NOT let them derail your business plan.

Tired of Feeling Lost in the Details?

If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and start implementing your plan, contact Healthy Business Manager today. We can help you get the year off to a strong, productive start!

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Secrets of successful change implementation

Any executive who has led a major change program knows that even the most carefully planned programs can fail because of mediocre implementation. Turning plans into reality isn’t easy, and certain companies seem to be better at it than others. To learn how some of the world’s leading companies ensure implementation excellence, we conducted a survey of more than 2,000 executives in 900 companies across industries. 1 1. The online survey was conducted from January 14 to January 24, 2014, and garnered responses from 2,079 executives representing the full range of regions, industries, company sizes, functional specialties, and tenures. The results reported in this article also include responses from an additional 151 global executives surveyed at an earlier date. To adjust for differences in response rates, the data are weighted by the contribution of each respondent’s nation to global GDP. We asked respondents to evaluate their company’s implementation performance, capabilities, and practices.

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Our survey revealed that “good implementers”—defined as companies whose respondents reported top-quartile scores for their implementation capabilities—achieved superior performance on a range of financial-performance metrics. Perhaps more important, two years after a change effort has ended, good implementers sustain twice the level of financial benefits as poor implementers do.

So what can other companies learn from successful implementers?

The factors that matter most

Every transformation leaks value at various stages of the implementation process: some prioritized initiatives are never done, others are implemented but don’t achieve bottom-line impact, and still others may fail to sustain their initial good results. But at every stage of the process, good implementers retain more value than poor implementers (Exhibit 1).

Clearly, implementation is hard to get right. Fewer than half of respondents say that most or all of their change efforts in the past five years met their initial goals and sustained results over time. Probing deeper into the responses shows that the root causes of this failure cluster around three critical themes: organization-wide ownership of and commitment to change, regular and effective prioritization, and deployment of the right resources and capabilities (Exhibit 2).

Ownership and commitment

For both successful and unsuccessful transformations, roughly two-thirds of respondents indicated that the single most significant factor influencing a transformation’s outcome is the degree of ownership and commitment of the organization’s leaders. To be clear, “ownership” and “commitment” involve much more than just “alignment.” People seeing someone else’s car being stolen may reasonably be expected to take down the number and call the police. How might they react differently if it were their car? Commitment is a level of psychological investment that drives personal, proactive action—and becomes even stronger when failure may have adverse consequences. At a very basic level, successful transformations typically reinforce ownership through clear accountability for specific targets and individual incentives for key players that are strongly aligned to success.

The right leadership style. Organizations that excel at implementation foster a leadership style that sets bold aspirations with clear accountability—emphasizing the challenging and supportive dimensions of leadership over the authoritative and consultative qualities that may be effective in other situations. Successful leaders are relentless in pushing and encouraging their reports, while also greasing the wheels through tough decision making.

Keeping this pace of change going represents a significant investment of time and attention. For example, the global head of the transformation program at a big healthcare company ensures that she or a direct report participates in every critical milestone-report meeting. Her presence as an active role model reinforces the transformation’s importance for the company and encourages the involvement of local leadership.

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The right buzz. Great implementers also create the right buzz around change by engaging the broader organization. They recognize that few employees have any interest in their employer’s share price, let alone its return on equity. Rather than spamming everyone with generic communications materials, leaders instead methodically cascade a compelling change story through the entire business. It’s a difficult balance: the core message must be meaningful to as broad a range of the workforce as possible yet also be personal and relevant to the specific audience.

Implementing a transformation is a long-term effort, and the demands it places on personnel will evolve over time. To keep people engaged, the change story must adapt as well. At a basic-materials company facing closure of several of its operations, the change story focused on moving away from a victim mentality. Once the transformation began to take hold and the facilities were no longer under immediate threat of closure, the message—and the team’s energy—easily could have dissipated. Instead, the transformation team harnessed the earlier momentum and adapted the story to celebrate pride in being a world leader, within both the company and the industry as a whole. Since then, the business has continued to deliver year-on-year improvements and outperform its competitors.

The right supporting organization. Finally, the ownership and commitment are difficult to maintain in a major transformation without the support of an effective and empowered project-management office (PMO)—a formal entity directly responsible for leading the change effort and monitoring its progress. The PMO should be led by a relatively senior person who reports to a C-level executive and carries that executive’s authority. The role of PMO leader is therefore an important stepping-stone for a high performer, and it should be filled by someone who is seen as a future C-level executive. Although the ideal PMO leader will be chosen from within the company, we’ve found that it’s more effective to bring in a skilled leader from outside than to appoint an insider who lacks the leadership skills to rally the troops.

Prioritization of initiatives

Some transformation efforts flounder because too many initiatives are going on at once, spreading the organization’s resources too thin. Accordingly, what an organization chooses not to do is every bit as important as what it does. But for a prioritization process to help a transformation succeed, its scope must be broad. For example, existing initiatives must be scrutinized with the same rigor as new ones, because zombie projects drain precious resources—especially leadership attention.

Understanding risks. The starting point in any strong prioritization process is a robust fact base, with a clear understanding of the size and nature of each opportunity, its timing, and any impediments to delivery. Usually, prioritization applies the twin lenses of value and ease. While this approach can be effective, the “ease” criteria are often subjective and reinforce bias. As a result, teams may underestimate risk on projects they deem attractive and undervalue opportunities that superficially seem less promising.

For this reason, a critical step is to conduct a rigorous assessment of the risks associated with each change in the transformation portfolio, typically based on probability and severity. A risk review should cover the full gamut of unintended outcomes that can derail implementation or cause material damage to the business—including safety or regulatory compliance, customer or talent attrition, and benefit leakage. Done well, the review counters the seductiveness of big numbers and the resulting tendency to overlook challenges. And by incorporating the perspectives of a broad range of stakeholders, it keeps the prioritization process from being gamed into promotion of pet projects.

Mitigating and re-ranking. Factoring in mitigation strategies (such as preemptive measures, contingency plans, and monitoring), then racking and stacking initiatives according to their risk-adjusted value gives leaders a portfolio perspective. With that information, and based on the total incremental risk they are prepared to accept, they can make informed decisions as to the business’s aspirations. 2 2. Many initiatives may well decrease risk by increasing stability, introducing standardization, improving transparency, etc. At a large refining business, this approach made the risk-effort trade-offs much clearer, shifting the dialogue from “That’s too hard” to “How do we make this easier?” The result: faster implementation of priority initiatives and deferral of ones that were easy to implement but carried hidden risks.

Prioritization should not be a one-time event, but rather should serve as a core tool to assign resources flexibly as dictated by available facts. Effective implementation pilots are therefore an important investment. Organizations that execute well typically have well-grooved approaches that not only manage pilots tightly, but also ensure that the key lessons are drawn from the experience. Rather than using the pilot as a box-ticking ritual, successful organizations use it both as an opportunity to refine an initiative and as a critical go/no-go gate.

Resources and capabilities

At the best implementers, change programs can count on having enough people with the skills and motivation required to manage a fast-moving and often ambiguous set of challenges. Rather than looking only to people who happen to be available, these organizations fill pivotal roles based on merit and free the successful candidates from their current duties. Each person’s role is well defined, and expectations and responsibilities are aligned with the resources available. Employees’ duties lie solidly within their areas of specialty or are appropriate for their skill levels. All employees receive feedback and ongoing coaching.

Unfortunately, most organizations don’t start out from this position, leading to mismatches between the skills of the team and the requirements of the transformation. This is hardly surprising, given the way that transformations act as a discontinuity: after the change, the organization will make very different demands on its people, from the technical requirements of their roles to the way they interact with peers, managers, and subordinates.

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Capability-building programs are therefore central to any successful transformation. The most comprehensive ones cover functional, managerial, and technical skills and are tailored to match requirements across the breadth of roles involved in the transformation. A typical starting point is the creation of a detailed skill matrix showing the skills that each role requires and that each employee has, which highlights important gaps and training needs by role. A stringent process for evaluating skill-building progress then fosters a continuous learning cycle as people at every level develop new talents.

A powerful force multiplier in large transformations is the development of a limited number of organization-wide management standards that govern behavior from the front line to top management. One company implemented a simple tool that required every employee to know the same five elements about his or her job, including how the role contributed to the business and what the employee could do without asking permission. By setting clear and tangible expectations, the standard gave people clarity and confidence about their role, freeing up valuable leadership time and highlighting key areas of friction that needed to be addressed. Over time, management standards become a set of organizational reflexes within the business, reducing much of the effort of delivering and sustaining change.

Implementation practices

As for specific implementation practices, the executives we surveyed said their companies do fairly well at some practices associated with successful transformations. A majority said they develop standard operating procedures and regularly assess employees against their individual goals (Exhibit 3). But many said their companies falter when it comes to conducting effective meetings, having processes in place to identify problems, and giving employees effective feedback.

Improvement often depends on examples from above. A vice president at one global company found that members of his management team were spending up to three-quarters of their time in meetings. He therefore decided to forbid morning meetings altogether, freeing time for value-adding activities such as coaching staff members or helping solve issues at the front line. For the remaining meetings that were truly necessary, he imposed a one-hour time limit and required that all meeting hosts send an agenda and clear objectives in advance. As the role model, he made a point of leaving meetings after 55 minutes, and whenever an agenda and objectives had not been sent by a meeting’s starting time, he would ask that the meeting be rescheduled.

Getting these most important factors lined up from the very beginning is a big aspiration. The survey data reinforce that implementation is a discipline that develops with practice: good implementers were 1.4 times more likely than poor implementers to have change leaders who had personally led multiple change efforts. For organizations undergoing transformation for the first time, a strong starting stance is a focus on ownership and commitment, prioritization of initiatives, and capabilities and resources.

Alasdair Johnston  and Joseph Tesvic  are partners in McKinsey’s Sydney office, and Frédéric Lefort is a partner in the Gothenburg office.

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The Strategy of Business Plan with Implementation Summary

MAR.27, 2015

The business plan is written and ready for implementation. Now what? As a guide for action, the strategy and implementation summary in business plan sets out the strategies for business startup and continuity, and presents the operational financial plan. Planning and taking action are two very different activities. Once the entrepreneur begins implementing the business in the real world, challenges are sure to arise.

The strategy and implementation summary in the business plan section of the business plan identifies the path the business intends on using to establish and grow the business. It includes strategies identifying how the business will maintain a competitive edge, market the company, grow sales, develop a network of contacts and customers, and so on. Milestones are established that include the budget for implementation of each step. However, entrepreneurs commonly encounter difficulties, which is why so many new businesses fail within the first five years after startup.

Planning for the Difficulties

Common difficulties business owners face and possible solutions include the following:

• Problems with development of products described in the strategy and implementation summary in business plan (reorganize to better support product development) • Difficulty hiring and retaining skilled personnel (try using a human resources consulting company) • Marketing efforts fail to produce desired results (revise the marketing plan ) • Funding for strategy implementation proves to be inadequate (re-evaluate financial needs, revise strategies, and/or seek new investors) • Entrepreneur discovers he or she needs to strengthen management skills (take advantage of workshops and assistance offered by organizations like the Small Business Administration and the Chamber of Commerce) • New and unexpected competitors enter the market (revise product and service differentiation or marketing strategy) • Lack of a solid network (begin networking online through social media and offline through community business organizations)

These are just a few of the problems entrepreneurs may face when starting a new business. A quality strategy and implementation summary in business plan addresses strategy and implementation by outlining the strategic assumptions, supported by market analysis. If the analysis is thorough, the entrepreneur conducted a SWOT analysis and included contingency planning. An entrepreneur may experience difficulties, but those difficulties should not be a surprise.

Business Plan Revisions

The final business plan should never be final. It needs regular review and assessment in light of the results of actions taken and the difficulties experienced to achieve business startup, smooth operations, and growth.

The business environment is dynamic which is why OGS Capital has a cadre of business professionals with real-world experience. The consultants are experts in writing business plans , including strategy and implementation summaries. They are also ready to assist entrepreneurs who need business plan revisions as a result of difficulties encountered during startup and early stage operation. Submit the online contact form to begin discussing options.

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Startup Business Plan Guidelines for a Successful Launch

Home Blog Digital Marketing Startup Business Plan Guidelines for a Successful Launch

Updated on March 10th 2022

Mark Quadros | 15 min read

Figures from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics show that 70% of businesses fail before reaching their fifth year. 

The factors that lead each business to close down depend on the business, owners, market, and external economic factors. But there are trends among businesses that fail:

• 38% ran out of money to fund the business 
• 35% offered a product or service the market didn’t need
• 20% couldn’t beat a competitor 
• 19% had a “flawed business model”

How do you avoid these issues in your business? That’s where a business plan comes in. A business plan is a document that outlines how your business will operate. It can’t fix failure, but it can give you a roadmap that guides you towards success. 

This article will help you design a business plan from scratch, covering why you need one, what to include, and a few tips for a solid business plan. 

Why you need a business plan

As some financial institutions require businesses to present a plan when seeking a business loan, many business owners naturally associate a business plan with securing bank funding. 

However, business plans serve many other purposes. They can help you:

Convince people to invest 

Your business plan outlines your organization, business plans, and offerings. Naturally, you can use it to introduce your business to potential investors and prove your business’s financial health. 

Attract and keep skilled employees

Research on 600 businesses from Zenefits shows that 81% of businesses see employee turnover as a “costly problem.” It’s no wonder why. Organizations throughout the United States spend $2.9 million on replacing workers daily and replacing a single worker costs roughly 20% of the worker’s salary. 

Naturally, you want to recruit the right employees from the start. Crafting a business plan and sharing it with potential recruits can help you do that. 

Why? A good business plan will show potential recruits that your values and goals align with their vision and skills. That alignment will benefit both of you, as your employees will be happier, and you’ll attract the right person for the job. 

Evaluate your business idea 

You don’t necessarily need to build your business plan for other people. Writing out your business plan is a great way to evaluate your ideas and consolidate your thoughts so you can plan your venture carefully. 

Let’s go back to the reasons startups fail. Better planning could have mitigated many of the issues — pricing and cost issues, product mistiming, lack of market need, and poor capital management. A business plan can help you plan better. 

Find a business partner

Finally, crafting a business plan gives you a roadmap to present to potential business partners and co-founders. This roadmap will help you find the right partner, as once you know what your business needs to succeed, it will be easier to find a partner with the drive to get there. 

Additionally, a sound plan will show that you’re serious about your venture. After all, would you rather join a startup with a clearly defined direction or a startup that says it’s “still figuring things out?” 

Key sections to include in your business plan

Though every business plan will look slightly different, most plans include eight key sections:

• Executive summary
• Business goals
• Products and services
• Market opportunities
• Sales and marketing
• Management 
• Logistics and operations
• Financial analysis 

Let’s cover those sections in detail now:

An executive summary is an outline that summarizes your business plan. To make writing an executive summary easy, create it last by drawing from the rest of your plan. 

Your executive summary should ideally span half a page to a single page. You don’t need to add much detail to the executive summary, as its primary purpose is to pique the reader’s interest. 

Here are some things to include:

• Your business’s “why” 
• A description of your offerings 
• Your goal and 1 — 3 of the KPIs that measure your progress towards it 
• A summary of the market your business operates in 
• A summary of your business model 
• Where you aim to be in 12 — 26 months 
• An overview of your funding plans (including how much money you need to raise) 

You can also open with your elevator pitch if you want to start strong. An elevator pitch (sometimes called an “elevator speech”) is a 30 — 60 second proposal used to grab someone’s attention. 

Here’s an example of an elevator pitch from Hux:

The “business goals” section (sometimes called the “overview and objectives”) section offers readers a more detailed introduction to your business.

This section should answer five key questions:

• “What is (brand)’s business idea?”
• “What does (brand) do and why?”
• “Who runs (brand)?”
• “Who is included in (brand)’s target market?”
• “What is (brand)’s goal?”

This section is very flexible, so it’s also a great place to outline any charitable visions you have, any Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives you want to put into place, and your mission statement.

Many of the parts of this section are subjective, so we won’t cover them in much detail. Instead, let’s focus on two key things: your goals and target market. 

Your business goals section should present readers with a clear goal and several objectives to help you get there. Goals are overarching, long-term targets, while objectives are short-term targets measured with KPIs. For example, “sell top-class speaker systems” is a goal, and “increase Instagram followers by 10% with smart hashtags ” is an objective. 

This section of your business plan should also outline your target market with buyer personas. A buyer persona describes your target market with generalized characteristics like age, gender, race, education level, interests, motivations, and challenges. 

Here’s a buyer persona example to draw from:

Product and services

The “products and services” section of your plan contains exactly what you think it should: a detailed description of your offerings. This includes:

• Product purpose
• Manufacturing or procurement plans (including a product roadmap)
• Legal considerations for product development 
• Features 
• Pricing strategy 
• How it compares to other products

This section should also outline your offerings’ Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Your USP is the “thing” that makes your offering superior to competing products or services. 

AAMI is an excellent example if you are looking for inspiration. AAMI’s USP is “the doers of insurance,” and AAMI emphasizes that it’s an insurance company that will “do everything” in its power to “make your life easier.”

Market opportunities 

The “market opportunities” section describes the external environment of the market your brand will operate in. Of course, this doesn’t just include your industry and niche but covers your other businesses, too. 

You will need to conduct extensive market research on your proposed industry to build this section. Conducting a SWOT and PESTEL analysis can help with this. 

A SWOT analysis looks at an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Specifically: 

• Strengths cover advantages
• Weaknesses cover disadvantages 
• Opportunities cover factors that a brand could use to grow and increase profit
• Threats cover factors that could interrupt the brand’s growth, integrity, and profitability 

Strengths and weaknesses are internal to your brand, while opportunities and threats concern external factors. 

A PESTEL analysis looks at the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors that influence a brand positively and negatively. Here’s what a PESTEL analysis includes:

Once you’ve conducted a SWOT and PESTEL analysis, finish your “market opportunities” section by addressing these questions:

• What does the market need?
• How will the market grow in one, two, and five years?
• How will (brand)’s offering meet market needs? 

The “sales and marketing” section explains how you’ll market your brand and offerings. There are three critical parts to this section:

• Positioning strategy
• Marketing strategy framework
• Public relations strategy

First, you need to cover your positioning strategy. Your positioning strategy outlines your brand identity (or how you want people to remember your brand). 

To understand what a positioning strategy looks like in practice, check out this ad from Honey: 

It positions Honey as a friendly shopping assistant that helps users “save time and money.” 

Develop a positioning statement to explain your positioning strategy. This statement includes what you do, your target market, what makes you special, and what you do for customers. You might like to use a template like: “(brand) helps (target market) to (what you do) because (brand) offers (what makes you special).” 

Second, build your marketing framework . A marketing framework is a detailed roadmap that explains how you will reach your marketing goals. You’ll need to consider marketing channels like these when designing your framework:

• Social media advertisements
• Paid-Per-Click (PPC) advertisements 
• Social media
• Content marketing
• Email marketing  
• Offline marketing (including mail marketing, billboards, TV, and radio)

Third, design your Public Relations (PR) strategy. Your PR strategy outlines how you communicate with customers, stakeholders, and anyone impacted by your brand. 

As part of developing your PR strategy, you’ll need to build a website , develop a brand voice, and create customer communication channels. These channels could include a customer service email, phone number, social media chatbot, or website chatbot.

Build a crisis management plan to put extra detail into the PR section. 

The “management” section describes how your organization will handle management, staffing, and employee relations. To introduce this section, describe your company’s hierarchy and outline the roles managers and employees will play in the organization. 

Then, outline your company culture. Developing a strong company culture will help you create a more productive workplace, attract better employees, and build chemistry and connection between team members. As your company culture starts forming as soon as you launch, it’s crucial to include it in your business plan. 

You might like to use some of these adjectives to describe your culture:

• Collaborative
• Progressive
• Transparent

Finally, you should outline how you plan to manage your employees. This includes how you will approach workload management to ensure employees don’t get burned out. As we know that people’s moods impact their productivity , creative thinking, and decision-making abilities, managing people’s workloads is vital to keeping your employees happy and healthy.

The “logistics and operations” section covers the “how” of your brand. It includes a detailed description of:

• Your manufacturing process
• Product delivery and shipping plans 
• Research and development plans 
• Staffing needs and plans 
• Vendor and supplier plans 
• Inventory management 
• Legal considerations (including any patents, trademarks, insurance, licenses, permits, and copyrights you need)

You should also outline any tools and software you will use in this section. That includes Human Resources (HR) and payroll systems, marketing and media tools, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools.

Though selecting the right tools may seem tricky, there are many great options to choose from. You can implement factoHR for the accurate management of your HR and payroll system, Mention for media monitoring, and Salesforce as a CRM tool. 

Finally, you should conclude your business plan with a detailed analysis of your business finances. There are five key documents to include:

1. A balance sheet, which reports your assets, liabilities, earnings, and shareholder equity

2. An income statement (or “profit and loss statement”), which shows your projected revenue and expenses so readers can see if your company will become profitable

3. A cash flow statement, which shows how your business will spend its capital. This document includes all expenses — staff wages, inventory costs, and operational costs.

4. An operating budget, which shows projected revenue and expenses for a certain period (like a quarter)

5. A break-even analysis, which projects when your business will break even. When a business breaks even and becomes profitable, revenue becomes higher than expenses.

The scope of this section will depend on the reason you are creating a business plan. If you are seeking investors, a partner, or a loan, you may need to consult with a financial analyst or accountant to put these financial projections together. Otherwise, internal projections will work. 

The “financial analysis” section is arguably one of the most crucial parts of your business plan, so it’s worth spending more time on this section. Make it presentable and engaging. For example, you might want to create videographics, infographics, graphs, and charts to highlight key figures. 

Tips for a great business plan

Now that you know what a business plan includes, you’re nearly ready to create your own. Here are two tips that can help you write a business plan effectively. 

Create an additional one-page plan 

A one-page plan is a concise, visual version of your business plan. This shortened plan is like a cheat sheet or image-based executive summary. Naturally, it’s a great document to give potential investors during a pitch or new employees during training. 

To create a one-page plan, take each business plan section’s key points and summarize them into dot points. Then, add them into a business plan template like this:

Check for bad spelling and grammar

Imagine this: you attend an investor presentation, and when you open a copy of the new business plan you were given, there’s a spelling error in the marketing and sales plan. What kind of impression would this give you about the business? Would you still invest? 

Poor spelling and grammar can turn investors away, as it makes your plan look rushed and poorly thought out. To avoid this and keep your plan looking professional, use a spelling and grammar checker like Grammarly, ProWritingAid, or the Hemingway App.

Create a successful business plan for a competitive advantage 

Creating a good business plan is more of an art than a science. However, you can’t go wrong if you include these sections in your plan: 

Excellent plans focus on your finances, require extensive market analysis, and present your business in a positive (but not embellished) light. Above all else, they show the “thing” that makes your brand special. 

Mark Quadros is a SaaS content marketer that helps brands create and distribute rad content. On a similar note, Mark loves content and contributes to several authoritative blogs like HubSpot, CoSchedule, Foundr, etc.

Guest Blogger @Mention

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What Is an Implementation Plan? (Template & Example Included)

What Is Project Implementation?

Project implementation, or project execution, is the process of completing tasks to deliver a project successfully. These tasks are initially described in the project plan, a comprehensive document that covers all areas of project management. However, a secondary action plan, known as an implementation plan, should be created to help team members and project managers better execute and track the project .

What Is an Implementation Plan?

An implementation plan is a document that describes the necessary steps for the execution of a project. Implementation plans break down the project implementation process by defining the timeline, the teams and the resources that’ll be needed.

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Implementation Plan Template

Use this free Implementation Plan Template for Excel to manage your projects better.

Implementation Plan vs. Project Plan

A project plan is a comprehensive project management document that should describe everything about your project including the project schedule, project budget, scope management plan, risk management plan, stakeholder management plan and other important components. An implementation plan, on the other hand, is a simplified version of your project plan that includes only the information that’s needed by the team members who will actually participate in the project execution phase, such as their roles, responsibilities, daily tasks and deadlines.

Project management software like ProjectManager greatly simplifies the implementation planning process. Schedule and execute your implementation plan with our robust online Gantt charts. Assign work, link dependencies and track progress in real time with one chart. Plus, if your team wants to work with something other than a Gantt chart, our software offers four other project views for managing work: task lists, kanban boards, calendars and sheets. Try it for free today.

Key Steps In Project Implementation

Here are some of the key steps that you must oversee as a project manager during the project execution phase . Your project implementation plan should have the necessary components to help you achieve these steps.

1. Communicate Goals and Objectives

Once you’ve outlined the project goals and objectives, the next step is to ensure that the team understands them. For the project to succeed, there must be buy-in from the project team. A meeting is a good way to communicate this, though having project documents that they can refer to is also viable.

2. Define Team Roles and Responsibilities

The project manager will define the roles and responsibilities and communicate them to the project team . They should understand what they’re expected to do and who they can reach out to with questions about their work, all of which leads to a smooth-running project.

3. Establish the Success Criteria for Deliverables

The project deliverables need to meet quality standards, and to do this there must be a success criteria for handing off these deliverables. You want to have something in place to determine if the deliverable is what it’s supposed to be. The measurement is called a success criteria and it applies to any deliverable, whether it’s tangible or intangible.

4. Schedule Work on a Project Timeline

All projects require a schedule , which at its most basic is a start date and an end date for your project. In between those two points, you’ll have phases and tasks, which also have start and finish dates. To manage these deadlines, use a project timeline to visually map everything in one place.

5. Monitor Cost, Time and Performance

To make sure that you’re keeping to your schedule and budget, you need to keep a close eye on the project during the execution phase. Some of the things you should monitor are your costs, time and performance. Costs refer to your budget , time refers to your schedule and performance impacts both as well as quality. By keeping track of these metrics, you can make adjustments to stay on schedule and on budget.

6. Report to Project Stakeholders

While the project manager is monitoring the project, the stakeholders, who have a vested interest in the project, are also going to want to stay informed. To manage their expectations and show them that the project is hitting all its milestones, you’ll want to have project reports , such as project status reports. These can then be presented to the stakeholders regularly to keep them updated.

Free Implementation Plan Template

Many of the key components listed above are included in our implementation plan template . Use this Excel file to define your strategy, scope, resource plan, timeline and more. It’s the ideal way to begin your implementation process. Download your template today.

What Are the Key Components of an Implementation Plan?

There’s no standard one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to creating your implementation plan. However, we’ve created an implementation plan outline for your projects. Here are its components.

• Project goals & objectives: The project goal is the ultimate goal of your project, while the objectives are the key milestones or achievements that must be completed to reach it.
• Success criteria: The project manager must reach an agreement with stakeholders to define the project success criteria.
• Project deliverables: Project deliverables are tangible or intangible outputs from project tasks.
• Scope statement: The scope statement briefly describes your project scope, which can be simply defined as the project work to be performed.
• Resource plan: Create a simple resource plan that outlines the human resources, equipment and materials needed for your project.
• Risk analysis: Use a risk assessment tool like a SWOT analysis or risk register. There are different tools with different levels of detail for your risk analysis.
• Implementation timeline: Any implementation plan needs a clear project timeline to be executed properly. You should use an advanced tool such as a Gantt chart to create one.
• Implementation plan milestones: You need to identify key milestones of your implementation plan so that you can easily keep track of its progress.
• Team roles & responsibilities: The implementation plan won’t execute itself. You’ll need to assign roles and responsibilities to your team members.
• Implementation plan metrics: You’ll need KPIs, OKRs or any other performance metrics you can use to control the progress of your implementation plan.

How to Write an Implementation Plan

Follow these steps to create an implementation plan for your project or business. You can also consider using project management software like ProjectManager to help you with the implementation process.

1. Review Your Project Plan

Start by identifying what you’ll need for the execution of your implementation plan:

• What teams need to be involved to achieve the strategic goals?
• How long will it take to make the strategic goals happen?
• What resources should be allocated ?

By interviewing stakeholders, key partners, customers and team members, you can determine the most crucial assignments needed and prioritize them accordingly. It’s also at this stage that you should list out all the goals you’re looking to achieve to cross-embed the strategic plan with the implementation plan. Everything must tie back to that strategic plan in order for your implementation plan to work.

2. Map Out Assumptions and Risks

This acts as an extension to the research and discovery phase, but it’s also important to point out assumptions and risks in your implementation plan. This can include anything that might affect the execution of the implementation plan, such as paid time off or holidays you didn’t factor into your timeline , budget constraints, losing personnel, market instability or even tools that require repair before your implementation can commence.

3. Identify Task Owners

Each activity in your implementation plan must include a primary task owner or champion to be the owner of it. For tasks to be properly assigned, this champion will need to do the delegating. This means that they ensure that all systems are working as per usual, keep track of their teams’ productivity and more. Project planning software is practically essential for this aspect.

4. Define Project Tasks

Next, you need to finalize all the little activities to round out your plan. Start by asking yourself the following questions:

• What are the steps or milestones that make up the plan?
• What are the activities needed to complete each step?
• Who needs to be involved in the plan?
• What are the stakeholder requirements?
• What resources should be allocated?
• Are there any milestones we need to list?
• What are the risks involved based on the assumptions we notated?
• Are there any dependencies for any of the tasks?

Once all activities are outlined, all resources are listed and all stakeholders have approved (but no actions have been taken just yet), you can consider your implementation plan complete and ready for execution.

Implementation Plan Example

Implementation plans are used by companies across industries on a daily basis. Here’s a simple project implementation plan example we’ve created using ProjectManager to help you better understand how implementation plans work. Let’s imagine a software development team is creating a new app.

• Project goal: Create a new app
• Project objectives: All the project deliverables that must be achieved to reach that ultimate goal.
• Success criteria: The development team needs to communicate with the project stakeholders and agree upon success criteria.
• Scope statement: Here’s where the development team will document all the work needed to develop the app. That work is broken down into tasks, which are known as user stories in product and software development. Here, the team must also note all the exceptions, which means everything that won’t be done.
• Resource plan: In this case, the resources are all the professionals involved in the software development process, as well as any equipment needed by the team.
• Risk analysis: Using a risk register, the product manager can list all the potential risks that might affect the app development process.
• Timeline, milestones and metrics: Here’s an image of an implementation plan timeline we created using ProjectManager’s Gantt chart view. The diamond symbols represent the implementation plan milestones.
• Team roles & responsibilities: Similarly, we used a kanban board to assign implementation plan tasks to team members according to their roles and responsibilities.

Benefits of an Implementation Plan for the Project Implementation Process

The implementation plan plays a large role in the success of your overall strategic plan. But more than that, communicating both your strategic plan and the implementation of it therein to your team members helps them feel as if they have a sense of ownership within the company’s long-term direction.

Increased Cooperation

An implementation plan that’s well communicated also helps to increase cooperation across all teams through all the steps of the implementation process. It’s easy to work in a silo—you know exactly what your daily process is and how to execute it. But reaching across the aisle and making sure your team is aligned on the project goals that you’re also trying to meet? That’s another story entirely. With an implementation plan in place, it helps to bridge the divide just a little easier.

Additionally, with an implementation plan that’s thoroughly researched and well-defined, you can ensure buy-in from stakeholders and key partners involved in the project. And no matter which milestone you’re at, you can continue to get that buy-in time and time again with proper documentation.

At the end of the day, the biggest benefit of an implementation plan is that it makes it that much easier for the company to meet its long-term goals. When everyone across all teams knows exactly what you want to accomplish and how to do it, it’s easy to make it happen.

Implementation Plan FAQ

There’s more to know about implementation plans. It’s a big subject and we’ve tried to be thorough as possible, but if you have any further questions, hopefully we’ve answered them below.

What Is the Difference Between an Action Plan and an Implementation Plan?

The main difference between an action plan and an implementation plan is that an action plan focuses exclusively on describing work packages and tasks, while the implementation plan is more holistic and addresses other variables that affect the implementation process such as risks, resources and team roles & responsibilities.

What Is an Implementation Plan in Business?

A business implementation plan is the set of steps that a company follows to execute its strategic plan and achieve all the business goals that are described there.

What Is an Implementation Plan in Project Management?

Implementation plans have many uses in project management. They’re a planning tool that allows project managers to control smaller projects within their project plan. For example, they might need an implementation plan to execute risk mitigation actions, change requests or produce specific deliverables.

How to Make an Implementation Plan With ProjectManager

Creating and managing an implementation plan is a huge responsibility and one that requires diligence, patience and great organizational skills.

When it comes to a project implementation plan, there are many ways to make one that’s best suited for your team. With ProjectManager , you get access to both agile and waterfall planning so you can plan in sprints for large or small projects, track issues and collaborate easily. Try kanban boards for managing backlogs or for making workflows in departments.

Switching up the activities after a milestone meeting with stakeholders? You can easily update your implementation plan with our software features. Add new tasks, set due dates, and track how far along your team is on their current activities.

Implementation plans are the backbone of an organization’s strategic overall plan. With ProjectManager, give your organization the project management software they need to gain insight into all resources needed, view activities on their lists and collaborate with ease. Sign up for our free 30-day trial today.

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Creating a successful implementation plan for your digital business

• calendar Published May 25, 2023
• Category General
• strategy Services Digital & ICT Advisory , Transformation & Governance
• Posted by Business Aspect

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In today’s fast-paced market, having a strong digital capability is crucial for businesses to thrive and remain competitive. However, without a well thought out business implementation plan, companies may lose track of their goals and can struggle to achieve their mission.

For organisations that are looking to undertake a digital transformation, a business implementation plan is essential to ensure that digital strategies are effectively executed, resources are optimally utilised, and all stakeholders are aligned. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at why a well-structured implementation plan is critical for organisations that are embarking on a digital business transformation.

What is a business implementation plan?

A business implementation plan is a detailed roadmap that outlines the steps and resources necessary to put a new business strategy, project, or initiative into action. It is a comprehensive document that serves as a guide for an organisation’s management and employees, in order to provide a clearly articulated framework for success. A typical business implementation plan details the following key elements:

• Objectives : The specific goals or outcomes that must be achieved.
• Scope : The specific areas or functions of the organisation that will be impacted.
• Timelines : A schedule of when each step of the plan will be executed and completed.
• Resources : The people, tools, equipment, and funds required to execute the plan.
• Risks : An evaluation of the potential roadblocks and challenges that could arise during implementation – as well as strategies for mitigating those risks.
• Communication : A plan for communicating the implementation plan to all relevant stakeholders, such as employees, customers, and investors. This should include strategies for managing any resistance to change and ensuring a smooth transition to the new strategy.

By creating a business implementation plan, an organisation can increase its chances of successfully implementing new strategies or initiatives. In short, a business implementation plan can help you and your business to achieve desired outcomes.

How should digital businesses approach implementation planning?

If a business is predominantly online or digital, its business implementation plan needs to be tailored to reflect the unique characteristics and requirements of the digital environment. The following are some ways in which a business implementation plan might need to change in this context:

• Emphasis on user experience : Maintaining a focus on user experience (UX) is crucial for businesses and government agencies alike. UX ensures that people have a positive and seamless experience when accessing services online, leading to increased satisfaction, trust, and engagement. A user-centric approach to UX can enhance reputation and effectiveness, and help your organisation to comply with regulatory requirements.
• Focus on stakeholder engagement : Effective stakeholder engagement fosters transparency, inclusivity, and accountability, leading to more informed strategy development. There are numerous stakeholder engagement strategies, methodologies, and tools that can help organisations to gather valuable input, determine a value proposition, and ensure that initiatives align with stakeholder needs and expectations.
• Integration of technology : Digital organisations rely heavily on technology, and therefore the business implementation plan should reflect on the integration of systems and processes that improve efficiency and performance. Your plan may even encompass emerging technologies such as automation and artificial intelligence.
• Emphasis on cybersecurity : Cybersecurity is a critical consideration for any digital business, and the implementation plan should therefore encompass strategies for ensuring the security of sensitive data and adherence to privacy regulations. Unfortunately, there have been many recent examples where major organisations have been unable to protect valuable information from cybercriminals.
• Use of analytics : As we discussed in a recent article concerning data governance – digital businesses now have access to more information than ever before. For this reason, your business implementation plan should consider that data analytics have a role to play within strategic decision-making. Data analytics can be a valuable source of knowledge when it comes to optimising business operations, improving productivity, and increasing profitability.

Overall, the business implementation plan for a digital business should reflect the unique opportunities and challenges presented by today’s online landscape. You should use the implementation planning phase as an opportunity to evaluate the strategies specific to this environment.

Who should be involved with implementation planning?

The composition of the team responsible for contributing to a business implementation plan may vary depending on the nature of your organisation. However, the following teams or departments are typically called upon to contribute:

•   Management team : The management team is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction of any organisation, and therefore have a vital role to play in implementation planning. They can provide guidance on the goals and objectives of the plan, as well as the resources available to support its implementation.
• Project team : The project team is responsible for the execution of the plan and, therefore, should be involved in its development. This team may include specialists from numerous departments, including operations, IT, marketing, finance, and human resources.
• IT team : If the implementation plan concerns new software, applications, or technology solutions, the IT department should be involved. They can provide guidance on the selection and implementation of the most appropriate tech, architecture, data and security considerations.
• Finance team : The finance department also plays an essential role in the development of the implementation plan, particularly in terms of budgeting and financial forecasting. They can provide input on financial feasibility and provide guidance on resource allocation.
• Human Resources team : The human resources department is responsible for ensuring that the organisation has the necessary talent to support the implementation plan. They can provide input on staffing requirements, employee training, and talent management.
• Legal team : Legal experts can offer guidance on regulatory compliance, contract negotiation, risk assessment, and intellectual property protection. They can ensure that the implementation plan is legally sound, thereby mitigating potential legal risks and helping the business navigate legal complexities associated with the plan. This helps to ensure a smooth and legally compliant implementation process.
• Marketing and sales: The marketing and sales team can contribute to a business implementation plan by developing strategies to promote the implementation efforts, creating sales materials, and designing targeted marketing campaigns to generate customer awareness and interest. They can also assist in identifying potential customers, communicating the benefits of the implementation plan, and driving customer adoption. 

As you can see, a successful implementation plan requires input from multiple departments and disciplines within any given organisation. By involving a cross-functional team, you can ensure that your implementation plan is comprehensive, realistic, and achievable.

Should external consultants be involved with implementation planning?

Yes! It can certainly be worthwhile recruiting external consultants to assist with developing a new business implementation plan. There are several benefits to bringing in outside expertise.

Firstly, consultants can bring a fresh perspective to the planning process by providing new ideas and insights that internal teams may not have considered. Secondly, consultants typically have experience and expertise in developing implementation plans across different industries, allowing them to bring best practices and lessons learned from other organisations to inform the planning process. Additionally, consultants can provide resources that may not be available internally, such as specialised tools or additional staffing resources. This can help accelerate the planning process and ensure that the proposal is completed on time.

Moreover, external consultants can provide an objective analysis of the organisation’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and can then provide recommendations to better position the customer to the opportunity and clarify alignment to the broader organisational strategy. This can help identify blind spots and provide unbiased insights to improve the implementation plan.

When choosing an external consultancy to partner with you, you should carefully evaluate their qualifications and experience. You should also maintain clear communication and alignment between the external consultants and the internal teams responsible for executing the business implementation plan.

Can Gantt charts be useful for a business implementation plan?

Yes! Gantt charts can be very useful for a business implementation plan. A Gantt chart is a visual representation of a project timeline that shows the sequence of tasks, their dependencies, and their expected duration. These charts provide a clear and easy-to-understand view of the project schedule, making it easier to manage and track progress.

In a business implementation plan, a Gantt chart can be used to map out the timeline for implementing various aspects of the plan, such as launching new products or services, upgrading technology infrastructure, or implementing new processes or procedures. By using a Gantt chart, teams can see how different tasks are related and how they fit into the overall timeline.

Gantt charts can be especially useful for complex implementation plans, as they help to identify potential bottlenecks, delays, or conflicts in the timeline. These charts also help people to understand the impact of delays or changes in the plan, allowing everyone to adjust schedules as needed.

In addition, Gantt charts can be used to communicate the implementation plan to stakeholders, such as executives, investors, or team members. The visual representation of the timeline can help stakeholders to understand the scope and complexity of the plan, as well as the progress that has been made.

Remember, a comprehensive business implementation plan should address various topics to ensure a successful execution. This includes identifying and engaging stakeholders at different levels, assessing risks and dependencies, identifying the critical path for implementation, establishing governance structures, developing strategies to overcome blockers, defining a communications rhythm for effective communication, and setting up stage gates for progress tracking. By addressing these aspects in the implementation plan, a business can enhance its chances of successful implementation, stakeholder buy-in, and achieving desired outcomes.

Where to from here?

In conclusion, a business implementation plan is essential for today’s digital businesses to achieve their goals and stay competitive. Without a comprehensive plan, companies may struggle to execute their online strategies effectively – resulting in wasted resources, missed opportunities, and lost revenue. An implementation plan can provide a clear roadmap for achieving the desired outcomes, and hiring external consultants can bring valuable insights, experience, and resources to the planning process.If you’re unsure how to start developing an implementation plan for your business, seeking expert help can be a wise decision. The team here at Business Aspect can help you to accelerate the planning process, provide objective analysis, and ensure that your online strategies are executed effectively. Contact us today to take the first step towards achieving your online business goals.