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How to Write the Operations Plan Section of a Business Plan

Susan Ward wrote about small businesses for The Balance for 18 years. She has run an IT consulting firm and designed and presented courses on how to promote small businesses.

How to Write the Operations Plan Section of the Business Plan

Stage of development section, production process section, the bottom line, frequently asked questions (faqs).

The operations plan is the section of your business plan that gives an overview of your workflow, supply chains, and similar aspects of your business. Any key details of how your business physically produces goods or services will be included in this section.

You need an operations plan to help others understand how you'll deliver on your promise to turn a profit. Keep reading to learn what to include in your operations plan.

Key Takeaways

• The operations plan section should include general operational details that help investors understand the physical details of your vision.
• Details in the operations plan include information about any physical plants, equipment, assets, and more.
• The operations plan can also serve as a checklist for startups; it includes a list of everything that must be done to start turning a profit.

In your business plan , the operations plan section describes the physical necessities of your business's operation, such as your physical location, facilities, and equipment. Depending on what kind of business you'll be operating, it may also include information about inventory requirements, suppliers, and a description of the manufacturing process.

Staying focused on the bottom line will help you organize this part of the business plan.

Think of the operating plan as an outline of the capital and expense requirements your business will need to operate from day to day.

You need to do two things for the reader of your business plan in the operations section: show what you've done so far to get your business off the ground and demonstrate that you understand the manufacturing or delivery process of producing your product or service.

When you're writing this section of the operations plan, start by explaining what you've done to date to get the business operational, then follow up with an explanation of what still needs to be done. The following should be included:

Production Workflow

A high-level, step-by-step description of how your product or service will be made, identifying the problems that may occur in the production process. Follow this with a subsection titled "Risks," which outlines the potential problems that may interfere with the production process and what you're going to do to negate these risks. If any part of the production process can expose employees to hazards, describe how employees will be trained in dealing with safety issues. If hazardous materials will be used, describe how these will be safely stored, handled, and discarded.

Industry Association Memberships

Show your awareness of your industry's local, regional, or national standards and regulations by telling which industry organizations you are already a member of and which ones you plan to join. This is also an opportunity to outline what steps you've taken to comply with the laws and regulations that apply to your industry. 

Supply Chains

An explanation of who your suppliers are and their prices, terms, and conditions. Describe what alternative arrangements you have made or will make if these suppliers let you down.

Quality Control

An explanation of the quality control measures that you've set up or are going to establish. For example, if you intend to pursue some form of quality control certification such as ISO 9000, describe how you will accomplish this.

While you can think of the stage of the development part of the operations plan as an overview, the production process section lays out the details of your business's day-to-day operations. Remember, your goal for writing this business plan section is to demonstrate your understanding of your product or service's manufacturing or delivery process.

When writing this section, you can use the headings below as subheadings and then provide the details in paragraph format. Leave out any topic that does not apply to your particular business.

Do an outline of your business's day-to-day operations, including your hours of operation and the days the business will be open. If the business is seasonal, be sure to say so.

The Physical Plant

Describe the type, size, and location of premises for your business. If applicable, include drawings of the building, copies of lease agreements, and recent real estate appraisals. You need to show how much the land or buildings required for your business operations are worth and tell why they're important to your proposed business.

The same goes for equipment. Besides describing the equipment necessary and how much of it you need, you also need to include its worth and cost and explain any financing arrangements.

Make a list of your assets , such as land, buildings, inventory, furniture, equipment, and vehicles. Include legal descriptions and the worth of each asset.

Special Requirements

If your business has any special requirements, such as water or power needs, ventilation, drainage, etc., provide the details in your operating plan, as well as what you've done to secure the necessary permissions.

State where you're going to get the materials you need to produce your product or service and explain what terms you've negotiated with suppliers.

Explain how long it takes to produce a unit and when you'll be able to start producing your product or service. Include factors that may affect the time frame of production and describe how you'll deal with potential challenges such as rush orders.

Explain how you'll keep  track of inventory .

Feasibility

Describe any product testing, price testing, or prototype testing that you've done on your product or service.

Give details of product cost estimates.

Once you've worked through this business plan section, you'll not only have a detailed operations plan to show your readers, but you'll also have a convenient list of what needs to be done next to make your business a reality. Writing this document gives you a chance to crystallize your business ideas into a clear checklist that you can reference. As you check items off the list, use it to explain your vision to investors, partners, and others within your organization.

What is an operations plan?

An operations plan is one section of a company's business plan. This section conveys the physical requirements for your business's operations, including supply chains, workflow , and quality control processes.

What is the main difference between the operations plan and the financial plan?

The operations plan and financial plan tackle similar issues, in that they seek to explain how the business will turn a profit. The operations plan approaches this issue from a physical perspective, such as property, routes, and locations. The financial plan explains how revenue and expenses will ultimately lead to the business's success.

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How to Write an Operations Plan Section of your Business Plan

Free Operations Plan Template

• June 26, 2024

An operational plan bridges the gap between high ambitions and actual achievements. This essential integral section helps businesses thrive, achieve their goals, and handle challenges with accuracy and purpose.

But is it challenging for you to write one in a manner that shows a clear picture of your business operations? Drafting the operations plan section can be tricky due to the uncertainties of the business environment and the risks associated with it.

Well, worry not you’re at the right place! Here, we will see how to write an engaging operational plan in a business plan with an example. So let’s get going.

What is an operations plan?

An operations plan of a business plan is an in-depth description of your daily business activities centered on achieving the goals and objectives described in the previous sections of the plan. It outlines various departments’ processes, activities, responsibilities, and execution time frame.

The operations section explains in detail the role of a team or department in the collective accomplishment of your goals. In other words, it’s a strategic allocation of physical, financial, and human resources toward reaching milestones within a specific timeframe.

Key questions your operational plan should address

A successful operational plan section of your business plan should be able to answer the following questions:

• Who is responsible for a specific task or department?
• What are the tasks that need to be completed?
• Where will these operations take place?
• When should the tasks be completed? What are the deadlines?
• How will the tasks be performed? Is there a standard procedure?
• How much is it going to cost to complete these tasks?

Let’s see how to write the operations section that answers all the above questions:

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How do you write an operations plan section?

Writing an operations plan within a business plan involves summarizing the day-to-day tasks necessary to run the business efficiently and meet its goals in both the development and manufacturing phases of the business.

Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Development phase

In this stage, you mention what you’ve done to get your business operations up and running. Explain what you aim to change and improvise in the process. These are the elements your development section will contain:

Production workflow

Explain all the steps involved in creating your product. Provide a detailed description of each step, including any inefficiencies and the actions needed to address them. Here, you also mention any inefficiencies that exist and talk about the actions that need to be taken to tackle them.

Write down the risks involved in the production and potential problems you may face later down the line. State the safety measures employees take to avoid any misfortune while working. Explain how you store hazardous material and discard waste.

Mention any industry organizations and associations you’re a part of or plan to join. It’s essential to include this information to convey to the reader that you’re aware of the organizations and associations in your industry.

Supply chains

Here, you mention the vendors you work with to sell your products. Give a quick rundown of the agreements you signed with them. Mention the terms and conditions, prices, and timeframe of the contract. You can also mention if you have any backup suppliers if the existing ones fail to fulfill the requirements.

Quality control

Describe the measures you’re taking to assure and verify the quality of the end product. If you’re working towards getting a product certification, explain the steps you take to meet the set standards.

2. Manufacturing phase

The development stage acquaints the reader with the functioning of your business, while the manufacturing stage describes the day-to-day operation. This includes the following elements:

Outline of daily activities

Create an outline of the day-to-day activities of the production process. This includes the hours of operation, days the business will be open, and whether the business is seasonal or not.

Mention the location of your business , other branches you have, and their locations. If available, include images or drawings of the buildings, lease documents, real estate agreements, and other relevant documents. If you include these in your plan, mention why they’re crucial.

Tools and equipment

Describe the tools and machinery you use. You should also include the cost of the equipment; these will be important to predict financial requirements.

List down all your assets. These include land, buildings, tools, machinery, vehicles, and furniture. Include a legal description and the value of these assets.

Special requirements

If you require any additional facilities like water supply or power requirements, you mention them here. Specify what you need to do or have already done to acquire permissions for these requirements.

Raw materials

Mention your raw material suppliers. If you need any extra materials, you can also include them in your operations plan. Here, you also mention the contracts and agreements with your suppliers.

Productions

Explain the production process and the time required to produce one unit. Include the factors that may disrupt the production flow. Further, mention your strategies to tackle these inefficiencies to avoid delays in manufacturing.

Here, you state the process of storing manufactured products, managing the stock, and the costs of the storage spaces. Stringent management of inventory is essential to maintain product quality and assure customer satisfaction.

Feasibility

To ensure the viability and effectiveness of your product, detail any tests it has undergone. This includes prototype testing to evaluate the design and functionality.

Additionally, highlight product or service testing, such as performance, safety, and user experience assessments. These tests validate your product’s readiness for the market, ensuring it meets customers’ needs and regulatory standards.

Include the pricing strategy for your products or services. You can also include the final prices of your products.

Outline your pricing strategy including which approach you used, for example—cost-plus, value-based, or competitive pricing. Include the final prices of your products or services, providing a breakdown if there are different tiers or packages.

Why do you need an operations plan?

An operations plan is like an instruction manual for your business. It helps investors assess your credibility and understand the structure of your operations.

Internally, an operations plan works as a guide, which helps your employees and managers to know their responsibilities. It also helps them understand how to execute their tasks in the desired manner—all while keeping account of deadlines.

The operations plan helps identify and cut the variances between planned & actual performance and makes necessary changes.

It helps you visualize how your operations affect revenue and gives you an idea of when you need to implement new strategies to maximize profits. Some of the advantages of preparing an operations plan include:

Offers clarity

Operational planning makes sure that everyone in the audience and team is aware of the daily, weekly, and monthly work. It improves concentration and productivity.

Contains a roadmap

Operational planning makes it much easier to reach long-term objectives. When members have a clear business strategy to follow—productivity rises, and accountability is maintained.

Set a benchmark

It sets a clear goal for everyone about what is the destination of the company and how to reach it.

Manages resources

It supports you in allocating resources, such as human resources, equipment, and materials, ensuring that nothing is wasted and everything is used optimally.

Helps in decision making

An operations plan helps make smart decisions by showing how the business runs day-to-day. It provides details on resources, wise investments, and effective risk management, ensuring that decisions improve overall business operations.

Operations plan essentials

Now that you have understood the importance of the operations plan, let’s go through the essentials of an operations plan:

Strategic plan

Your operations plan is fundamentally a medium for implementing your strategic plan . Hence, it’s crucial to have a solid plan to write an effective operations plan.

Having clear goals is one of the most important things for an operations plan. For clear goals, you need to think SMART:

• Specific: Clearly define what employees should achieve
• Measurable: Quantify the goal to track progress
• Attainable: Set ambitious but achievable goals
• Timely: Provide a deadline

Different departments will have their objectives, all supporting the main goal. All these strategic objectives are flexible and should align with the company’s long-term goals.

Key performance indicators

It’s essential to choose the right Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). It’s a good practice to involve all your teams while you decide your KPIs. Some of the important KPIs can be revenue growth, customer acquisition cost (CAC), net profit margin, churn rate, etc.

Creating a timeline with milestones is necessary for any business. It keeps everyone focused and helps track efficiency. If some milestones aren’t met in a certain period, then it’s time to re-evaluate them.

Examples of some milestones are:

• Hiring key team members in six months
• Setting checkpoints for different production phases like design, prototype, development, testing, etc.
• Acquiring the first 50 clients in a year

Now you’re all set to write an operations plan section for your business plan. To give you a headstart, we have created an operations plan example.

Operations Plan Example

We know this guide has been helpful for you in drafting a comprehensive operational plan section for your business plan.

If you’re still unsure or need help getting started, consider using business plan software like Upmetrics . It offers step-by-step guidance, so you won’t have to worry about what comes next.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a strategic plan and an operational plan.

A strategic plan outlines the long-term vision, mission, and goals of an organization, focusing on growth and direction over several years.

In contrast, an operational plan details the short-term tasks, processes, and resource allocation needed to achieve those strategic goals, emphasizing day-to-day efficiency and productivity.

What role does the operations plan play in securing funding for a business?

The operations plan defines the clear goals of your business and what actions will be taken daily to reach them. So, investors need to know where your business stands and it will prove the viability of the goals helping you in getting funded.

What are the factors affecting the operations plan?

Some of the factors that affect the operations plan are:

• The mission of the company
• Goals to be achieved
• Finance and resources your company will need

Can an operations plan be created for both start-up and established businesses?

Yes, both a startup and a small business need an operations plan to get a better idea of the roadmap they want for their business.

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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Blog Business 10+ Operational Planning Examples to Fulfill your Strategic Goals

10+ Operational Planning Examples to Fulfill your Strategic Goals

Written by: Danesh Ramuthi Oct 25, 2023

An operational plan is a comprehensive, action-driven document that maps out how daily activities within an organization fuel the journey towards achieving strategic objectives.

Essentially acting as the nexus between high-level strategy and practical execution, this plan ensures that every department, from human resources to specific departments, operates in synchrony, aligning their day-to-day activities with the broader strategic goals.

By streamlining processes, it fosters cohesive efforts amongst diverse cross-functional teams, ensuring that both individual team members and entire departments work together harmoniously towards the company goals.

Ready to sculpt your organization’s future? Start your journey with venngage business plan maker and leverage their expertly crafted operational plan templates . 

Click to jump ahead: 

Why is an operational plan important?

10 operational plan examples, what should an operational plan include, how to write an operational plan.

• Strategic plan vs operational plan: What is the difference? 

In summary 

An operational plan is crucial because it serves as a bridge between a company’s high-level strategic planning and its day-to-day activities, ensuring that the business operations align with the strategic goals. 

While a strategic plan provides a long-term vision, outlining the company’s objectives and goals to gain competitive advantages in the business environment, the operational plan outlines the specific actions, key elements and resource allocation required to achieve those objectives. 

For example, while the strategic plan might set a goal for revenue growth over the fiscal year, the operational plan provides a detailed roadmap, breaking down major projects, assigning responsibilities to individual team members or specific departments and setting key performance indicators to monitor progress and ensure the entire organization works together effectively.

Operational planning, in essence, transforms the strategic objectives into actionable plans, ensuring that the entire team, from department heads to diverse cross-functional teams, is aligned and works in tandem to support revenue growth, increase productivity, and achieve the desired outcomes. 

Operational plans, through a well-structured operational planning process, also provide a clear understanding of the day-to-day activities, allowing team members to know their roles, leading to better collaboration and synergy. 

Moreover, by having clear operational plan examples or templates, businesses can ensure realistic expectations, manage their operating budget effectively and track progress through key performance metrics, thus ensuring that the company stays on course to realize its long-term vision.

Operational plans play a pivotal role in the business landscape, bridging the gap between strategic vision and tangible actions. They translate the overarching goals of an organization into detailed procedures, ensuring that daily operations are in line with the desired strategic outcomes. 

In the section below, I will explore a few operational plan examples, shedding light on their structure and importance.

Business operational plan example

A business operational plan is a comprehensive document that elucidates the specific day-to-day activities of a company. It presents a detailed overview of the company’s organizational structure, management team, products or services and the underlying marketing and sales strategies. 

For businesses, irrespective of their size, an operational plan can prove invaluable. By laying down the business goals and objectives, it acts as a blueprint, guiding entrepreneurs through the creation and implementation of strategies and action plans. The planning process also incorporates mechanisms to track progress and performance. 

Additionally, for startups or companies looking to scale, a meticulously crafted operational plan can be pivotal in securing funds from potential investors and lenders.

Layered on this are details about the company’s organizational structure, its products or services and its marketing and sales strategies. 

The document also delineates the roles and responsibilities of each team member, especially the management and key personnel. Given the dynamic nature of the business environment, it is imperative to revisit and update the operational plan regularly.

Related: 15+ Business Plan Templates for Strategic Planning

Simple operational plan example

A simple operational plan, often used by startups or smaller enterprises, emphasizes the basics, ensuring that the fundamental aspects of the business operations are captured succinctly. While it might not delve into the intricacies of every operation, it provides an overview of day-to-day activities, highlighting the goals and objectives the business aims to achieve in the short term.

In essence, this plan revolves around core elements like the company’s main objectives for the fiscal year, key responsibilities assigned to individual team members and basic resource allocation. A straightforward market analysis might also be included, offering insights into customer needs and competitive advantages the business hopes to leverage.

Though simple, this operational plan example remains pivotal for the organization. It provides a roadmap, guiding team members through their daily responsibilities while ensuring that everyone is working together towards shared goals. It becomes especially essential for diverse cross-functional teams, where clarity of roles can lead to increased productivity.

Modern operational plan example

In today’s fast-paced business environment, the emphasis on efficiency and innovative processes is paramount. The modern operational plan example caters precisely to this demand. Ideal for organizations aiming to streamline processes and highlight workflow, this type of operational plan emphasizes a more dynamic approach to planning. 

It not only reflects the evolving nature of business operations but also provides a modern backdrop for content, ensuring that the presentation resonates with the current trends and technological advancements. The use of modern tools and platforms within this plan enables diverse cross-functional teams to work together seamlessly, ensuring that day-to-day activities are synchronized with the company’s long-term vision.

Furthermore, such an operational plan helps the entire organization stay agile, adapting rapidly to changes in the business environment and ensuring alignment with strategic goals.

Minimalist operational plan example

The minimalist operational plan example champions simplicity and clarity. By focusing on clear and concise business strategies, it eliminates any potential ambiguity, ensuring that team members and stakeholders have an unclouded understanding of the company’s objectives and goals. 

The minimalist design not only promotes easy comprehension but also aligns with the modern trend of decluttering, ensuring that only the most vital components of the operational planning process are highlighted. 

This approach leaves no room for confusion, streamlining the planning process and making sure that individual team members and departments are aligned with the business’s key objectives. 

Moreover, the flexibility offered by a minimalist design allows businesses to craft an operational plan template that is not only functional but also accurately reflects their brand image and core values, ensuring cohesion across all aspects of the business strategy.

Clean operational plan example

The clean operational plan example stands as a testament to this principle. Ideal for businesses that prioritize clarity and directness, this format seeks to convey goals and strategies without overwhelming stakeholders. 

While maintaining a neat and organized layout, it ensures that tasks are managed effectively, helping team members grasp their roles and responsibilities without getting lost in excessive details.

One of the primary advantages of a clean operational plan is its ability to eliminate distractions and focus solely on the critical aspects of operational planning. 

Such a design aids in making sure that diverse cross-functional teams can work together harmoniously ensuring that day-to-day activities align seamlessly with the company’s long-term vision. 

The simplicity of the clean operational plan not only supports revenue growth by ensuring efficiency but also reinforces the company’s strategic goals, making it an excellent tool in the arsenal of businesses that believe in clear communication and precise execution.  

An effective operational plan acts as a roadmap, directing how resources should be allocated and tasks should be performed to meet the company’s objectives. Here’s what a comprehensive operational plan should encompass:

• Goals and objectives : Whether short-term or long-term, the operational plan should define clear goals and objectives that align with the company’s strategic plan. This gives direction to the entire organization, ensuring everyone is working towards a common aim.
• Clear responsibilities for team members : It’s essential that team members understand their roles within the operational plan. By outlining who is responsible for what, the plan ensures that there are no overlaps or gaps in duties and that everyone has clarity on their day-to-day activities.
• Assigned tasks: Alongside responsibilities, specific tasks need to be allocated to individual team members or specific departments. This granularity in assignment ensures that every aspect of the operational plan is covered.
• Timeline: This provides a clear schedule for when each task or objective should start and finish. A well-defined timeline assists in monitoring progress and ensures that the plan stays on track.
• Budget and resources : Every operational plan needs to factor in the budget and resources available. This includes everything from the operating budget to human resources, ensuring that the business has everything it needs to execute the plan effectively.

Read Also: 6 Steps to Create a Strategic HR Plan [With Templates]

As businesses evolve, it’s essential to have a comprehensive and adaptive operational plan in place to navigate the complexities of the business environment. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you craft an effective operational plan:

Step 1: Define your goals and objectives

Begin with a clear understanding of your strategic goals and objectives. This will act as a foundation for your operational plan. Ensure that these goals are in alignment with your company’s strategic plan and provide both short-term and long-term visions for the business.

Step 2: Determine roles and responsibilities

Identify the key stakeholders, department heads and team members who will play pivotal roles in executing the plan. Assign responsibilities to ensure that everyone knows their part in the planning process and day-to-day activities.

Step 3: Develop a timeline and milestones

Establish a clear timeline that breaks down the operational planning process. Include key milestones to track progress and ensure the plan remains on target.

Step 4: Allocate budget and resources

Determine the resources required to achieve your goals and objectives. This includes estimating the operating budget, identifying human resources needs and other resource allocations, ensuring you have everything in place to support revenue growth and other business needs.

Step 5: Outline day-to-day operations

Detail the day activities that are integral to the business operations. This will provide clarity on how different tasks and functions work together, ensuring efficiency across diverse cross-functional teams.

Step 6: Monitor and measure performance

Integrate key performance metrics and indicators to regularly monitor progress. Using both leading and lagging indicators will provide a comprehensive view of how well the operational plan is being executed and where improvements can be made.

Step 7: Review and adjust regularly

The business environment is dynamic and as such, your operational plan should be adaptable. Regularly review the plan, comparing actual outcomes with desired outcomes and adjust as necessary to account for changes in the business environment or company goals.

Step 8: Document and communicate

Create an operational plan document, potentially using operational plan examples or an operational plan template for guidance. Ensure that the entire team, from individual team members to the entire organization, is informed and aligned with the plan.

Related: 7 Best Business Plan Software for 2023

Strategic plan vs operational plan: What is the difference?

When running an organization, both strategic and operational planning play pivotal roles in ensuring success. However, each has a distinct purpose, time horizon and scope. Here’s a breakdown of the differences between these two essential business plans:

• Strategic plan : This plan sets the course for the organization’s future. It embodies the long-term vision and mission, detailing the objectives necessary to achieve it. The essence is how everyone, from C-suite executives to individual team members, collaborates towards realizing this vision.
• Operational plan : This is the roadmap for the day-to-day activities of the organization. While the strategic plan looks at the bigger picture, the operational plan hones in on the tactics and execution. It is crafted to support organizational goals with a focus on short-term activities specific to departments or functions.

Time horizon :

• Strategic plan : Long-term in nature, usually spanning three to five years.
• Operational plan : Concentrates on the short-term, with plans laid out yearly, quarterly, or even monthly.

Modification and updates :

• Strategic plan : This evolves over longer intervals, typically three to five years. There might be minor adjustments year over year based on changing business needs and the external business environment.
• Operational plan : Due to its short-term focus, it requires frequent assessments. Plans might be adjusted yearly, quarterly or even monthly to ensure alignment with the strategic objectives and current business environment.

Created by :

• Strategic plan : Crafted by the upper echelons of management – think CEO, CFO and other C-suite members.
• Operational plan : These plans come to life through mid-level management and department heads, ensuring alignment with the broader strategic vision while catering to specific departmental needs.
• Strategic plan : Broad in its outlook, it takes into account external factors like market trends, competition, customer needs and technological innovations.
• Operational plan : This narrows down the focus to the internal workings of the organization. It revolves around technology in use, key performance indicators, budgeting, projects, tasks and the allocation of responsibilities among team members.

As we’ve traversed through the importance of operational planning to various operational plan examples, it becomes evident that having a detailed and efficient operational plan is pivotal. 

From the business-centric to the minimalist approach, every operational plan serves as the backbone, guiding team members and ensuring that day-to-day activities align with the long-term vision and strategic goals.

By knowing what should be included in these plans and how to craft them, businesses can navigate the complexities of their operational environment with greater confidence.

For those looking to refine their planning process or start from scratch, the world of digital tools has made it significantly easier. Venngage offers business plan maker and operational plan templates designed to simplify the process. 

Whether you need to create an operational plan or draft a business strategy, their intuitive platform can guide you every step of the way.

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June 27, 2024

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Every business starts with an idea, but it takes disciplined execution to bring it to life. That’s why operational plans are indispensable—they require you to think about the steps and resources you need to make your vision come true. By writing down these processes, you create a roadmap for your organization and empower your teams to work together towards the same goal. 

There are lots of components that make up an operational plan—from your business objectives and market analysis to your operational strategy and budget. You need to add clear details, tasks, and assignments for your plan to be useful.

The good news is you don’t need to start from scratch. Use an operational plan template to outline and manage the day-to-day activities and processes of your business, ensuring that you have the capacity to complete tasks efficiently and on time. With the right tools in hand, like Word or ClickUp templates, businesses of any size can create effective operational plans tailored to their individual needs. 

In this article, we’ll explore 10 customizable and simple operational plan templates.

What is an Operational Plan Template?

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An operational plan template is a document designed to help you turn your business strategy into action. It includes pre-designed pages, lists, and tables that you can fill in with details like:

• The day-to-day operations that need to be implemented to reach your business objectives
• What you need in terms of space, human resources, and equipment
• Roles, responsibilities, and scope of work
• Operational budget and financial limitations
• Project timelines
• Metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) for success

Depending on the size and scope of your organization, operational plans can vary in complexity and length. That’s why you need to find a template that gives you flexibility in making it your own—and we’re here to help you do just that.

A good operational plan template is customizable to fit your specific needs. It offers you several ways to view, sort, and organize your data, and makes it easy for you to track responsibilities and progress. It provides visual cues and clear and concise instructions on how to fill out each section and page. 

The best operational plan templates offer an intuitive, user-friendly experience so that anyone using them for the first time can easily navigate them. Think of how people in your organization will use the plan: Will they want to see your progress at a glance? Do they need to see workload distribution among your team? Choose a template with features that support those needs. 

You also want your operational plan template to be able to scale with your organization as you grow. Choose a template that lets you adjust and update your plans without needing to start from scratch every time.

10 Business Operational Plan Templates

Whether you’re looking for an annual operational plan template or a simple project tracker , there are plenty of options available. Here we’ve rounded up 10 of the best templates in Word and ClickUp that you can use to create effective operational plans.

This Operational Plan Template by ClickUp helps you strategically plan your business by outlining processes , clearly defining individual responsibilities, and tracking your progress toward your goals. It’s designed to help you monitor all the moving parts of setting up a business.

With this ClickUp operation plan template, you get a range of view options. Use the List view for maximum flexibility in grouping and sorting tasks, and arranging tasks by priority.

Switch to Board View to examine Plan Phases: planning, implementation, monitoring, and management. Use other views like Gantt, Timeline, and Workload to visualize dependencies, keep track of schedules, and spread out work across your team. 

Do more with this template using custom fields. These fields let you assign responsibilities to a team, add information and resources to a task, and update a project’s progress.

The ClickUp Business Plan Template is an excellent tool to help entrepreneurs move from ideation to launch. Start documenting your business strategy by going through the topics provided in the Topics List View. Add notes, files, and tasks to sections on your company background, market analysis, sales and marketing strategy, operational strategy, and milestones.

Each section has pre-filled tasks with short descriptions to help you flesh out the details of your business plan. For example, under the Company Background section, you have four “tasks” to fill out—The Team, Overview, Mission, and Vision.

Launching a business gets hectic pretty quickly, so use the Board and Timeline views to keep track of tasks and deadlines. And when you’re ready to zoom out and see what you’ve written, head over to the Business Plan Doc view, which presents the outputs of each section and task in one clean, professional document.

The ClickUp Business Requirements Template outlines the necessary steps and resources for an end solution to fulfill your business needs. For example, if you’re looking for an agency to help you build an app, you’d use a Business Requirements Document (BRD) to explain what you need, why you need it, and how the agency can help you. This helps you get buy-in from your company’s decision-makers, determine the project’s scope, and get all parties aligned on timelines, budgets, goals, and expectations.

This useful business requirements template starts with a list of subpages, and each one comes with brief instructions for filling it out. For example, the Project Objectives subpage comes with a note asking you to include the project’s purpose, current processes, challenges, and reasons for the undertaking.

It recommends using the SMART goals format (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound). Other subpages also come with tables that you can easily fill out.

When the unexpected happens, don’t be caught without a plan. The ClickUp Business Continuity Plan Template helps you plan how to manage risks in the event of a disruption to your business operations. This includes mapping out the steps you need to take in the event of a natural disaster, power outage, cyber attack, or other unforeseen (and unfortunate) events.

This template covers the core parts of a business continuity system—priorities, continuity coverage, and guiding principles. Dive into the details of your plan with a Priorities List view, a consolidated List view, and a Board view. Quickly spot tasks across different categories and progress stages with the use of distinct color coding.

With this template’s intuitive and minimalist design, you can focus on the crucial steps and resources to keep your business sailing through a storm (literal or figurative!).

Track your short-term and long-term business goals with this ClickUp Business Development Plan Template for beginners. The template dedicates one subpage each for operations, marketing, finance, and people, as well as an executive summary .

Each subpage gives you a structure to guide you in writing down your plans. For example, the Operations subpage comes with tables for facilities and equipment costs and also shares an example of a process map . The Financial Plan subpage gives you a template for projecting cash flow, forecasting your balance sheet, and running a break-even analysis.

Make this template your own, whether you’re planning for a short-term or long-term business development goal.

Avoid falling prey to fuzzy strategy syndrome by documenting your business roadmap . Use this ClickUp Business Roadmap Template to record your strategy, focus on your North Star, and say “no” to tactics that don’t align with your vision .

The ClickUp Business Roadmap Template helps you create a high-level strategic document that communicates your goal and how you plan to get there. It sets expectations for every team in your business and maps out project initiatives to strategic goals. Your team can collaborate on projects in List, Gantt, and Timeline views, helping to streamline communication and collaboration. 

When you’re ready to dive into the details of your roadmap, use this template’s custom fields to add long text descriptions and upload files. And whenever you complete a subtask, checklist, or comment, the template automatically updates a progress bar, showing you how close you’re getting to reaching your goal.

Complying with legal and industry rules and standards involves keeping track of a lot of documents and tasks. This ClickUp Compliance Project Plan Template ensures nothing slips through the cracks as you work on your compliance project.

The template is organized into sections for regulatory, HR, and data compliance. Start by using forms for collecting information on various compliance requirements. You can use the form’s preset questions and add or delete items as you need. The answers will show up in the List view, where you can group, sort, explain, and assign each requirement. Track priorities, task statuses, point persons, and due dates in Board view as your compliance project progresses.

To provide more context to each requirement, use custom fields to fill in details like performance metrics and consequences of non-compliance. The template also has dropdown fields with pre-filled options—for example, fields for compliance threat category and degree of compliance.

No project goes off exactly as you imagine—even when you follow your plan to the letter. An employee goes on emergency leave, your website crashes and the WiFi stops working. For times like these, you need a plan B. And you can create it using the ClickUp Contingency Plan Template .

The ClickUp Contingency Plan Template offers three views that let you list down events, prioritize them based on risk level, and track progress across planning stages. When you add a task, the template automatically creates custom fields, such as the event’s risk level, likelihood, and potential impact on your organization. There are also fields for you to describe the preparations you’ve made to mitigate risk internally and provide details about your response plan.

Bonus: Contingency planning templates !

The ClickUp Action Plan Template is a colorful whiteboard template for reviewing an action plan daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly. You can add files from within ClickUp or from your device, or import them from G Suite or Figma. You can also embed YouTube videos and ClickUp tasks, making this template interactive, collaborative, and anything but boring!

This media-rich template gives you the space and flexibility you need for creating action plans that come with lots of contextual information. Zoom out for a bird’s eye view of your progress or zoom in to break down action plans into small steps. You can also use this Action Plan Template to assign tasks, track progress, set deadlines, and add notes. 

Create a professional document with a Microsoft Word Operational Plan Template, such as this business plan template that gives you step-by-step instructions for creating a comprehensive plan. It comes with formatted text and simple layouts so you can focus on the content more than the presentation. 

If you want more creative control, though, this template is completely customizable. Plus, it lets you add animations and transitions, as well as photos, videos, and graphics. Once you’re done, you can share and publish the doc with a few quick clicks.

Streamline Your Annual Operational Planning Process

Boost your chances of reaching your operational goals by creating an effective operational plan. With the right tools and templates, you can easily create a tailored document that helps you track your operational planning process and projects. 

We hope our list of 10 simple operational plan templates has helped you find the perfect template for your needs!

Try them out by setting up a free ClickUp Workspace !

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How to Write the Operations Plan Section of Your Business Plan

The Operations Plan is a component of your business plan that is like the engine of your car. The operations plan holds the key parts of your business and it shows how those parts work together to keep the business running. If you are starting a business or your business is growing, the operations plan also shows that your business is more than just a good concept. It shows why the business is running smoothly and how key milestones ahead will be met as the business grows. The operations plan is the powerhouse engine in your business plan . Let’s start that engine together.

What is the Operations Plan in a Business Plan?

The key to putting your operations plan together is choosing which processes show how your business works and what the expected outcomes will be as a result. Include the processes that you believe are most important even if they are basic or simple. And, if you think your business is too new to create an operations plan, think again. Every business has processes, no matter how large or small they may be. Your operations plan may be considered by potential investors or lenders; make it the best it can be.

Components of a Comprehensive Operations Plan

The best operations plan includes a list of key processes with short explanations that detail each process. Some explanations will also include a brief sentence explaining how the key process will help the business meet the expected key milestones. For example, “Our Marketing team will post on social media each time our product sales reach one of our sales goals. This will drive new customers to our product offering.”

Main components of an operations plan:

Product Development

Describe how the product is being developed and if it is currently offered or is on target for launch. Include the production process for testing, improvements or revisions.

Key milestone : Note the forecast for new product development to expand the product line.

Manufacturing

Describe the process of manufacturing, from the first step to the delivery of products. This may include several bullet points. Add facilities maintenance in this section. Also, include the management processes of the staff.

Key milestone : Include a brief forecast with plans to increase manufacturing capabilities.

Administration/Human Resources

Include a description of day-to-day activities that are overseen by staff members, including facilities management, safety, reports and compliance, hiring staff and training.

Key milestone : Add a sentence regarding staff training for leadership as the business grows.

List the process of purchasing parts, services, products, and raw materials. Include a sentence about financial oversight of expenditures to control costs.

Key milestone : Indicate how the staff is preparing for purchasing increases to meet higher manufacturing demands.

Customer Service

List the processes that comprise customer service, including any customer relationship management software (CRM) or other processes that interact with customers. Provide details on processes for customer retention.

Key milestone : Add a sentence describing staff training to build customer relationships.

Describe how your business conducts sales, whether through online channels, via wholesale or retail sales, or by other means. Explain why the process works for your business and how it is positioned to be successful because of the sales process.

Key milestone : Indicate how planned sales strategies will expand to meet key milestones.

Note the process of current marketing campaigns and the response of the target audience. Note how responses are scored on social media.

Key milestone : Include operational plans for building brand awareness, key selling points, and entry positions.

At this stage of business, the finance process should be clearly outlined, with current and any expected funding included. Also, include a sentence about how the business has structured a repayment plan for any loans and is making on-time payments.

Key milestone : Describe any anticipated funding options that have already been put into place.

Accounting/Payroll:

Describe in a few sentences how timely accounting is completed on a regular basis. Add a sentence about the payroll system and the software that runs it.

Key milestone : Add a note about increasing software programs in accounting to increase performance during growth.

Include a sentence about the process of oversight for the business. Add the process of documentation, filings, and oversight of any copyrights, patents, or trademarks. Include any licensing payments that add revenue to the business.

Key milestone : Include a description of the legal process already in place to accommodate expansion and long-term growth.

How to Write the Operations Plan For Your Business

Now that you’ve read about the main components in a business operations plan, it’s time to connect them in writing your own operations plan. To do this, you can follow the easy steps ahead as you construct each process.

Remember, you may not need all of the processes listed here. You will want to choose those that make sense for your business and, if needed, add some others. When completed, your operations plan will flow smoothly from start to finish.

• Consider your Business Goals . Write out each goal. Read them as you decide which processes to include in your operations plan and think about how soon you will want to meet the company goals.
• Create a Process List . Look at the list of components and decide how to make them into a list for your own business. Don’t write out full descriptions yet. We’re building the list first. How do processes start in your business?
• Finance (get funding)
• Product Development (buy a truck, provide services, equipment, tools)
• Manufacturing (maintain the garage and tow truck)
• Sales (make sales calls)
• Customer Service (answering texts, and emails)
• Marketing (getting referrals from friends)
• Accounting/Payroll (paying yourself and the bookkeeper)
• Legal (risk management assistance)
• Start filling in the Process Descriptions . Use the examples above to describe the processes of your business. A few sentences that explain each process are all you need in the operations plan.
• For example, key milestones for your tow truck business might be:
• Tow at least five vehicles daily during each week (sales/marketing)
• Buy a second tow truck within 6 months (finance)
• Add a second tow truck driver within 6 months (human resources)
• Buy a commercial truck within 12 months (finance/product development)
• Finish your Operations Plan . Re-read each Process Description and complete the Key Milestones for each operations section.

Sample Operations Plan for Badger Drains & Plumbing

Badger Drains & Plumbing, based in Milwaukee, WI, is dedicated to providing top-notch residential and commercial plumbing services. Our operations plan outlines the key processes that make our business run smoothly and how we plan to meet our key milestones as we grow.

Our services, instead of physical products, are continuously refined based on customer feedback and technological advancements in plumbing. This includes adopting newer, more efficient ways to conduct pipe repairs, installations, and maintenance services.

Key milestone : To introduce environmentally friendly and cost-effective plumbing solutions within the next year.

Our staff handle day-to-day operational tasks, prioritizing safety, efficiency, and regulatory compliance. This includes everything from scheduling service calls to conducting routine safety checks and equipment maintenance.

Key milestone : Implement a leadership development program for senior technicians to prepare them for managerial roles as the company expands.

We procure high-quality plumbing materials, tools, and technologies from reputable suppliers, ensuring we have the necessary inventory to meet customer demand without excessive expenditure.

Key milestone : Strengthen relationships with key suppliers to negotiate better prices and ensure priority fulfillment as service demand increases.

Customer service is a pillar of our operations, involving not just resolving issues but proactively enhancing customer satisfaction through follow-ups and feedback collection using CRM software.

Key milestone : Introduce a loyalty program by the end of the next quarter to increase customer retention rates.

Sales efforts are directed through personal client interactions and digital marketing to generate leads, with a strong focus on the benefits of choosing Badger Drains & Plumbing for reliability and professionalism.

Key milestone : Achieve a 20% increase in annual contracts by targeting commercial entities in the Milwaukee area.

Our marketing is focused on local SEO, targeted ads, and social media engagement to connect with the Milwaukee community, emphasizing our quick response times and quality service.

Key milestone : Launch a community-oriented campaign to increase brand visibility and customer engagement by participating in local events and sponsorships.

Our current financing includes business revenue and a small business loan, with a diligent approach to budgeting and a clear plan for loan repayment and future investments.

Key milestone : Secure a line of credit to fund an expansion of services within the next two years.

Accounting/Payroll

We use modern software solutions to ensure accurate and timely financial and payroll management, allowing us to focus more on serving our customers and less on back-office tasks.

Key milestone : Transition to a more comprehensive software suite that integrates CRM and finance for better overall management efficiency.

Our legal framework encompasses regular reviews of compliance, documentations, and the management of any intellectual property, ensuring all operations are above board.

Key milestone : Establish a retainer partnership with a legal firm specializing in small businesses to prepare for interstate licensing and expansion.

By following this operations plan, Badger Drains & Plumbing aims to enhance its service offerings, optimize operational efficiency, increase productivity, and achieve sustainable growth, maintaining its commitment to being Milwaukee’s trusted plumbing service provider.

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What is an Operational Plan? A Complete Playbook (+ Examples, Tips & More)

Without a plan, your business operations are as good as a children’s playground—everyone’s doing their own thing with no care in the world. 

An operational plan brings order to your organization. It defines the functional aspects of your long-term strategy, like goals, milestones, responsibilities and timelines, to build collaboration and make real progress toward your vision. 

Teams often overlook the importance of operational plan management, leading to miscommunication, unnecessary roadblocks and slow growth. 

If you don't want to end up in a chaotic playground with everything going south, read this start-to-finish guide on operational planning. We'll share a 6-step process of making your own operational plan with a few examples to inspire you.

TL;DR: What is an operational plan?

• An operational plan clarifies the details of your strategy, assigns responsibilities, and sets milestones and timelines.
• Use an operational plan to create a roadmap, assign roles, track progress, establish criteria for success, and minimize errors.
• To develop an operational plan, create a fail-proof strategic plan, establish clear goals and budgets, define the project scope, create the operational plan, get stakeholders' buy-in, and publish the plan using the right tool.

What is an operational plan?

An operational plan is a roadmap designed to implement your business strategies. It operationalizes your strategic plan by defining:

• Vision and objectives behind a strategy.
• Budget and resources required for execution.
• Weekly, monthly and quarterly milestones. 
• Relevant metrics to track progress consistently. 

‎An operational plan clarifies all the finer details about your strategy—like what, who, when and how—to help you realize the bigger vision. It’s a work plan for transferring the available inputs into the desired outputs. 

Operational planning vs. strategic planning

While operational and strategic planning might sound the same, they have significantly different meanings. Let's take a quick look at these differences to understand what an operational plan stacks up against a strategic plan.

5 reasons why you need an operational plan

Only setting goals without a solid operational plan to implement them is like making new year’s resolutions that never come true. 

Without a clear direction of what to do and how, you’d end up wasting your resources with little to no progress to show for it. An operational plan helps move the needle for your company by clarifying the steps to success and bringing more accountability. 

Still wondering how an operational plan can keep you on track? These five benefits will clue you in:

1. Creating an airtight roadmap

If a strategic plan defines the destination, an operational plan chalks out the itinerary to reach that destination. This actionable roadmap covers all bases to streamline collaboration within the team and set up the right systems to hit your milestones. 

2. Attributing roles to all stakeholders

Making an operational plan allows you to assign responsibilities to all internal and external stakeholders. It clarifies who’s responsible for what and sets expectations from the start. This is key for bringing everyone on the same page and avoiding roadblocks once the work is underway. 

3. Tracking progress & making strategic changes

Timelines and milestones are two of the most crucial components of an operational plan in business. They empower teams to analyze their performance and review progress objectively. You can use these insights to tweak your game plan for greater success and to improve operational efficiency .

4. Establishing criteria & metrics for success 

An operational plan outlines the parameters for success and metrics to monitor the same. These metrics give you a clear picture of your progress at every stage to ensure you’re moving as per the plan. They also highlight any potential red flags that can potentially derail the plan and need your attention. 

5. Minimizing discrepancies & errors

One of the most important benefits of making an operational plan is the clarity it brings to everyone. Instead of leaving your team clueless about the next steps, this work plan clarifies how and where they can start. It also reduces errors by laying down the ground rules for every task and process.

📌 ‎ Related resource: Operations Teams: How to Assemble and Lead a High-Performing Team

How to develop an operational plan strategy

There’s no standard rulebook for creating an operational plan. It’s a fully customizable document that depends entirely on your company’s goals, resources, timelines and overall approach. 

For example, a fast-paced team can work with shorter timelines and hit more goals than a large-scale organization with more levels of checks and a bigger hierarchy.  

So, instead of replicating other companies’ operational plans, let’s help you create your own plan with this 6-step process:

• Draw out a fail-proof strategic plan.
• Establish clear goals and budgets.
• Dig deeper into the project scope.
• Create your operational plan.
• Get all stakeholders’ buy-in for the plan.
• Publish the plan using the right tool.

1. Draw out a fail-proof strategic plan

A strategic plan is to an operational plan what a storyline is to a movie—it conveys the essence and creates a direction for the operational plan to become a masterpiece. 

So, naturally, the first step to operational planning is creating a strategic plan; here’s how:

• Define what success looks like for the entire organization. 
• Evaluate organizational readiness to implement this strategy. 
• Take inputs from people in the senior leadership. 
• Assign responsibilities to different stakeholders. 
• Prioritize goals against timelines. 

Once done, you can rely on this strategic plan throughout the operational planning process to prepare for what lies ahead. 

💡 ‎Use these 14 free customizable project plan templates to enhance communication, save time and achieve your strategic planning goals.

2. Establish clear goals & budgets

The next step is breaking your high-level goals into shorter, more actionable objectives. For example, you can divide the goal of achieving an X% growth in revenue into smaller targets, like increasing inbound leads, doubling down on cold outreach and rolling out a referral program. Implementing effective referral tracking within the program will allow you to monitor and optimize the success of your referral initiatives, providing valuable insights into the sources and impact of referred business.

Goal-setting makes your operational plan realistic and feasible. You're ideating the means to realize the long-term vision by hitting the right milestones. 

More importantly, once you have a list of goals, it's easier to determine the budget and resources required to achieve them. Before moving ahead, do your homework to set a solid budget that allows you to implement your strategy without splurging too much. 

3. Dig deeper into the project scope

Once you’re clear about your goals and resources, it’s time to define the finer details of your plan—specifying who’ll do what, when and how. 

Create a comprehensive project scope by outlining:

• Department-wise goals and tasks according to the goals.
• Different stakeholders involved within and outside your company. 
• Responsibilities for each stakeholder with primary KPIs for their role.
• SOPs  and  workflows  to perform a task or complete a process. 

This step brings more specificity to your operational plan. It concretely spells out each goal with details about milestones within each goal, roles and teams responsible for fulfilling these milestones and how they will work toward the end goals. 

💡 ‎ Scribe top tip: Creating a project scope document is a breeze when you use Scribe. You can use Scribe's project scope template to get cracking at the earliest. 

4. Create your operational plan

By this point, you've done all the legwork to get to work and start writing your operational plan finally.

Make it as actionable and value-packed as possible by answering these five main questions:

• Who: People involved in different tasks. Include a list of teams and specific roles involved in the business operations and clarify what’s expected of them. 
• What: Plan of action and targets to pursue. Create a milestone-based roadmap of the high-level goals to achieve and the smaller goals involved in the process. 
• Where: Platform(s) where daily operations will happen. Add all the tools and frameworks you'll use to run business operations through this plan seamlessly. 
• When: Deadlines for different tasks and activities. Map out the timelines for each job to ensure your team is on track for timely completion. 
• ‍ How much: Costs involved in hitting the designated goals. Mention your final budget and resource allocation for different tasks.

Use Scribe's free AI Writer for Operations tool to capture and document operational procedures.

‎Additionally, a good operational plan also lists the metrics to track your progress. Pick and explain relevant metrics in your plan to show employees how you'll analyze their efforts.  ‍

5. Get all stakeholders’ buy-in for the plan

No plan is perfect and there's always scope for improving your operational plan to make it perfect. So, once you've drafted the plan, don't forget to run it by a few select stakeholders to identify the gaps you can cover. 

Actively seek feedback from people in different ranks and departments to understand the missing links in your plan. Your plan will go through 2-3 rounds of iterations before it’s finally ready to roll out. 

6. Publish the plan using the right tool

The final step in the process is publishing the plan. The most important thing to remember is that your plan should be:

• Reader-friendly.
• Easily accessible.
• Quickly shareable. 

Clueless about the best way to hit all three points to roll out your operational plan? We have just the solution you need — Scribe . 

‎Scribe is a documentation tool designed to create intuitive documents, like an operational plan, in a few seconds. It significantly reduces the time spent on creating such documents and improves team efficiency in more ways than one.

‎You can create a single Scribe to explain a process or compile instructions with SOPs in a single place with Pages. You can even ask the AI to write your operational plan — just add a simple prompt and your Scribes, and the AI will build a customized document!

‎It's the easiest way to bring your team on the same page and power up your operations! 

✨ ‎See how operations teams use Scribe to tackle even the most daunting operational challenges.

3 operational plan examples (& why they work)

If you’re looking for some inspiration to get cracking with your planning process, looking at a few operations plan examples can help big time! Let’s look at three great examples, see why they work and how you can replicate the results. 

1. Carter Supply’s risk management plan

This detailed risk management plan by Carter Supply covers several aspects of managing risk at the organization. This 10-page document lists the key components of this plan, like a summary, the approval process and the end-to-end risk management process. 

As an operational plan, it gives the entire team clear insights into the risk management plan, highlights why it’s in place and explains how this plan will be used. 

This plan also covers different aspects of the plan and lays down the process of working on each element. For example, for risk quantification, the plan specifies that the risk manager will work with the risk owner to understand the exposure. 

2. Upscope’s go-to-market plan

Upscope ’s go-to-market (GTM) plan is another excellent example of operational planning. The SaaS company created this plan to execute its strategy for breaking into the co-browsing market. 

Pursuing this goal, the team created an airtight plan with a rundown of its target audience, pain points the product solves and the buyer journey. 

The Upscope marketing and sales teams could use this GTM plan to launch targeted campaigns and reach the right people. They were also well aware of the main value propositions to share with the target buyers, nudging them towards a purchase. 

📌 ‎Related resource: How Product Operations Can Help Your Team Build Better Products 📌 ‎

3. SmartNet’s project quality management plan

The quality management plan by SmartNet is a detailed document explaining the company’s entire operations framework, from the management structure to project reporting, risk assessment, deliverable production and more. 

Instead of a single department, this operational plan documents the complete business operations. Despite being so lengthy, the document is easy to read and understand—exactly how the plan should look like.

It also includes all the critical information to guide new employees about the company's operations from scratch.

Make operational planning your road to success 

When done right, operational planning can be a game-changer for streamlining your operations. It’s an in-depth roadmap to work toward your vision and hit all goals. 

Even though making an operational plan isn’t the most exciting task and it can get extremely time-consuming, the right process and tools can do the trick for you. Follow the six steps we’ve highlighted in this guide and when you’re ready to roll, use Scribe to put the plan in place. 

Scribe takes the pain out of documentation to empower teams for seamless operational planning. Try it today to see how it works!

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Expertly Writing the Operations Plan Section of Your Business Plan

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Operational plans are important for any effective business plan . They provide a roadmap for how the company will operate on a day-to-day basis. The operational strategic plan should outline the company’s goals and objectives, as well as the strategies and actions that will be taken to achieve them.

Business Operations Section of a Business Plan

The operational plan or operations section of a business plan is where you describe how your business will function on a day-to-day basis. This includes everything from the resources you’ll need to run your business, to the people who will be responsible for carrying out various tasks, to the processes and procedures you’ll use to get work done.

Purpose of the Operational Plan Section of a Business Plan

An operational plan is essential for any business because it provides a roadmap for how it will function. It ensures that everyone involved in the business is on the same page and knows what their roles and responsibilities are. Having an operational plan also makes it easier to track and accomplish goals, while driving cost reduction and improving overall results. Finally, your operations plan section helps show readers that you can turn your vision and goals into reality.

Benefits of an Operations Plan Include:

• Identifying the key processes your company must perform to achieve its goals
• Mapping out short-term and long-term milestones so you have specific goals and a roadmap for achieving them
• Understanding the human and other resources required to execute your vision

Writing an Operations Section of a Business Plan

When writing the operations section of a business plan, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind. First, be sure to describe the resources that will be required to run your business. This includes everything from office space and equipment to human resources. Next, detail the processes and procedures that will be used to get work done. Be as specific as possible so that there is no confusion about how things should be done. Finally, identify the people who will be responsible for carrying out various tasks. This includes both employees and contractors.

Tracking Key Performance Indicators with Operational Planning

As a business owner, it’s important to track your progress against your company goals. This is where KPIs come in. KPIs are performance indicators and an important part of creating a strategic plan that can help you track your progress and identify areas of improvement. You should document your KPIs in the operation plan of your business plan

There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing KPIs for your business:

• Make sure that the KPIs you choose are relevant to your company’s goals.
• Choose KPIs that can be easily measured.
• Avoid choosing too many KPIs, as this can be overwhelming. Stick to a few key ones that will give you the most insights into your business’s progress.
• Set realistic targets for each KPI. This will help you track your progress and identify areas of improvement.
• Review your KPIs on a regular basis to ensure that they are still relevant and accurate, while also being in line with strategic plans.

Some Examples of KPIs that You Could Track with an Operational Plan

When creating an operations plan, it’s important to track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure your progress against your company goals. Some examples of KPIs that you could track are:

• Sales growth
• Delivery times
• Customer satisfaction ratings
• Product Quality
• Production Process
• Employee retention
• Operational costs

Creating an operational plan with KPIs will help you track your progress, identify areas of improvement, improve strategic planning and make necessary changes to reach your company’s strategic objective.

Example of an Operations Section of a Business Plan

Here is what an operations plan example might look like:

The XYZ Company will require the following resources to operate:

• 1,000 square feet of office space
• $10,000 for office furniture and equipment
• 3 full-time employees
• 2 part-time employees
• 1 contractor

The XYZ Company will use the following processes and procedures to get work done:

• All new clients will be contacted within 24 hours of the initial inquiry
• Initial consultations will be scheduled within 48 hours of contact
• Proposals will be presented within 10 days of the initial consultation
• Work will begin within 2 weeks of proposal acceptance

The following people will be responsible for carrying out these tasks:

• John Smith, full-time employee, will contact new clients
• Jane Doe, full-time employee, will schedule initial consultations
• John Smith and Jane Doe will conduct initial consultations
• John Smith and Jane Doe will prepare proposals
• John Smith and Jane Doe will manage projects
• Joe Johnson, contractor, will provide support as needed

An operations plan is a critical part of any business planning work. It provides a roadmap for how the business will function on a day-to-day basis. This includes everything from the resources you’ll need to run your business, to the people who will be responsible for carrying out various tasks, to the processes and procedures you’ll use to get work done. Having operational plans in place will ensure that everyone involved in the business is on the same page and knows what their roles and responsibilities are. It will also make it easier to track and accomplish goals.

Key Takeaways

A few key things to remember when writing your operations plan:

• Describe the resources that will be required to run your business
• Detail the processes and procedures that will be used to get work done
• Identify the people who will be responsible for carrying out various tasks

Following these tips will help you create a comprehensive and effective operations plan for your business.

A strategic plan is one of the critical components of any successful company. The operations plan outlines the roadmap for your business, outlining the steps you need to take to achieve your goals. If you’re not sure where to start, we can help. Our team of experts has created a comprehensive business plan template that will guide you through the process of creating an operational plan tailored to your specific business needs. Ready to get started? Download our template today and get access to all the tools and information you need to create a thriving business.

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Top 10 Business Operational Plan Templates with Samples and Examples

Aditya Chakraborty

 Are you aspiring for the best outcomes from your business model? Do you want to set the pace of the organization in the right direction?

The right kind of business operational plan will set teams in motion to achieve desired organizational goals. With the assistance of powerful PPT models, businesses are able to direct the process’s blueprint to the employee and all stakeholders. A clearer picture of the state of operations and targets always helps teams be comfortable with what they are doing. They also know what success looks like. 

Running, and even thriving in you business, could be a greater challenge when the marketplace is tough. If your enterprise can be taken as a ship, a business operation plan can be considered as its lighthouse. It (the business operational plan) reminds teams & stakeholders of the way to go and highlights potholes or obstructions the path ahead. 

A well-designed PPT Presentation is the answer to ensure your venture prospers and has answers to most problems that will come your way. Start your business operational plan today with help of suitable presentations that suit your requirements. SlideTeam offers you PPT templates that assist in shaping business operational plans.  Download  slides that assist businesses to tackle operational challenges with flair and effectiveness. 

Why Do You Need Business Operational Plan? 

Companies often tend to spend time and resources in strategic planning for long-term goals. While it is necessary to make strategic plans, most of these miss out on a key strategic element: a business operating plan. 

“The proper outlining of business operational plan for daily needs leads to best outcomes for the organizations. Research has indicated better allocation of resources in organizations with well-laid operating plans.”

The operator should be able to answer these questions:

• What are the operational strategies in line with the vision of the organization? 
• How to perform and outshine in changing business environment?
• What are the tasks to be completed on regular basis?
• How to prevent risks associated with the implementation of plans? 

Let us look at the list of PPT models to fit business operating models: 

Template 1: Business Operational Plan 

This PPT Template is meant to ensure a pictorial depiction of the company’s sales & marketing goals. Use this presentation deck to highlight the executive summary, company vision, company strategy, changes in the competitive environment, revenue sources, objective for the next 12 months, milestones, financial summary, and others. The deck also contains slides related to acquisition of new customers, customer lifetime Value, and risk mitigation strategies to fit sales requirement.

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Template 2: Business Plan Operational Strategy 

The PPT slide deck is helping businesses overcome fears and tackle challenges. It displays the company mission and objective, KPIs, business problems & solutions, changes in the competitive environment, financial summary, revenue growth, and others. Businesses are able to optimize their performance with information related to gross margin improvement, operating expenses, product roadmap , and more.

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Template 3: Business Operational Planning Process 

  The specific kind of PowerPoint Deck is focusing on the condition of the company, key performance indicators, operating highlights, hiring plans, and more to boost the overall outcome. It will help businesses devise top strategies to support product roadmap, operational challenges, risk & mitigation plans, and others. Put forth all details in the respective slides to make the presentation fruitful and result-oriented.

Template 4: Business Operation Planning 

  If you’re planning to set long-term business goals, then this PowerPoint Deck will be a desirable option. It includes slides related to the executive summary, business solutions, details related to key stakeholders, analysis of competitors, budget, source of revenue, and more. Highlight milestones of the company through visuals, establishing operational highlights.

Template 5: Business Operational Plan PPT Infographics 

  The business operational plan PPT infographic will help companies establish their goals efficiently. It includes details related to mission & objectives, strategic intent, budget, performance indicators, time, responsibility, and progress. We provide thousands of editable icons on each topic and adjust sizes easily. Companies can use their own icons in the PPT Slides and edit the color of the graphics. Highlight details accurately through infographics and boost the overall output of presentations.

Template 6: Business Operational Plan Pie Charts 

  Graphical presentation of data assists in easier understanding of key business indicators. The business operational plan pie charts are creating huge impact on business meetings through the guided presentation. We provide thousands of editable icons for each category to make business presentations successful. Our pie charts are easy to understand, and comparison in the meeting rooms become easier with this.

Template 7: Business Operational Plan Timeline Pictures Infographics 

Plan the best moves for the company with a business operational plan timeline PowerPoint Deck. The infographics used in the PPT will help businesses analyze present costs and plan future timeline. Use the editable infographics and pictures to highlight details related to the strategic intent of the company, performance indicators, budget, progression, risks mitigation, and others.

Template 8: Business Operational Readiness Plan with Multiple Tasks 

  Select Business Operational Readiness Plan with Multiple Tasks PPT to describe aspects of operations minutely. It is the best option for businesses looking for pro-presentation solutions to highlight essential details. The slides can be easily edited, as per the preferred size and color to fit the business presentation requirements.

Template 9: Essential Elements of Business Operational Readiness Plan 

Businesses need to add backdrops in their presentations to describe subjects minutely. The Essential Elements of Business Operational Readiness Plan PPT deck is designed by our experts to make the teams ready for efficient operations. Edit the slides as per choice and improve the output of business meetings. Download the PPT deck today to ensure the completion of business pro presentations timely. 

Template 10: Business Operational Plan for Organizational Governance Infographic Template 

  The governance of organizations needs to be chalked out accurately for optimal output. Our Business Operational Plan for Organizational Governance Infographics Template provides you detailed-reports on specific subjects. The editable slides suit pro-business presentation requirements and incorporate icons that fit business needs. Download it today to present detailed reports on the company’s progression and govern the organization suitably. 

Final Thoughts!

The operational plan templates prove to be the idle option to develop the presentations to be showcased in business conferences. Such plans should be in line with the strategic plans of the company and ensure focus on specific goals. Take the stakeholders & business partners in the loop to focus on the right objective of the business. The templates will work as the top option to solve specific problems in company operations and achieve long-term goals. 

What is an example of an operational plan?

An operational plan focuses on the future of the business and identifies its activities. It helps in better outlining of the purpose of businesses and understand specific activities to achieve desired goals. If you desire to grow your business by 25%, over the next few years, then the creation of an operational plan becomes critical to meeting targets. An example is given below: 

Goal: 25% growth in business by evaluating the revenues. 

Timeline: 2-5 years. 

Tasks: Engaging with customers and advertising brand products to generate leads for business. 

Resources: Specific skills and customer servicing needs. 

Budget: $5,000-$10,000 for each year. 

Output Monitoring: Revenue analysis for the next few years 

How do you write a business operational plan?

Write business plans in templates to ensure a simple understanding of facts that help in getting desirable output at all levels. Plan presentations critically as the checklist for dealing with business problems & solutions. 

A business operational plan includes

• Defining employee roles and contributing to the business outcomes. 
• Detailed instructions on daily operations within organizations. 
• Creation of risk and mitigation plans.  
• Defining short and long-term business operational goals. 
• Detailed reporting on financial summary of businesses. 
• Providing realistic goals to key stakeholders for achievement of goals. 
• Create transparency to earn the trust and loyalty of employees. 

What are the seven things an operational plan should contain?

A business operational plan helps in decide on a strategy that will deliver the best results. If you want to run projects successfully, then prepare operational plans that help to build revenues. The operational strategy of a company is future-oriented and set the plans that fit the requirements. 

Let us look at the seven things to be included in a business operational plan:

• Precise objective 
• Delivery of activities 
• Quality standards 
• Best outcomes 
• Staffing & resourceful needs
• Milestone tracking 
• Keep revising and updating monitoring procedures 

What are the three types of business operational plans?          

The business operational plan is acting as the blueprint for business procedures and helps your reach your milestones with both speed and ease. The three types of business operational plans include

Single-use plans: It is meant for a specific purpose in business operations and handle challenges promptly. The development of single-use plans helps deal with problems for top outcomes. 

Multi-use plans: It includes plans for stages of the business operation and implements these accurately. These work at many level with accuracy and efficacy. 

Ongoing plans: It is the best way to solve repetitive, assembly-line like issues in daily operations. Such plans help in business growth and thus eliminate prevailing troubles. 

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• [Updated 2023] Top 20 Balanced Scorecard Templates in PowerPoint PPT for Business Management
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Operational Planning: How to Make an Operations Plan

The operations of your business can be defined as the sum of all the daily activities that you and your team execute to create products or services and engage with your customers, among other critical business functions. While organizing these moving parts might sound difficult, it can be easily done by writing a business operational plan. But before we learn how to make one, let’s first understand what’s the relationship between strategic and operational planning.

Operational Planning vs. Strategic Planning

Operational planning and strategic planning are complementary to each other. This is because strategic plans define the business strategy and the long-term goals for your organization, while operational plans define the steps required to achieve them.

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Operational Plan Template

Use this free Operational Plan Template for Word to manage your projects better.

What Is a Strategic Plan?

A strategic plan is a business document that describes the business goals of a company as well as the high-level actions that will be taken to achieve them over a time period of 1-3 years.

What Is an Operational Plan?

Operational plans map the daily, weekly or monthly business operations that’ll be executed by the department to complete the goals you’ve previously defined in your strategic plan. Operational plans go deeper into explaining your business operations as they explain roles and responsibilities, timelines and the scope of work.

Operational plans work best when an entire department buys in, assigning due dates for tasks, measuring goals for success, reporting on issues and collaborating effectively. They work even better when there’s a platform like ProjectManager , which facilitates communication across departments to ensure that the machine is running smoothly as each team reaches its benchmark. Get started with ProjectManager for free today.

What Is Operational Planning?

Operational planning is the process of turning strategic plans into action plans, which simply means breaking down high-level strategic goals and activities into smaller, actionable steps. The main goal of operational planning is to coordinate different departments and layers of management to ensure the whole organization works towards the same objective, which is achieving the goals set forth in the strategic plan .

How to Make an Operational Plan

There’s no single approach to follow when making an operation plan for your business. However, there’s one golden rule in operations management : your strategic and operational plans must be aligned. Based on that principle, here are seven steps to make an operational plan.

• Map business processes and workflows: What steps need to be taken at the operations level to accomplish long-term strategic goals?
• Set operational-level goals: Describe what operational-level goals contribute to the achievement of larger strategic goals.
• Determine the operational timeline: Is there any time frame for the achievement of the operational plan?
• Define your resource requirements: Estimate what resources are needed for the execution of the operational plan.
• Estimate the operational budget: Based on your resource requirements, estimate costs and define an operational budget.
• Set a hiring plan: Are there any skills gaps that need to be filled in your organization?
• Set key performance indicators: Define metrics and performance tracking procedures to measure your team’s performance.

Free Operational Plan Template

Leverage everything you’ve learned today with our template. This free operational plan template for Word will help you define your budget, timeline, KPIs and more. It’s the perfect first step in organizing and improving your operations. Download it today.

What Should be Included in an Operational Plan?

Your operational plan should describe your business operations as accurately as possible so that internal teams know how the company works and how they can help achieve the larger strategic objectives. Here’s a list of some of the key elements that you’ll need to consider when writing an operational plan.

Executive Summary

An executive summary is a brief document that summarizes the content of larger documents like business plans, strategic plans or operation plans. Their main purpose is to provide a quick overview for busy stakeholders.

Operational Budget

An operational budget is an estimation of the expected operating costs and revenues for a given time period. As with other types of budget, the operational budget defines the amount of money that’s available to acquire raw materials, equipment or anything else that’s needed for business operations.

It’s important to limit your spending to stay below your operational budget, otherwise, your company could run out of resources to execute its normal activities. You can use our free operating budget template for Excel to track your operating costs.

Operational Objectives

It’s essential to align your operational objectives with your strategic objectives. For example, if one of your strategic objectives is to increase sales by 25 percent over the next three years, one possible operational objective would be to hire new sales employees. You should always grab your strategic plan objectives and turn them into one or multiple action items .

Processes & Workflows

Explain the various business processes, workflows and tasks that need to be executed to achieve your operational objectives. Make sure to explain what resources are needed, such as raw materials, equipment or human resources.

Operational Timeline

It’s important to establish a timeline for your operational plan. In most cases, your operational plan will have the same length as your strategic plan, but in some scenarios, you might create multiple operational plans for specific purposes. Not all operational plans are equal, so the length of your operational timeline will depend on the duration of your projects , workflows and processes.

Hiring Plan

Find any skills gap there might be in your team. You might need to hire a couple of individuals or even create new departments in order to execute your business processes .

Quality Assurance and Control

Most companies implement quality assurance and control procedures for a variety of reasons such as customer safety and regulatory compliance. In addition, quality assurance issues can cost your business millions, so establishing quality management protocols is a key step in operational planning.

Key Performance Indicators

It’s important to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the productivity of your business operations. You can define as many KPIs as needed for all your business processes. For example, you can define KPIs for marketing, sales, product development and other key departments in your company. This can include product launch deadlines, number of manufactured goods, number of customer service cases closed, number of 5-star reviews received, number of customers acquired, revenue increased by a certain percentage and so on.

Risks, Assumptions and Constraints

Note any potential risks, assumptions and time or resource constraints that might affect your business operations.

What Are the Benefits of Operational Planning?

Every plan has a massive effect on all team members involved, and those can be to your company’s benefit or to their detriment. If it’s to their detriment, it’s best to find out as soon as possible so you can modify your operational plan and pivot with ease.

But that’s the whole point of operational planning: you get to see the effect of your operations on the business’s bottom line in real time, or at every benchmark, so you know exactly when to pivot. And with a plan that’s as custom to each department as an operational plan, you know exactly where things go wrong and why.

How ProjectManager Can Help with Operational Planning

Creating and implementing a high-quality operational plan is the best way to ensure that your organization starts out a project on the right foot. ProjectManager has award-winning project management tools to help you craft and execute such a plan.

Gantt charts are essential to create and monitor operational plans effectively. ProjectManager helps you access your Gantt chart online so you can add benchmarks for operational performance reviews. You can also create tasks along with dependencies to make the operation a surefire success.

Whether you’re a team of IT system administrators, marketing experts, or engineers, ProjectManager includes robust planning and reporting tools. Plan in sprints, assign due dates, collaborate with team members and track everything with just the click of a button. Plus, we have numerous ready-made project reports that can be generated instantly, including status reports, variance reports, timesheet reports and more.

Related Operations Management Content

• Operational Strategy: A Quick Guide
• Operations Management: Key Functions, Roles and Skills
• Operational Efficiency: A Quick Guide
• Using Operational Excellence to Be More Productive

Operational planning isn’t done in a silo, and it doesn’t work without the full weight of the team backing it up. Ensure that your department is successful at each benchmark. ProjectManager is an award-winning pm software dedicated to helping businesses smooth out their operational plans for a better year ahead. Sign up for our free 30-day trial today.

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How to Write an Operational Plan for Your Business

In 2010, sean bandawat acquired jacob bromwell, a specialty housewares company that's been in existence since 1819. here, he shares his operational plan, focusing on his strategy to turn the company into a profitable business..

In most cases , entrepreneurs begin tackling the challenge of writing a business plan before the business exists. Doing that, of course, means that your plan will focus much more on the potential of the business and how you, as the entrepreneur, plan to take advantage of those opportunities. But, if you are writing a business plan for a 192-year-old business that you’ve just acquired, like Sean Bandawat did in 2010, with the intent to turn a money-losing operation into a cash cow, you’ll need to focus on an area neglected in many business plans produced by entrepreneurs: the Operating Plan.

The operating plan is the section of your business plan where you dig into more of the nuts and bolts of your business, areas like: production/manufacturing, inventory, and distribution. In other words, this is the time where you put aside the conceptual aspects of your business to get your hands dirty in terms of writing out the specific of how you’re going to make your product, store it, and then ship it out to your customers.

The topic you cover in your operational plan will vary based on the kind of business you run. For instance, if you are starting a retail business, you will want to think about things like inventory and distribution while a software company may be more focused on securing office space and computer equipment. Again, the point is that you need to think about the kinds of details you’ll be facing from the day you open the doors of your business.

Take it from Bandawat, who, as an undergraduate business student at the University of Southern California, crafted a business plan that involved turning around the operations of Jacob Bromwell , a specialty housewares company that has been continuously manufacturing authentic campfire, kitchen, and fireplace products for families since 1819. Bandawat, who comes from a family of successful entrepreneurs, teamed up with his longtime friend, Eric Stanton, to tap money from friends and family to buy Jacob Brownwell. But before they closed the deal in May 2010—just after Bandawat graduated—they wrote a business plan that won top undergraduate honors from the USC Marshall School of Business. 

The challenge for Bandawat and Stanton was that they wanted to continue to leverage the “Made in America” nature of their new company's products, which range from campfire popcorn poppers to chestnut roasters. That meant that, in crafting their operational plan, they needed to come up with specific strategies and actions they planned to take. “Taking over a business with 192 years of history presented very different challenges than creating a business from scratch,” says Bandawat. “So we relied on our advisory team to come up with a direction to take the company in.”

The key decision Bandawat and Stanton made in changing the operations of their business was to close the factory the company had been using in Michigan City, Indiana, and move the specialized equipment to a contract manufacturing facility in Glendale, California.

Bandawat and Stanton agreed to share their operational business plan with us as an example of how you, too, can come up with one for your business. You’ll see how they focused on concepts like operational efficiency, who their suppliers are, and how they planned to sell to new customers. “The key is to put something down and then start executing on it,” says Stanton. “And you’ll need to keep changing and updating it as you go and learn. You won’t know everything from the start.”

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How To Create An Effective Annual Operating Plan (+Template)

Do you even need one? Perhaps your organization excels at executing business strategies, keeping everything on track while you monitor performance in real-time.

That's the hope, isn't it?

But let's be honest. You wouldn't be here reading this article if you were confident in your existing annual operating planning process.

So let’s dive in and explore the step-by-step process to create your annual operating plan. This guide also includes a free planning template that will help you flesh out the plan’s details. 

What Is An Annual Operating Plan? 

An annual operating plan (AOP) is a forward-looking blueprint that translates your business strategy into actionable steps. It’s a detailed roadmap that outlines your organization's strategic objectives, annual budget, detailed action plans, and resource allocation for a specific fiscal year. 

With an AOP (also known as the annual business plan), you get a 10,000-foot view of how to allocate project resources and what risks to manage so you can execute key priorities. The plan serves as a bridge between high-level business goals and day-to-day operations.

💡What is the difference between a business strategy and an annual operating plan (AOP)? Business strategy outlines the choices you need to make for your organization to win. AOP involves budget allocation, timelines, and deliverables, empowering your team to execute your strategy successfully.

Benefits Of An Annual Operating Plan

Organizations can realize the full benefits of an annual operating plan when it's tightly integrated with their strategic plan and financial budget. Here’s how:

Maximized resource efficiency and utilization

An AOP ensures efficient resource allocation to projects and initiatives that align with the business strategy and financial budget. It helps you direct human, financial, and other assets toward achieving strategic objectives , minimizing resource waste by linking daily operations with long-term goals. 

Alignment and focus on key business priorities 

An annual operating plan provides a clear roadmap toward a shared vision and helps everyone in your team understand their roles in meeting business objectives. It promotes collaboration and communication while eliminating silos, fostering a unified, goal-driven work environment.

Controlled strategy execution 

By defining specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and milestones in your AOP, you can easily assess whether the company is on track to achieve its goals. These metrics will help you identify areas that require immediate course correction to stay aligned with the overall strategy.

Confident, data-driven decisions 

A well-rounded AOP provides you with data to help you make the right decisions. These insights empower proactive responses to opportunities and challenges, ensuring that all team actions are focused on outcomes.

How To Create An Annual Operating Plan? 

Here’s a step-by-step guide for you to follow:

Step 1: Do the initial research and analysis

To kick off the planning process, assess the current state of your organization. Review the previous year's performance, considering various data sources, including financial statements and operational reports . 

By doing a thorough business review , you ensure that your annual operating plan for next year is grounded in reality. 

This helps you create a holistic plan that considers your business’s needs, strengths, and weaknesses. It also sets the stage for subsequent operational and financial planning —more on this later in the article.

👉How Cascade helps you:

With Cascade’s extensive library of 1,000+ integrations , you can centralize all your business data in one place. This simplifies data analysis and gives you easy access to past performance for an objective and thorough review. 

Step 2: Consult with key stakeholders to understand the needs 

The effectiveness of your annual operating plan (AOP) hinges on its alignment with your overarching company goals. Without it, you’re just creating a set of plans that, when executed, will have little to no impact on the overall business strategy. 

To ensure organizational alignment , discuss with the CEO and CFO about key business priorities. Also, meet with other key stakeholders like department heads to gather insights on departmental needs and priorities.

Their input will help you set realistic and achievable objectives and also get them fully onboard when the time comes to put the plan in motion.

👉How Cascade helps you:  

Cascade’s Metrics Library helps you tie metrics with your business objectives so you can have total visibility of what’s happening across the organization and achieve data-driven organizational alignment from top to bottom. 

Step 3: Set a budget and allocate resources

First, look at your revenue goals and identify how much will you actually need to sell to hit your targets.

Collaborate with department heads to assess the availability of manpower, equipment, and other resources. Verify whether these are sufficient to meet your set targets.

List out expenses, covering everything from materials and labor to marketing and new equipment. This exercise provides a clear picture of how much of resources you’ll need to allocate across various projects and functions to fulfill the objectives of your annual plan.

👉How Cascade helps you: 

Cascade makes budget tracking possible with custom fields that can capture data and link them to objectives. The budget custom field is a numerical field type where you can set the allocated, forecast, and spent values. As you work on your plan, you can update the relevant values and see a progress bar of the allocation vs. actuals.

📹 Check out this short video and learn how to set your custom field for budget tracking:

Step 4: Prepare a plan 

In this step, you should define your metrics and go beyond mere measurement. Set concrete targets. Then, link these targets to initiatives , projects, and actions that will drive you toward those numbers. 

Whether your organization operates with multiple departmental plans or a single, unified annual operating plan, ensure each department head outlines key projects and action plans aimed at achieving their annual targets.

When setting your KPIs to track progress, don’t forget to focus on both leading and lagging indicators .

Cascade’s free operational plan template gives you a clear and simple plan structure that you can use to easily collaborate with other department heads or team leaders. It’s pre-filled with examples and fully customizable to fit your needs.

📚 Are you an organization with multiple business units, each requiring its own AOP aligned with a central strategic plan? Explore our case study to see how a customer uses Cascade for strategic alignment between AOPs of different business units and the organization’s overarching 3-year strategy.

Step 5: Review and approve

Ensure your AOP is well-rounded and considers the needs of different stakeholders . Have different departments review the plan to promote alignment and collaboration. This step also ensures everyone is on the same page from the start. 

After an internal review, secure approval from decision-makers, such as board members or executives, to gain buy-in at the highest levels. This buy-in makes it easier to implement your annual plan.

Step 6: Execute and monitor 

Everyone involved must start working on their assigned initiatives. Ensure every team member knows that their duties are time-bound and remains accountable for completing them.

To make sure you're staying on course, it's vital to keep an eye on the progress through the KPIs established earlier. Monitoring progress against objectives ensures that you stay on track throughout the year. 

💡 Tip: Set a regular schedule to review your annual operating plan. Depending on your needs, this could be weekly, monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually. 

Cascade can help with monitoring through its user-friendly dashboards and comprehensive reporting capabilities. 

Dashboards use chart widgets and graphs populated with real-time data so you can understand what’s happening in different time frames. 

Cascade’s reports empower decision-making by providing the context of the data presented.

Annual Operating Plan Example With A Free Template

Cascade’s Operational Strategy Template is suitable for organizations of all sizes, and you can use it for free. 

This template comes with pre-filled fields to guide you on where to enter your data so you can quickly set it up within minutes. You can choose your focus areas and write down the objectives. Then you can set the KPIs that will be measured and tracked as you progress with the plan. 

Once set, designate responsible team members and use Cascade's real-time dashboard for monitoring.

It’s a tried and tested template that aligns your employees with the business strategy and provides clear guidelines on how to execute it.

Execute Your Annual Operating Plan With Cascade 🚀

You can’t simply make an AOP without tying it to the larger picture. Executing a plan without clear alignment to the overall business strategy is futile. Yes, your company is busy, but you’re getting nowhere. 

With Cascade , you can centralize your strategy. By doing so, you can easily see how the execution aligns with your business strategy.  

With its dynamic dashboards, real-time reports, and various other features, you can create seamless plans, execute them, and not worry that they’re being completed in silos. Every action your teams take, and every small goal they achieve, is connected to a bigger strategy that helps achieve your organization’s long-term vision. 

Want to give it a try? Sign up today for free or book a 1:1 product tour with one of Cascade’s strategy experts. 

Annual Operating Plan FAQ

What should be included in an annual operating plan .

A well-structured annual operating plan should include:

• A clear set of strategic objectives
• Detailed action plans
• Performance metrics
• Resource allocation
• Risk mitigation plans

What is the difference between annual operating plans and budgets?

Annual operating plans and budgets are both financial planning tools used to manage performance. An AOP is a comprehensive blueprint that includes your overarching goals and the details to execute them, including the financial and human resources needed.

On the other hand, CFOs use budgets to focus mostly on the financial aspect of the organization’s plan and are highly numbers-driven. They provide detailed projections of revenue, expenses, and cash flows but lack the strategic depth of AOPs. Unlike AOPs, they’re also less flexible once approved and are primarily intended for financial and accounting teams. 

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Free Operational Plan Templates

By Andy Marker | July 11, 2022

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We’ve rounded up the most useful collection of free organizational plan templates to record and track the goals and resource needs of your business or organization. 

Included on this page, you’ll find a basic operational plan template , a nonprofit operational plan template , a three-year operational plan template , and a five-year operational plan template .

Basic Operational Plan Template

Download Basic Operational Plan Template Microsoft Excel | Microsoft Word  

Use this basic, customizable operational plan template to create a detailed roadmap for your organization. With this template, the path to reaching your goals will be clear to all stakeholders, and team members will know exactly what tasks need to be completed and when. 

Having efficient and clear processes in place is critical for reaching your organizational goals. Learn more in this guide to operational excellence principles .

Nonprofit Operational Plan Template

Download Nonprofit Operational Plan Template Microsoft Excel | Microsoft Word

Nonprofit organizations often have complex, long-term strategic goals. This operational plan template for nonprofits will help you develop a clear set of tasks and accountability measures to keep everyone apprised of next steps. Use this template to identify your goals, establish a clear plan, set and track your budgets, assign stakeholders, and implement reporting protocols. 

This guide to operations strategies will give you an overview of the steps necessary to develop a comprehensive plan for your organization.

Three-Year Operational Plan Template

Download Three-Year Operational Plan Template — Microsoft Excel  

Your operational plan might include long-term tasks and deliverables. Use this operational plan template to chart your organization’s needs over a three-year period. Enter specific goals, delivery dates, responsibilities, and necessary resources on this customizable template to track progress and ensure that you are on your way to reaching your strategic goals. 

Your business or organization might also benefit from an operational audit, which is a chance to conduct a deep dive into strategic planning and to increase accountability. See this comprehensive guide to operational audits to learn more and gain access to additional resources and templates.

Five-Year Operational Plan Template

Download Five-Year Operational Plan Template — Microsoft Excel  

Long-term planning is a key element of any organization. This five-year operational plan template gives you a detailed look at the steps and resources needed to reach your goals. Track deliverables, responsible parties, and resources in this customizable template. This template also helps team members visualize long-term needs and stay on top of their responsibilities and timelines. 

See this guide to operations management for more information, tips, tricks, and future trends in managing your organizational resources.

What Is an Operational Plan Template?

An operational plan template is a form that captures key details about a work plan. An operational plan includes specific actions and resources needed to reach certain milestones. It is more detailed and specific than a strategic or business plan.

Operational plans help project managers identify resource needs, maintain accountability, implement a reporting process, and maintain a budget.

Operational plan templates templates vary by type but typically include the following:

• Delivery Date: Enter target completion dates for each task in your plan.
• Evidence of Success: Write a short statement explaining how you will know when the goal has been achieved. 
• Executive Summary: Describe the plan in a short paragraph that specifies how it differs from or relates to other plans in your organization.
• Goals: Enter specific goals or milestones of your larger strategy or business plan.
• Responsible Parties: Include the names of the stakeholders who are responsible for each task.
• Resources Needed: Enter all resources necessary to complete each task, including on-hand resources and those you will need to procure.
• Risks: Note any risks you may encounter.
• Title: Enter the plan name or title.

Stay on Top of Operational Goals and Resource Needs 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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Operational Plan Template

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This Operational Plan Sample is structured with important details for your organization. It comes ready to print, but you can simply edit the fields by putting your own organization information.

• Business Plan

This operational plan sample is structured with important details for your organization. It comes ready to print, but since most organizational details and structures are different, you can simply edit the fields by putting your own organization information. Also, using the Jotform PDF editor template, you can quickly add and delete fields, choose your own color options, etc. Finally, you can share your draft with your team members via email.

Strategic Plan Template

Focus on the future and keep your company moving forward with Jotform’s Strategic Plan Template. Simply fill in the attached form with your company overview, delve deeper with a SWOT analysis, and finish off by determining your strategic goals, actions, and financial plans. Our fully-customizable template converts submitted information into polished PDFs, which you can download, print, or share instantly.You don’t need a degree in design to build a professional strategic plan. Change fonts, update colors, and add your company’s logo in an instant — with Jotform’s drag-and-drop PDF Editor, customization is a breeze! Establish goals, set your priorities, and draw up solid action plans as polished PDFs with our Strategic Plan Template. By clearly defining your goals and the steps you’ll take to achieve them, you can keep your company on track and grow your business faster.

Single Page Business Plan

A single page business plan is just as it sounds: a summary of business objectives displayed on a single page. Single page business plans are typically used to pitch ideas before writing longer, more detailed business plans for potential investors and partners. Instead of starting from scratch, use our free Single Page Business Plan PDF Template to outline company goals in a professional, accessible PDF document. Once you’ve filled out a simple form with details regarding your company’s overview, objectives, challenges, and strategies, this Single Page Business Plan Template will automatically convert that information into a professional PDF that can be read at a glance. With your single page business plan saved as a PDF, you can easily download it for your records, email the file to coworkers, or print out copies for company meetings.This Single Page Business Plan Template already has a stunning design, but you can quickly customize it to meet your business needs with our drag-and-drop PDF Editor. Easily add fields for additional information such as milestones, market or competitive analysis, and financial summary. Don’t forget to represent your business by adding your logo and changing the fonts and colors to match your branding. No matter what modifications you make, your custom Single Page Business Plan Template will create an impressive, brief breakdown of business objectives to help steer your company in the right direction.

Marketing Brief Template

A marketing brief can make or break your campaign. But writing a brief for every new campaign eats up time you simply can’t afford to lose. With this free Marketing Brief Template, you can quickly and easily draft marketing briefs without ever having to start from scratch. Simply fill out this simple online form with client information and project details such as objectives, budget, and materials, and the template automatically creates overviews as PDFs — easy to download, print, and share with the rest of the marketing team. Since each marketing campaign is unique, why not make your marketing brief unique as well? Luckily for you, customizing your Marketing Brief Template is a breeze with our drag-and-drop PDF Editor. You’ll be able to change the text or any graphic element in just a few clicks. Feel free to get creative — change the fonts and colors, upload your own background image, or add your company logo for a professional touch. Each time you submit details about your new marketing campaign, your custom Marketing Brief Template will display those plans in easily-accessible PDFs. With PDF marketing briefs in hand, your marketing team can get right to work promoting your products and building your brand.

Glamping Business Plan Template

A Glamping Business Plan Template is a document containing case studies, strategies, and future plans of the company. A great business plan should discuss a problem and how to resolve it by creating specific goals, plans, and objectives.This Glamping Business Plan Template contains a cover page, company overview page, team or staff page, frequently asked questions page, financial analysis section, and a conclusion page. This template also shows the mission, vision, goals, and objectives of the company. This template explains the projected costs, revenue, profits, loss, and expenses of the company monthly, quarterly, and yearly. The data is displayed in a table format so that it is easy to read and to analyze. This template is also using Calculation widget and conditional logic in order to get the total revenue and expenses. You can fully customize this PDF by changing the image cover, logo, pictures of the staff, font format, layout and many more by using the PDF Editor.

SOP Template

A standard operating procedures (SOP) template is a document or memo that specifies the procedures for a specific issue, case, or scenario that all employees in an organization should follow. Establishing SOPs helps an organization become more organized and efficient. This sample SOP template outlines a hospital admissions process for managing and triaging COVID-19 patients. By following the process laid out in this document, employees will be more likely to avoid confusion and conflict with others.This SOP template shows the date the document was created; the effective date, title, and background of the process; the specific keywords, guidelines, and process flow; and the individuals assigned as reviewers or approvers. This PDF template displays a sample logo of a healthcare institution — users can easily customize the template to include their own logo. The template also includes an input table to show the process flow in an easy-to-understand format. The process flow includes a description of each step, the responsible personnel, and notes or remarks.

Lean Business Model Canvas Template

See your business from a new perspective with Jotform’s Lean Business Model Canvas Template. Simply fill in a short form with problems your business could solve, how they are currently being solved in the market, and how your company can uniquely work to solve these problems. Our template instantly converts the information into polished PDFs you can download or print for your next big meeting.Our Lean Business Model Canvas Template already looks professional, but you can personalize it further to match your business. Jotform PDF Editor lets you rearrange form fields or add your company logo at the touch of a button! By instantly converting your business model into an accessible PDF format, our Lean Business Model Canvas Template can help you see the bigger picture and determine how to take your business to the next level.

These templates are suggested forms only. If you're using a form as a contract, or to gather personal (or personal health) info, or for some other purpose with legal implications, we recommend that you do your homework to ensure you are complying with applicable laws and that you consult an attorney before relying on any particular form.

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Plan Templates

37+ operational plan templates – word, pdf, google docs.

An entrepreneur should be able to make an operational plan before starting any type of business. If you are planning to venture into any business field, it would be wise for you to use the business plan templates to prepare a comprehensive plan. With the help of this plan, you can focus on your business potential and benefit from the opportunities it brings along. But if you have just acquired a business that has been in existence for a very long time and you need an operational plan for it, focus on all the neglected areas.

Operational Plan Template

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5 Steps to Create an Operational Plan

Step 1: Write down the Mission Statement

Step 2: list the goals of your department, step 3: specify the operational programs, step 4: insert charts, step 5: provide contact details, conclusion:, general faqs:, 1. what is an operational plan, 2. what are the types of operational plans.

• Standing plans- these plans can be used time and again, more like long-term plans. They lead to the ultimate success of the organization.
• Single-use plans- plans that address a one-time project or event, similar to short term plans. Active for a year or less.

3. Mention the components of an Operational Plan.

• Clear objectives to be reached
• Activities to be delivered
• Quality standards
• Primary targets and performance indicators
• Risk management plan
• Staffing, resources, and budgeting.

4. What is the purpose of creating an Operational Plan?

5. what are the benefits of operational planning.

• It allows the organization to be active in the market.
• Sets a sense of direction
• Increases operational efficiency
• It helps increase market shares and overall profits.

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Define goals with an operational plan template

Employees who understand their roles and how they contribute to overall company success tend to be more invested and feel more valued. That engagement can lead to more productive and satisfied employees.

One way to proactively ensure employees feel fulfilled is by creating a strategy on an operational plan template, a tool that can propel your company’s short and long-term success. Before we share what this template looks like, however, it’s always good to refresh ourselves on its purpose and how it can drive results.

Get the template

What is an operational plan template?

An operational plan template defines company goals and creates detailed outlines for how each employee, team, or department contributes to efforts. A smaller business may use these templates to outline an employee’s daily tasks while larger organizations might create outlines on a department or team level.

Why should you use operational plan templates?

Operational plan templates provide a transparent view of your company’s daily procedures and highlights how each department’s roles contribute to a smooth operation. By using an operational plan template, you can understand how your company ticks and develop a solid structure to ensure all cogs move in the same direction. An operational plan template:

• Helps define employee roles and how they contribute to your organization’s goals
• Provides detailed instructions on daily operating tasks
• Creates an understanding of how different departments’ roles come together to achieve goals
• Potentially leads to higher job satisfaction for increased employee productivity
• Defines short and long-term goals
• Provides guidance on realistic deadlines for specific goals
• Helps you draw conclusions about resource needs and make financial projections
• Allows everyone within your organization to always be on the same page
• Creates transparency within your organization, leading to greater trust and loyalty among employees

You can increase the benefits of operational plan templates by including as much detail as possible when designing or using them. Though you may also want to create custom templates for specific uses, having examples on-hand can help inspire which areas to focus on for your business operation.

What are some examples of operational plan template

Operational plans are important to businesses in a variety of contexts. An entrepreneur might create an operational plan so they have a series of guideposts and a better understanding of the company mission, vision, and values when launching a startup. A well-established business might use an operational plan as an overall  path for the future. The following operational plan templates can help you create a robust business structure:

Single-use operational plan template

You can apply a single-use Operational Plan Template to goals, visions, or transitions outside normal operations. You might create a single-use operational plan when you start your company, expand to an additional location, or undergo rebranding. Other goals that may call for this type of operational plan include:

• Expanding your company’s online presence
• Offering your products or services online
• Hitting a specific sales milestone, such as reaching your thousandth sale
• Closing any skill gaps in your existing workforce
• Increasing efficiency in a specific department

Having a plan for one-time or short-term company goals can help you define, achieve, and measure success. Individual departments may also create single-use operational plans to drive specific efforts. Human resources, for example, may create a hiring plan.

Ongoing operational plan template

An ongoing operational plan template defines long-term organizational goals. It can create transparency into how your company delegates and achieves daily tasks under normal conditions. The beauty of an ongoing operational plan is that you can update it as you achieve goals or gather new research and metrics that support more informed decisions. For example, if you conduct new research that determines that one of your goals cannot be met with the resources you have available, you can update your ongoing operational plan to indicate the challenges and steps to take to get your organization’s goals back on track.  An existing operational plan can easily grow and change with your organization.

Map your road to success with monday.com’s operational plan template

Our customizable template lets you create documents that suit your organization’s unique needs and goals, whether you’re working toward a one-time objective or detailing ongoing daily operations. Pair the template with other work productivity tools on monday.com to make business planning streamlined and effective in real-time. On monday.com you can:

• Automate recurring tasks: monday.com lets you automate routine tasks to make better use of valuable resources, such as notifying managers when you complete a task, saving on time and resources.
• Integrate essential tools into one platform: If your company uses multiple tools for project management, planning, or metrics — such as Slack, Google Calendar, Data Studio and more — accessing them from a single Work OS saves time and prevents confusion.
• Collaborate with your teams: Our Work OS allows you to seamlessly collaborate with your teams or departments in-person or remotely through updates, tagging functions, automations, and other features built for fostering communication
• Monitor performance: Our project monitoring dashboard lets you view all tasks and projects from a single screen, making it easier to see where you stand on goals and deadlines.

Using the above features plus several others, our operational plan template pairs help you better understand your goals and map the road to success in detail. But of course, an operational plan template isn’t the only business planning resource necessary for success. There are several other templates that can be more useful for specific applications.

Related templates to operational plan templates

An operational plan template can help you detail daily tasks and assign them to employees. From there, other operations templates can help you increase productivity and manage specific aspects of your plan. Let’s take a look at a few supplementary templates.

Facilities request template

Your facilities management and operational teams are constantly in motion, working hard to go over questions, complaints, and work requests. Our facilities request template can help ease their workload by streamlining requests. Use the facilities request template to:

• Centralize facilities requests: Compiling all facilities requests in one place makes managing things easier. On monday.com, relevant employees can check on the status of requests, saving time on back-and-forth emailing.
• Track completion time for each request: Our facilities request template has a time tracking column showing how long a request took to complete. This can help you set internal processes and future expectations accordingly.
• Track every ticket from one place: View all your tickets and where they currently stand. You can use this information to help identify bottlenecks so you can apply proactive solutions to workflows and processes.

Finance request template

Our finance request template helps you stay on track by setting deadlines and receiving notifications for due dates. It also helps you gather finance requests in a single location for an at-a-glance financial summary, while color-coding and other visual cues can indicate priority requests.

Business plan template

Business and operational plans work hand-in-hand to support your company’s vision and goals. You can use a business plan template to outline your goals and detail how the company will work toward them. Our business plan template provides a breakdown of every applicable section for easier plan creation.

A business plan and operational plan serve similar purposes, however, they’re two separate but complementary documents.

A business plan details long-term goals and the tasks or milestones necessary to achieve them. An operational plan details the daily tasks required to be successful with long-term goals. Get more information about what’s included in an operational plan in our FAQs below.

FAQs about operational plan templates

What should you include in an operational plan.

An operational plan should include:

• An executive summary that provides an at-a-glance overview
• Clear, well-defined goals and objectives and time frames for them
• The day-to-day activities required to bring those goals to fruition
• Quality standards and key performance indicators to help measure success
• A process for monitoring progress
• Requirements for staffing and resources

Ongoing operational plans should focus on the daily details required to keep the company moving forward. One-time operational plans should concentrate only on specific short-term objectives.

What is an operational plan example?

An example of an operational plan is a document created by a clothing manufacturer to lay out a plan to increase its presence on social media. The company may have noticed that referrals come from social media and it wants to capitalize on this trend. The basis of its operational plan may include:

• Objective: Increase social media presence
• Category: Single-use plan
• Required resources: Social media training, contest prizes, additional dedicated man hours, advertisement funds
• Tasks: Run A/B testing on social media advertisements, research trending post formats to recreate them, plan and execute referral or engagement contests, increase company engagement on social media with fans/customers

From this starting point, the operational plan would detail each of those tasks, including how to allot resources and employees. For an outline of what to include in an operational plan, check out monday.com’s operational plan template.

How do you write an operational plan?

To write an operational plan, you should:

• Identify important goals, milestones, or objectives
• Determine key initiatives to help achieve those goals
• Define key assumptions you’re making about challenges
• Decide how you’ll measure success
• Clearly outline responsibilities and tasks
• Assign responsibilities and tasks to team members
• Create reasonable deadlines
• Define necessary resources to accomplish tasks
• Provide training as necessary

Align daily tasks and goals with monday.com’s operational plan template

An operational plan template lets you align daily tasks with your company’s short- and long-term goals. Using the template simplifies plan creation by ensuring you don’t miss a single detail.

Once your plan is ready, put it into action with our powerful Work OS. Ensure team members can see tasks and other information in views that work for them, and manage assignments and workflow automations on monday.com to make it easier to complete the tasks required to reach your goals.

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Operational plan template

Operational planning is simpler when you have a system. Learn how Asana’s operations team uses standardized processes to streamline strategic planning—no matter how many stakeholders are involved.

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Operational planning is highly cross-functional. It touches every team and can drive real change—but it also involves lots of coordination. For it to work, you need to bring together almost every team in the company, including executives, finance, product, legal, human resources, and more. 

With so many relationships to manage, templatized workflows are key. Templates give stakeholders a plan for how to work together—so instead of constant back-and-forth conversations, you can make plans and take action quickly. At Asana, we use predefined workflows to streamline our operational planning processes—from annual planning to business planning meetings. 

What is operational planning?

Operational planning is the process of organizing how your company comes together to make strategic decisions. It’s similar to project management, except instead of looking at a single project, you’re charting the course for the entire company. The goal of operational planning is to drive alignment and clarity across all business divisions—so company leaders can work together to make decisions, and the rest of the company can understand and take action on those decisions. 

For example, operational planning involves: 

Organizing monthly and quarterly business reviews

Annual planning

Project management for strategic initiatives

What is an operational plan template? 

An operational plan template is a pre-made workflow for any essential operational planning process—like annual planning or quarterly business reviews. The template lays out each step of the process, so stakeholders know exactly how to collaborate with each other. For example, if you build an annual planning template , you no longer have to start from scratch for each new planning cycle. Instead, you can just copy the template and follow a predefined workflow.

Why use a digital operations plan template?

Since operational planning involves so many stakeholders, it’s common to run into pitfalls like long and confusing email chains, too many meetings, and losing information in the shuffle. There’s a lot to keep track of, and static tools like email and Google Docs often add to the confusion. 

Using a work management platform solves these problems by centralizing your strategic planning process in one place. That way, everyone has a single source of truth where they can communicate, share updates, and make plans in real time. 

Here’s what you can do with a digital operations plan template:

Create a single system of record for operational planning work. 

Centralize conversations with stakeholders in one place, so no information is lost.

Share status reports with stakeholders without scheduling extra meetings.

View project reports and graphs to quickly understand how initiatives are performing. 

Automate operations workflows—so teams can spend less time coordinating work and more time on high-impact initiatives.

Easily update project schedules, tasks, and owners as circumstances change.

Use forms to standardize how teams share information. 

Switch between project views to visualize operations workflows in different ways—including task lists , Gantt charts , calendars , or Kanban boards . 

Types of operational planning templates

When creating operational planning templates, it’s best to focus on a single use case at a time. Below, we’ve outlined two specific use cases we utilize at Asana—plus the key elements of each.

Annual planning template

With everything streamlined and the busywork automated, we can focus on the work of planning, collaborating, and creative problem-solving—instead of the busywork of coordinating planning, and wishing we had more time to collaborate and think creatively.”

Annual planning is a highly cross-functional process. There are top-down company goals and bottom-up team and department plans, all happening at the same time. At Asana, our strategic planning team uses predefined workflows to streamline the planning process, share information across teams, and help everything come together into a coherent, integrated plan. Here’s how. 

Create a single system of record for all annual planning tasks. During annual planning, you need to coordinate tasks across many different teams. Make sure nothing gets lost by centralizing everything in one project, so you can see what each team is responsible for and by when. 

Define each annual planning phase. At Asana, we break the annual planning process into phases, each with a specific goal and time frame. When building your template, create a section at the top to define each annual planning phase—including the goal of that phase and when it occurs. By clearly defining what you want to achieve by when, stakeholders can understand how their individual annual planning tasks fit into the overarching process. 

Create sections for each department or team. Organize each team’s tasks into a single section, so they can easily see what they’re responsible for accomplishing during the annual planning cycle. 

Use custom tags to add additional information. At Asana, we use custom tags to view important details about each task. For example, we use tags to identify which team is responsible, which planning workstream the task falls under, whether it’s a concrete deliverable or a decision to be made, and whether a meeting is required. 

Identify key milestones in your plan. Create milestones to identify important checkpoints throughout the annual planning process. This helps teams understand what they’re working toward and how it fits into the overall planning roadmap. 

Once you’ve created your annual plan, share and track it with Asana’s Goals feature. Goals is an organization-wide tool that can help your entire company set, monitor, and communicate about goals.

Business planning meeting template

Bringing together the leaders of our business org across sales, marketing, biz tech, people ops, customer success, and business strategy is critical to ensure ongoing cross-functional clarity and alignment. But, it can also be extremely costly if it’s not done so effectively and efficiently.”

Business leaders need to stay aligned. One way to keep executives on the same page is by hosting regular business planning meetings—where leaders can share updates, align on action items, and create plans. 

At Asana, we’ve created a standardized workflow to streamline business planning meetings and ensure we’re using meeting time as efficiently as possible. Thanks to this workflow, we no longer have to scramble to pull together and prioritize the right topics. Instead, presenters have plenty of lead time, and meeting attendees can focus on what’s most important for the business—not just what’s top of mind. Here’s how.

Create a single source of truth for meeting planning and follow-up. Centralize planning tasks in one place, so stakeholders can easily see what’s coming up and who’s responsible for each presentation. Create a single task for each agenda item—and then when the meeting is over, add that same task to other projects (like meeting notes or action items) without duplicating work. 

Use sections to organize information. Make tasks easier to find by bucketing them into sections, like upcoming topics, new topic submissions, and meeting agendas. 

Submit new discussion topics with forms. Create a topic request form to standardize how new agenda items are added. Forms ensure you have all the information you need to plan agenda topics—like a brief description of the agenda item, goals for the discussion, the facilitator, and time required.

Create custom tags to see key information at-a-glance. Add custom tags to get a quick view of each task’s category and status. For example, use custom tags to identify whether agenda items are set or still open. 

Recommended features and integrations

As you build out your operational planning templates, customize your team’s workflows with these features and app integrations. 

Integrated features

Custom fields . Custom fields are the best way to tag, sort, and filter work. Create unique custom fields for any information you need to track—from priority and status to email or phone number. Use custom fields to sort and schedule your to-dos so you know what to work on first. Plus, share custom fields across tasks and projects to ensure consistency across your organization. 

Adding tasks to multiple projects . The nature of work is cross-functional. Teams need to be able to work effectively across departments. But if each department has their own filing system, work gets stalled and siloed. Asana makes it easy to track and manage tasks across multiple projects. This doesn't just reduce duplicative work and increase cross-team visibility. It also helps your team see tasks in context, view who’s working on what, and keep your team and tasks connected.

Automation . Automate manual work so your team spends less time on the busy work and more time on the tasks you hired them for. Rules in Asana function on a basis of triggers and actions—essentially “when X happens, do Y.” Use Rules to automatically assign work, adjust due dates, set custom fields, notify stakeholders, and more. From ad hoc automations to entire workflows, Rules gives your team time back for skilled and strategic work.

Forms . When someone fills out a Form, it shows up as a new task within an Asana project. By intaking information via a Form, you can standardize the way work gets kicked off, gather the information you need, and ensure no work falls through the cracks. Instead of treating each request as an ad hoc process, create a standardized system and set of questions that everyone has to answer. Or, use branching logic to tailor questions based on a user’s previous answer. Ultimately, Forms help you reduce the time and effort it takes to manage incoming requests so your team can spend more time on the work that matters.

Zoom . Asana and Zoom are partnering up to help teams have more purposeful and focused meetings. The Zoom + Asana integration makes it easy to prepare for meetings, hold actionable conversations, and access information once the call is over. Meetings begin in Asana, where shared meeting agendas provide visibility and context about what will be discussed. During the meeting, team members can quickly create tasks within Zoom, so details and action items don’t get lost. And once the meeting is over, the Zoom + Asana integration pulls meeting transcripts and recordings into Asana, so all collaborators and stakeholders can review the meeting as needed.

Google Workplace . Attach files directly to tasks in Asana with the Google Workplace file chooser, which is built into the Asana task pane. Easily attach any My Drive file with just a few clicks.

Microsoft Teams . With the Microsoft Teams + Asana integration, you can search for and share the information you need without leaving Teams. Easily connect your Teams conversations to actionable items in Asana. Plus, create, assign, and view tasks during a Teams Meeting without needing to switch to your browser.

Vimeo . Text may get the point across, but written words lack tone, emotion, and expression. With video messaging in Asana, powered by Vimeo, you can give your team all the context they need, without having to schedule another meeting. Record short video messages of yourself, your screen—or both—then embed the videos in tasks, projects, messages, and comments to provide additional clarity and context. A transcript of the recording is automatically created by Asana, making it readable and searchable. Give feedback, ask questions, and assign tasks—all without leaving Asana.

What other operational planning templates can I use to streamline workflows for my business? .css-i4fobf{-webkit-transition:-webkit-transform 200ms ease-in-out;transition:transform 200ms ease-in-out;-webkit-transform:rotateZ(0);-moz-transform:rotateZ(0);-ms-transform:rotateZ(0);transform:rotateZ(0);}

With Asana you can create—and customize—templates to fit any business operations use case. Here are some places to start: 

Business plan template

Operations project plan template

All company meeting template

Startup checklist template

Business continuity plan template

Team goals and objectives planning template

Can a project management platform help my business achieve strategic goals faster?

Project management platforms like Asana can significantly improve team efficiency, allowing you to accomplish more with fewer resources. According to an independent report , Asana cuts the time it takes to complete a project by up to 50%—meaning it could help your team get work done in half the time. With less time wasted day-to-day, your team can focus on high-impact work, like driving revenue and achieving strategic goals.

What’s the best way to monitor all operational workflows in one place?

With Asana Portfolios , you can see a high-level view of all operational planning initiatives—including project status, progress, and owners. If an initiative is off track, it’s easy to click in, identify the blocker, and create an action plan to get things back on track. 

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Set clear goals and streamline your planning process—so every level of your company is aligned on what’s important.

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Create templates with Asana

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Insurance Agency Business Plan

Starting an insurance agency requires careful planning and strategic foresight. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the U.S. insurance industry employed 2.8 million people in 2020, demonstrating the sector’s significant contribution to the economy. Additionally, according to Statista , the global insurance market is projected to grow by about one trillion U.S. dollars between 2023 and 2028 (reaching almost 10 trillion U.S.), highlighting the immense growth potential within the industry. A well-crafted business plan for insurance agent is essential to lay a solid foundation for your business and ensure its long-term success. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the key components of creating robust business plans for insurance agency, helping you understand its importance and what it should include.

What is an Insurance Agency Business Plan?

An insurance agency business plan is a detailed document that outlines the goals, strategies, and operational framework of an insurance agency. It serves as a roadmap for establishing and growing the business, providing a clear direction for achieving objectives and managing resources effectively. The plan includes various sections such as market analysis, competitive analysis, marketing strategies, operational plans, financial projections, and more. Whether you’re planning how to start your own insurance business or how to start a insurance agency, a solid business plan is your blueprint for success.

Why is an Agency Business Plan Important?

Creating a business plan for insurance agency is crucial for several reasons:

• Securing Funding: Investors and lenders require a detailed insurance business plan to evaluate the feasibility and profitability of your insurance business. A comprehensive plan demonstrates your understanding of the market, financial projections, and commitment to success, thereby increasing your chances of securing funding. If you’re wondering how much does it cost to open an insurance agency, a detailed business plan will help you calculate and present these financial needs effectively.
• Guiding Business Development: A business plan insurance agency provides a clear roadmap for your business, helping you stay focused on your goals and make informed decisions. It outlines the steps needed to achieve your objectives and grow your business systematically. This is especially important if you’re looking into how to create your own insurance company or considering your insurance business strategy.
• Attracting Clients and Partners: A well-crafted insurance agent business plan can attract potential clients, partners, and stakeholders by showcasing your agency’s unique value proposition and competitive advantage.
• Managing Risks: A thorough planning process helps identify potential risks and challenges, allowing you to develop strategies to mitigate them. This aspect of risk management is key to a successful insurance business strategy.

What Should Be Included in the Business Plan for an Insurance Agency?

An effective business plan for an insurance agency is a comprehensive document that outlines the strategy, goals, and operations of your business. It serves as a roadmap for the successful establishment and growth of your agency. Below, we break down the essential components that should be included in your insurance broker business plan, offering a detailed explanation of each section along with sample content to guide you in creating your own plan. By examining insurance business plan examples, you can gain insight into best practices and ensure your plan is thorough and professional. 

Executive Summary

The executive summary is a snapshot of your insurance agency business plan template. It should be concise and compelling, summarizing the main points of your plan to entice readers to learn more about your agency. Include your insurance agency mission statement, key objectives, and a brief overview of your products and services.

Example: Mission Statement

ABC Insurance Agency is committed to providing comprehensive insurance solutions tailored to the unique needs of our clients. Our mission is to offer exceptional service, innovative products, and a personalized approach to ensure our clients’ peace of mind and financial security.

Business Objectives

• Achieve a client retention rate of 90% within the first three years.
• Grow our client base by 20% annually.
• Generate $1 million in annual revenue by the end of the second year.
• Establish ABC Insurance Agency as a trusted and recognized brand in the local market.

Products and Services

ABC Insurance Agency will offer a wide range of insurance products, including:

• Auto Insurance
• Homeowners Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Health Insurance
• Business Insurance

Business Overview

The business overview section provides an in-depth look at your agency. This includes the history of your agency (if applicable), the types of insurance products you offer, your target market, and your unique selling propositions. Explain why your agency stands out in the insurance market.

Company Description

ABC Insurance Agency, located in Denver, Colorado, is a startup agency founded in 2024. The agency will provide a comprehensive suite of insurance products to individuals, families, and businesses. Our goal is to become a one-stop-shop for all insurance needs, providing customized solutions and exceptional customer service.

Market Opportunity

The insurance industry in the United States is vast and growing, with the market projected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2025. Denver, a city with a growing population and thriving economy, presents a significant opportunity for new insurance agencies. The demand for personalized and comprehensive insurance solutions is high, and ABC Insurance Agency is well-positioned to meet this need.

SWOT Analysis

Conducting a SWOT analysis helps you identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to your insurance agency. This analysis is crucial for understanding your agency’s internal and external environment, allowing you to leverage strengths, address weaknesses, capitalize on opportunities, and mitigate threats.

Market Analysis

A thorough market analysis is essential for understanding your target market, competitors, and industry trends. This section should provide insights into the insurance market landscape, including market size, growth potential, and customer demographics. As a business plan agency, it’s crucial to identify your target market segments and explain their insurance needs and preferences, ensuring that your insurance offerings align with market demands.

Target Market

ABC Insurance Agency will target the following market segments:

• Individuals and families seeking auto, home, life, and health insurance.
• Small to medium-sized businesses in need of business insurance solutions.
• High-net-worth individuals requiring specialized insurance products.

Market Size and Growth

The insurance market in Denver is substantial, with a population of over 700,000 people and numerous small and medium-sized businesses. The demand for insurance products is expected to grow steadily, driven by population growth and increasing awareness of the importance of insurance coverage.

Competitive Analysis

Analyzing your competition is crucial for identifying your agency’s competitive advantage. This section should include a detailed analysis of your main competitors, their strengths and weaknesses, and their market positioning. Highlight how your agency differentiates itself from the competition.

Key Competitors

• XYZ Insurance: A well-established agency with a strong local presence and a wide range of insurance products.
• Denver Insurance Solutions: Known for their excellent customer service and competitive pricing.
• SecureLife Insurance: Specializes in life and health insurance with a loyal customer base.

Competitive Advantage

ABC Insurance Agency’s competitive advantage lies in our commitment to personalized service, comprehensive product offerings, and innovative marketing strategies. We will differentiate ourselves by providing customized insurance solutions, leveraging technology for efficient service delivery, and maintaining a strong focus on customer satisfaction.

Market Strategies

Your insurance agency marketing strategy and insurance agent marketing plan should outline how you plan to attract and retain clients. This is a crucial component of insurance business plans. Detail your marketing and advertising strategies, including digital marketing, social media, content marketing, and traditional advertising methods. Explain how you will build brand awareness and generate leads.

Marketing and Sales Strategy

• Digital Marketing: Utilize social media, search engine optimization (SEO), and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to reach potential clients.
• Referral Program: Implement a referral program to encourage satisfied clients to refer friends and family.
• Community Engagement: Participate in local events and sponsorships to build brand recognition and trust within the community.
• Content Marketing: Create valuable content, such as blog posts and educational resources, to attract and engage potential clients.

Customer Acquisition and Retention

• Customer Acquisition: Focus on digital marketing, partnerships with local businesses, and community involvement to attract new clients.
• Customer Retention: Provide exceptional customer service, regular policy reviews, and personalized communication to retain existing clients.

Operational Plan

The operational plan outlines the day-to-day operations of your insurance agency. This includes details about your office location, technology infrastructure, customer service processes, and workflow management. Explain how you will ensure smooth and efficient operations.

Office Location and Infrastructure

ABC Insurance Agency will operate from a leased office space in downtown Denver. The office will be equipped with modern technology and infrastructure to ensure efficient operations and a professional environment for clients.

Technology and Systems

• Insurance Management Software: Implement a robust insurance management system to streamline operations and improve client service.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Utilize a CRM system to manage client interactions and improve customer satisfaction.

Customer Service and Support

• Customer Service Team: Hire and train a dedicated customer service team to handle client inquiries, policy renewals, and claims processing.
• Support Channels: Provide multiple support channels, including phone, email, and live chat, to ensure clients can easily reach us.

Management Team and Organizational Structure

The management team and organizational structure section should outline the roles and responsibilities of your team. Include bios of key team members, highlighting their experience and expertise. Explain how your organizational structure supports your business goals and operations.

Management Team

• John Doe, CEO: With over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, John will lead the strategic direction and overall management of ABC Insurance Agency.
• Jane Smith, COO: Jane brings 15 years of operational experience and will oversee the day-to-day operations, including customer service and support.
• Mark Johnson, CFO: Mark, a certified public accountant, will manage the agency’s financial planning and analysis.

Organizational Structure

• Sales Team: Responsible for acquiring new clients and managing existing client relationships.
• Customer Service Team: Handles client inquiries, policy renewals, and claims processing.
• Marketing Team: Develops and implements marketing strategies to promote the agency and attract new clients.
• Administrative Staff: Supports the management team in day-to-day operations.

Financial Plan

The following financial projections have been carefully crafted by the management team of the company. All projections are forward-looking and are dependent on securing the required financing. It is the audience’s responsibility to conduct all necessary due diligence.

Pro Forma Income Statement

Pro Forma Cash Flow Statement

Pro Forma Balance Sheet

Final Thoughts

Creating an insurance company business plan is essential for setting the foundation for your agency’s success. By carefully planning each aspect of your business, from market analysis to financial projections, you can ensure that your insurance agency is well-positioned to thrive in a competitive industry. Whether you’re launching a new agency, searching “how to start my own insurance business,” or looking to grow an existing one, following this comprehensive guide will help you achieve your insurance company goals.

Partner with Us

If you need assistance crafting your insurance agency business plan or navigating the complexities of how to create an insurance company, how to build an insurance agency, how to open an insurance company or how to grow your insurance business, don’t hesitate to contact us at BSBCON . Our team of experienced business plan writers and business consultants is here to support you every step of the way. 

We specialize in creating customized business plans for insurance agents that cater to your specific needs and goals. Whether you’re developing a sample business plan for insurance agent, looking for an insurance agency business plan template free download, or figuring out how to start an insurance agency, we have the expertise to help you succeed. Partner with us to build a successful insurance agency and achieve your business objectives.

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IT Operational Plan

Any information technology department, no matter what industry their business operations belong to, is recommended to have an operational plan and a department strategic plan . These documents ensure the management and the entire business operations that the information technology support that they need will be provided and delivered accordingly.

• 9+ Project Operational Plan Examples
• 9+ Event Operational Plan Examples

More so, an IT operational plan helps the IT department to work smoothly and collaboratively, which is a great way to maximize the potential and usage of the IT systems used by the business.

A list of IT operational plan examples in PDF are available in this post. If you are planning to create this document for your team or for the entire business, you can refer to these examples for formatting and content curation guides. Download the particular examples that you think are almost similar with the information technology operations and processes of your business.

State Health Information Technology Strategic and Operational Plan Example

Health Information Technology Operations Plan Example

Purpose of Creating an IT Operational Plan

The wider the scope of the incorporation and usage of information technology in the operations of the business, the more detailed an IT operational should be. If you are unaware of the reasons on why businesses exert their efforts and use their time in making this document, here are some of the reasons why an IT operational plan is usually created by businesses:

1. An IT operational plan is created to ensure that there will be proper monitoring of the opportunities that the IT team or department can grab. If there is a solid and comprehensive IT operational plan at hand, the business can easily identify the IT market offers that they can get for the benefit of the business and its stakeholders. You may also see annual operational plan examples .

It is essential for opportunities to be assessed accordingly as not all of these opportunities can be practical, sustainable, necessary, and/or relevant for the business and its IT operations.

2. An IT operational plan is created to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the information technology department. Before you can create the future plans for the business, the team, and how IT systems will be used, you first have to know what you are currently working with. Knowing the potential, deliverable, and abilities of the team can help you match their skills and expertise with the requirements of the business. You may also like operational plan for restaurant examples .

3. An IT operational plan is created to come up with a plan that can present the best solutions and answers to the current issues, concerns, and problems of the business. This document can also help align the operational goals of the IT team with the  business operational plan of the company. With this, the achievement of call-to-actions can be more rewarding, beneficial, and advantageous for the entire operation.

4. An IT operational plan is created to develop a document that can guide the IT team when it comes to executing their action plans and incorporating their tactics and strategies to the systems that the business is using.

It is essential for work processes within the IT department to be correctly implemented as any error with the systems usage or IT processes can negate the corporate strategies of the business and can cause delay to the business operations. You may also check out primary school operational plan examples .

5. An IT operational plan is created to ensure that the business is always on trend when it comes to IT innovations. It is very important for the business and the IT team to always be on the lookout of something new or something that will fit the IT needs of the business. With this, the operational plan of the IT department is essential to be flexible so that changes can still be incorporated any time without veering away from the actual objective and goal of the team.

6. An IT operational plan is created so that the business can refer to a guide whenever threats and unforeseen circumstances occur.

Hence, this document is very important as it allows proper communication and line of decision-making processes to be established especially during times of uncertainty or problems. If you will come up with an IT operational plan, you can resolve conflicts and issues easier as you are already aware of the guidelines that you need to follow and the results that you expect to achieve within a particular time period. You might be interested in hospital operational plan examples .

7. An IT operational plan is created for the purpose of making sure that both short-term and long-term operational goals of the IT team can be achieved. This is necessary as it promotes pro-activeness, efficiency, and productivity within the entire team. You may also see simple business plan examples .

University Information Technology Systems Operational Plan Example

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Simple Information Technology Operational Plan Example

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Information Technology Strategic Plan for Business Operations Example

Important Elements of an IT Operational Plan

Having an IT operational plan sets the direction of the IT team toward the achievement of their goals and that of the business’s. For this  simple operational plan  to fully work for the benefit of the team and the business, it is essential for all the details presented in it to be complete, understandable, realistic, and organized. Here are some of the items that are important to be included in a comprehensive and simple IT operational plan:

• The executive summary of the entire IT operational plan and the purpose why it has been created
• The mission and vision statement of the IT department or IT team
• The specification of the action plans that the department would like to achieve
• The discussion about the relation and alignment of the strategies and action plans of the team to the corporate objectives of the business.
• The potential effect of the call-to-actions presented in the IT operational plan to the organization, its stakeholders, and the business operations. You may also see procurement strategy plan examples .
• The thorough review of the the business’s strategic and operational plan and the identification on how the tactics and strategies of the IT team can be aligned and associated with these
• The identification of all the areas of the business where the functions of the IT team is necessary and where electronic and digital communications and processes can be used to improve and better operations. You may also like simple strategic plan examples .

Once these information have already been presented, the content of the IT operational plan must also provide details about the basis of the document’s content. A few of the items that can be discussed in relation to this subject matter are as follows:

• The specification of the existing roles and responsibilities of the IT department and all the work processes that each team member is assigned to. You may also see how to make a business plan .
• The analysis of the IT department’s strengths and weaknesses as well as the threats and opportunities that it may face in the future
• The presentation of the gap that must be filled between the current condition of the IT department and the state that it desires where goals are seen as completed or achieved
• The interpretation of the internal and external factors’ effects and impacts to the successful contribution of the IT department to the development and improvement of the business. You may also like risk plan examples .
• The discussion of the barriers, challenges, and gray areas that disables the IT department to help the organization and its stakeholders
• The current budget allocation of the business to the IT department and the particular changes that must be made to ensure the financial suitability and attainability of the work actions and plans of the team. You may also check out one-page strategic plan examples .
• The listing of the resources, technological assets, and existing deliverable that the IT department can use for the execution of its simple action plans and the improvement of the team’s operations and dynamics
• The presentation of the technology investments and advancements that the business must look into to help the IT department improve its competitive advantage

Information Technology Operational Plan Example

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Basic IT Operational Plan Example

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Information Services and Technology Operational Plan Example

Size: 781 KB

Things to Remember When Developing an IT Operational Plan Draft

If you are tasked to create a hotel operational business  plan , a marketing strategic plan, an IT operational plan, or any other kind of corporate documents, one of the first things that you need to consider doing is to identify the purpose of the document’s usage. Aside from that, here are more items or points that you always have to remember when drafting an IT operational plan:

1. Keep in mind that the content of the information technology operational plan will depend on the current needs and requirements of the business. There are some management or business decision-makers that only require the general presentation of the current condition of the business’s information technology systems as well as the operational and department goals of the IT team. You may also see financial plan examples & samples .

However, there are also some that requires a detailed showcase of the processes that the IT department follows when it comes to the usage, development, and improvement of the IT systems and all digital and electronic transactions and procedures associated with it during operations. You may also like website strategy plan examples .

2. Be aware of the involvement of the information technology department with the processes of the business.

If you are knowledgeable of the scope of the IT system’s usage, it will be easier for you to identify the areas that you need to give focus on. This can help you further strategically plan on how you can improve your operations and how you can appropriately incorporate the benefits of the IT systems to the activities of the company. You may also check out implementation plan examples .

3. Know how to time your action plans properly. You have to develop a timeline that will allow you to be guided when executing your plans and strategies . This can help you yield more positive effects for the business and the information technology department.

Information Technology Strategic Plan for Operations Example

Information Technology Plan for Operations Example

Tips in Making an IT Operational Plan

Creating an IT operational plan must be one of the priorities of your IT team. As specified and showcased above, there are a lot of benefits and advantages that your business can experience if you will have this document at hand. You may also see  SMART action plan examples .

Listed below are some IT operational plan development tips that you can find useful if you want to start making your own IT operational plan now.

• Just like when creating an  annual operational plan , it is important for the management to designate point persons who will take charge in the development of an effective IT operational plan. The more organized the process of creating this document is, the easier it will be for the entire team to have a comprehensive, detailed, and well-planned material.
• Think of how you can present the discussion in a compelling and appealing manner. You have to ensure that there will be a smooth flow of presentation so that your target audience can understand the purpose of the document and the relation of all your content with one another. You may also like management plan examples.
• Know the vision of the company and the goal of your team so you can be well-guided when developing the document. It is important for your IT operational plan to be put together so that you will not veer away from the purpose that you would like to achieve. You may also check out change management plan with examples .
• Evaluate the document so you can identify the items that you can still improve on or the things that you must change or remove for the IT operational plan to be better. Ensure that the final document is error-free. You might be interested in five-year strategic plan examples .

Again, do not forget to browse through the downloadable examples that we have put together for you in this post. Maximize the usage of references so you can create an impressive IT operational plan that can be very helpful for the future operations of the business and the activities of the information technology department of the organization.

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In today’s fast-paced health industry, creating a solid business plan isn’t just about getting your smarts to show off-it’s the need of the times. Whether you’re facing public health crises or spearheading timely solutions or new treatments, a more resilient plan can set your endeavors up for sure success.

These insights might just be what it takes to build strategies that can help you survive and thrive in this ever-evolving health panorama.

Building a Resilient Business Plan: The Healthcare Project

Step 1: understanding the health sector arena.

It might be best to understand the goings-on of the health sector today before stepping further and beginning your health business plans. You may have been challenged by how health startups have been taking center stage lately, especially those who are leaning more toward bigger health problems like the opioid crisis. 

These types of businesses aren’t just like your regular and ordinary healthcare providers; they’re:

Booming Health Startups

These health startups are growing faster than ever, especially those targeting highly specialized health issues.

Focusing on Major Health Challenges

Many startups tackling crises today, like the opioid epidemic, are already getting the attention they deserve.

Innovative Health Solutions

More new methods, like   Opiates detoxification, are making a noticeable impact all over the industry today.

A good grasp of these trends can help you shape the perfect business plan and steer your health venture toward success.

Step 2. Identifying Core Challenges and Opportunities

Over the years, every health-related venture has faced unique and localized challenges, like addressing the opioid epidemic in many states today. You may need to understand both the medical and societal factors that influence every item in your “challenges” menu. 

Somehow, it’s quite crucial to identify those core challenges that you may need to tackle, whether with local clients or global markets and turn them into opportunities. 

Also, whether it’s about offering rapid health intervention methods or introducing new healthcare tech, your planning needs to cover and clearly outline how your venture can solve society’s more pressing health problems.

Step 3. Case Study: Building Resilience Through Strategic Adaptation

Whether you’re about to start a new venture or just refining an existing one, incorporating strategies that will show your projected clients your adaptability and foresight can set you apart, particularly with:

Strategic Adaptation

You may have to focus on how your business can quickly adjust to the fast-evolving trends in the industry, like those institutions that offer chronic care management. They often integrate with broader networks, which you can pattern your plan around to make sure that you can support continuous care and minimize disruptions along the way.

Innovative Solutions

Highlight some of the innovative approaches you want to step forward with, especially those that can address specific healthcare concerns, like those shown by businesses that have developed remote patient monitoring systems. You can also set an example and show resilience by expanding access to care, even in less-noticed areas.

Scalability

Just show emphasis on the scalability of your solutions so that they can grow along with the increasing demand and size of your enterprise. Your plan needs to respond to case studies involving telehealth platforms and how your services can expand and meet the increasingly diverse patient needs of today.

Step 4. Integrating Innovative Healthcare Solutions

Your business plan also needs to focus on innovative healthcare solutions to thrive and stay competitive in your highly esteemed niche. Whether it’s   technology in patient care or the unique treatment options that you want to integrate, your plan needs to draw them all, like:

Leveraging Technology

You need to incorporate advanced technologies to enhance your delivery of patient care. Today, it has become easier to integrate AI for early diagnosis, or you can use telehealth to expand your customers’ access to your services. This way, you’re upgrading and improving outcomes and, at the same time, demonstrating more forward-thinking approaches.

Offering Unique Solutions

You can develop and offer unique solutions to your client’s most immediate health needs, like personalized treatment plans, which are more patient-centric approaches. This will provide better results to your customers, driving loyalty, following, and favorable word-of-mouth recommendations. 

Conclusion: Pioneering the Future of Health Ventures

Creating a resilient business plan and your golden goal to secure investments and stakeholder interests can be more than just addressing today’s immediate needs. It also has something to do with the opportunity for you to champion the future of healthcare.

With a sturdy plan in place, your health services enterprise can stake its claim in making an impact, whether by addressing crises like the opioid epidemic or leading the way in medical discoveries and innovation.

Copyright © 2024 SCORE Association, SCORE.org

Funded, in part, through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

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• How to Create a Successful Corrective Action Plan

Creating a Successful Corrective Action Plan

How this versatile tool can help you identify and remedy areas of need in your manufacturing processes

A corrective action plan (CAP) is a systematic approach used to identify, investigate, and rectify deviations from established standards within a manufacturing process. Along with enhancing product quality and process efficiency, CAPs foster a culture of continuous improvement within manufacturing organizations. They can also drive efficient innovation and sustainable growth by encouraging proactive problem-solving and collaboration across teams.

A successful CAP will serve as your organization’s roadmap for addressing non-conformances, preventing recurrence, and most importantly, enhancing product quality and customer satisfaction.

Given the interconnected nature of manufacturing, you can only alter one area of productivity by impacting several others. Thankfully, corrective action planning lets you discern how manipulating one aspect of your business will influence other workflows, departments, and processes.

In other words, a well-crafted corrective action plan will enable you to effectively remedy a challenge without inadvertently creating new downstream problems.

What Is a Corrective Action Plan (CAP)?

A corrective action plan is a systematic approach used to identify, investigate, and rectify deviations from established standards within a manufacturing process.

It will serve as your organization’s roadmap for addressing non-conformances, preventing recurrence, and, most importantly, enhancing product quality and customer satisfaction.

Given the interconnected nature of manufacturing, you can only alter one area of productivity by impacting several others.

Thankfully, corrective action planning lets you discern how manipulating one aspect of your business will influence other workflows, departments, and processes.

Corrective Action Plan Examples

Before diving into the specifics of creating a CAP, let’s explore some real-world examples that showcase the versatility of this planning tool.

Suppose that a batch of your products falls short of quality standards during inspection. Through a corrective action planning process, your team can analyze the root cause of the defects, which may include an issue with the inputs (i.e., faulty components or subpar raw materials) or a problem with one of your machines. Once you’ve identified the issue, you can correct it.

Here’s another corrective action plan example: Let’s say that one of your suppliers constantly delivers subpar materials. In such a scenario, your CAP may involve renegotiating contracts, sourcing alternative suppliers, or implementing stricter quality control measures at the receiving end.

Although corrective action plans are, by their nature, internal tools, you may often have to look outward for the solution, especially when you identify an issue with your input components and raw materials.

If your production processes are inefficient or prone to frequent errors, a CAP could entail redesigning workflows, retraining staff, upgrading legacy technology, or implementing automation could also help streamline operations.

Why Are Corrective Action Plans Important?

In any corrective action plan example, the CAP itself helps provide your team with an organized, structured mechanism for identifying the root cause of deficiencies, remedying them, and achieving continuous improvement.

Other important use cases for corrective action plans include the following:

• Quality Assurance (QA): CAPs help you uphold QA standards and meet customer expectations.
• Regulatory Compliance: In a similar sense, CAPs help ensure adherence to QA standards and legal requirements.
• Risk Mitigation: Addressing non-conformances allows you to reduce the likelihood of costly recalls, rework, or legal repercussions.
• Operational Efficiency: Remedying deficiencies leads to greater agility and less waste.

The specific benefits that your organization unlocks through its corrective action planning will vary based on the scope and severity of each individual problem.

In general, though, the key is to remedy issues as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

What are the Elements of a Corrective Action Plan?

1.  problem statement.

First, you must define the issue you’ve encountered and how that problem deviates from your standards. Be specific and concise.

2.  Root Cause Analysis

Next, determine the underlying factors contributing to the problem. Never assume that the issue has only a single cause.

3.  Action Plan 

Outline specific measures to address the root cause(s), including tasks, responsibilities, timelines, and the resources you’ll need. Each team member should know their specific role, as well as how the elements of the overall plan work together.

4.  Implementation

Execute your plan after getting buy-in from relevant stakeholders. Some implementation processes may only take a few weeks, whereas others, such as installing new equipment, can take months.

5.  Monitoring and Verification

After implementation, its important to continuously monitor the resolution of all issues to confirm  that they’ve been completely resolved. If they have only been reduced, but not fixed entirely, conduct another root cause analysis to determine what other factors are at play.

6.  Preventive Measures

Implement preventive measures to mitigate the risk of recurrence of similar issues. For example, if your supplier was to blame for the challenges, monitor their performance more closely moving forward.

7.  Documentation

Maintain comprehensive records of your actions throughout the corrective action planning process. Detail the findings of your investigations, what you did in response, and the outcomes.

Uses for Corrective Action Plans

There are several ways in which your organization can leverage a CAP to drive positive outcomes:

• Product Quality Control: Addressing defects or non-conformances
• Supplier Management: Resolving problems with trading partners or subcontractors
• Process Improvement: Optimizing workflows to enhance efficiency and reduce waste
• Compliance Management: Helping ensure adherence to regulatory requirements
• Customer Complaint Resolution: Addressing consumer concerns or feedback regarding product quality.

By applying the versatility of the corrective action plan framework, you can support a wide array of organizational goals and better meet the needs of your customer base.

Tips for Writing an Effective Corrective Action Plan

Creating a concise, focused CAP requires careful planning and execution.

Right from the start, be thorough in your root cause analysis to identify all underlying factors contributing to the problem. Then build on this knowledge by defining clear and measurable objectives. These best practices can help things go smoothly:

• Use a Collaborative Approach: Get relevant stakeholders involved early and often
• Set Realistic Timelines: Be ambitious, but don’t stretch your team or resources too thin.
• Continuously Monitor the Problem: Keep a close eye on the challenge during the entire CAP process.

The success of your corrective action plan hinges on the thoroughness of your root cause analysis. You must fully understand the problem, alongside all of the potential factors that may be causing and exacerbating the issue.

It’s important to take your time at this stage — differentiating between an aggravating factor and a causal one can be a bit challenging unless you dig deep.

For instance, a machine breakdown can lead to a production shortfall, but it may not necessarily be the causal factor. In reality, the causal factor could instead be traced back to poor maintenance or excessive wear and tear.

If you opt for a quick fix, know that the underlying issue will still persist and likely manifest again. Under the proper corrective action plan, you’ll take actions that gets positive results: revamping your preventive maintenance protocols or upgrading your machinery. This way, you address the issue at its source instead of simply removing an aggravating factor.

Learn More About Corrective Action Plans

If you need additional insights to help guide the creation of your corrective action plan, we’re ready to work with you.

At Epicor, our team of industry-focused, ERP solutions providers can provide you with the guidance and tools necessary to elevate your CAP workflows and enhance business efficiency.

Contact us today to get started.

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Christine Hansen serves as the Director of Product Marketing at Epicor, where she applies over 20 years of industry expertise to drive inventive solutions for the manufacturing sector. She holds BAs in Spanish and business administration from Augsutana College (SD) and is based in Minneapolis, MN.

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Perfecting your crisis communication plan

Jenny Pak Director of Program Management at PandaDoc

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In business, everything that could go wrong would most likely go wrong.

And when this happens, you need a crisis communication plan to let stakeholders and customers know what’s going on.

Crisis communication eliminates the corporate confusion and helter-skelter that could ensue when disaster strikes.

If handled poorly, it could ruin your organization’s reputation.

Or even worse, lead to public safety tragedies.

This article will show you how a crisis communication plan can help your business navigate rough waters.

Key takeaways

• Crisis communication involves notifying clients, stakeholders, and members of the general public about events, accidents, and public safety incidents.
• A crisis communication plan outlines how an organization should go about informing internal teams and the public across multiple communication channels.
• Organizations can use crisis communication plans to minimize losses, prevent legal blowback, and save lives.
• The plan works best if a crisis team can analyze the situation carefully before appointing the appropriate spokesperson to speak to the public.

What is a crisis communication plan?

A crisis communication plan is a document containing guidelines and procedures for communicating with clients and stakeholders when an unprecedented event occurs.

The person or team running point during the crisis should spell out the roles, responsibilities, and messaging promptly in order to reduce panic and speculation.

Applications of a crisis communication plan

From businesses to academic institutions, communication is part of the crisis management playbook.

Here are some types of crisis communication plans.

• Financial emergency : Following the Capital One hack, the bank chairman released a detailed public statement on its website.
• Public health and safety : During peak COVID , governments and corporations used a detailed crisis communication plan to prevent cities from spiraling into dystopian wastelands.
• Natural disasters : Emergency response services use multiple communication channels to notify people during earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, and other natural disasters.
• Personnel changes : When staff members (especially C-level and customer-facing employees) leave the company, you need to inform your clients and investors.
• Personal safety : If a criminal hacks into your Instagram or TikTok account, you need to find a way to notify your followers before they start sending Bitcoin to the hacker.
• Malpractice or criminal activity : When a member of an institution is found guilty of a crime, the crisis response team will put out a statement to dissociate the individual from the group.
• Transportation : Airlines and logistics companies use crisis response plans to notify passengers and customers about delays, accidents, and cancellations. (Failure to do so has repercussions — after United Airlines fumbled their response to the Dr. Dao incident, the company’s image has yet to recover from #boycottUnited .)
• Academic institutions : Schools and colleges can send out memos to students and staff during crisis scenarios such as a death on campus, active shooter events, or disruption of services.

How a crisis communication plan can save your organization

A crisis communication plan keeps you and your organization ready for unprecedented events.

Let’s check out how a coherent response plan can save your organization.

• It helps organizations handle the fallout of scandals, natural disasters, and controversies.
• Despite massive data and privacy violations , Mark Zuckerberg has maintained a less problematic reputation than no-filter Elon Musk.
• Prompt and effective crisis communication prevents further losses in customers and revenue.
• Banks and product companies communicate about bankruptcy or hacks early to avoid panic withdrawals.
• It protects the reputation of companies by presenting the leadership as competent and personable.
• Crisis communication plans can reduce the casualties of natural and human-made disasters.
• After the train derailment in Ohio , the government sent out an evacuation memo to residents.
• It dissociates the organization from the actions of unsavory characters.
• The British Crown has a standby controversy response team that disavows members of the family who step out of line.
• A well-articulated crisis response can cover your company’s behind from any legal implications.
• In 2019, Burger King used this strategy to get a frivolous lawsuit dismissed.
• It highlights the preparedness and competence of the management structure within an organization through decisive, from-the-front leadership.

Common strategies for crisis communication

Let’s explore the communications strategy your team could use in times of crisis:

• The company PR team or spokesperson will release a statement or go for a sit-down interview.
• Companies with a massive social media presence can coordinate crisis responses across all social media channels.
• Organizations can conduct in-person outreach through emails and phone calls.

Establish a comprehensive crisis communication plan

Here are the steps to follow when creating a crisis communication plan for your organization.

Analyze the situation

Resist the knee-jerk urge to tweet your response as soon as something happens. Instead, take some time to analyze the crisis situation and understand the whole picture before putting out a statement.

Your management team needs to analyze the event to figure out the best course of action and the tone to take in the event of a crisis.

Nominate a spokesperson

The spokesperson should be the face of the organization, representing its values and sentiments.

Some innate qualities that every spokesperson should have include the following:

• Excellent communication skills
• Media training
• Resourcefulness and recognizability.

You also need to put forward someone with authority and clout to make decisions.

Picture Siobhan Roy during the cruise scandals in Succession .

You don’t want Logan Roy responding to sexual assault allegations.

Develop and approve response systems and communication methods

The response plan should cover the three main stages of crisis response:

• Pre-crisis stage: This provides the fundamental procedures and escalation hierarchy for a potential crisis. Some organizations appoint spokespersons for different cases, so every team member knows their role once it’s “go time.”
• Crisis stage: The response systems during this phase should focus on informing the public and internal teams . This is where you plan the social media posts, personal outreach calls, or PR statements.
• Post-crisis stage: This involves addressing feedback mechanisms and suggested changes. In most cases, the fallout from the crisis itself dictates the post-crisis response.

Create a response script

Your public relations responders need to craft a consistent messaging across all platforms.

This assures the customer that the information is legit and that the entire organization is in lockstep.

Consider using a crisis communication template to draft written and verbal responses faster.

Your legal team should also review the final text to make sure you don’t implicate yourself.

Crisis Management Plan Template

Used 4890 times

With this template, you can quickly and easily put together a comprehensive Crisis Management Plan.

Release the update through the designated channels

When the image of the Pope in the puffer jacket broke the internet, the Vatican didn’t panic.

They released a statement across multiple channels — including regular media outlets and socials — to quell fears and rumors.

The usual channels for communication crisis updates include the following:

• Social media channels — Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
• Verified personal profiles — Elon Musk providing updates about X.
• News media channels — CNN, etc.
• Emails and app notifications.
• Press releases and PR statements on the company website.

Airports and transportation hubs can use digital displays to notify the public about delays as well as scheduled and unprecedented service disruptions.

Answer questions

After putting out a statement, members of the public and media will reach out to your organization for clarification or confirmation.

This is where the crisis response and customer service teams earn their keep.

You need to provide them with a script to address frequently asked questions as well as an escalation hierarchy for complex queries.

In criminal cases with massive legal implications, you could give them the canned law enforcement “cannot comment on an ongoing investigation” response.

Provide regular sitreps

During prolonged events, you need to keep external stakeholders updated about recent developments in real time.

This will calm down fears and fend off misinformation while showing the progress your team members are making in handling the situation.

For website or application outages, you can use status page updates, website banners, or in-app notifications.

Deliver a detailed recap afterward

Once the dust settles, the CEO has to release a statement containing a sober analysis of what happened and the immediate to long-term impact.

This public recap is your way of showing accountability to key stakeholders. You can also use a fact sheet to provide further details about the causes and consequences of the mishap.

For companies with high-value clients, you can schedule calls to follow up on them. This is important for reputable institutions as well as companies with world-renowned investors.

Share lessons learned internally

Regardless of how successful or disastrous the crisis communication was, your crisis communication team needs to share lessons learned. These will help set up the playbook for future scenarios.

How PandaDoc can help with crisis communication

As a document management solution , PandaDoc helps organizations draft, edit, and share crisis communication outlines in record time.

You can get a crisis response template for every phase of the response.

Besides, PandaDoc uses document tracking features to keep an eye on who works on, approves, or edits the document. This ensures transparency and accountability.

If you want to create external communications for multiple scenarios, you can store them in the PandaDoc online repository .

Want to consider using PandaDoc to draft and share your organization’s crisis communication plan? Book a free demo with us.

PandaDoc is not a law firm, or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. This page is not intended to and does not provide legal advice. Should you have legal questions on the validity of e-signatures or digital signatures and the enforceability thereof, please consult with an attorney or law firm. Use of PandaDoc services are governed by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

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Covering the business and politics of space

Space Force defends plan to buy smaller, cheaper satellites to reinforce GPS 

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Speaking at a DefenseNews conference Sept. 4, Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations, said concept studies for R-GPS are ongoing but stressed that the program’s future hinges on congressional approval.

A separate battle over future GPS funding

Sandra erwin.

Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense... More by Sandra Erwin

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