An “evidence-based” process
Decision Associates’ strategic planning approach is an “evidence-based” process built on the premise that you compete against qualified competitors.
Each step of our process asks you to show the evidence that your concepts and capabilities position you to succeed. For each of the five to six strategic planning sessions, there is homework designed to prepare participants for the next meeting.
The key discussions in Decision Associates’ strategic planning process include:
1. Current State: Objectively, what is the current state of the company’s performance. What are your resources? What are your markets? What are the current projects in motion? What does the competitive landscape look like? Why and where are you succeeding? Why and where are competitors succeeding? What are your market challenges? What are your market opportunities? How are you performing financially and what is driving that performance?
2. Strengths/Competencies: What do you do well? How can you capitalize on these attributes? What capabilities best position you competitively in terms of growing market share, opening new markets, evaluating new opportunities, and building internal operational and managerial capacity? What are your manufacturing, infrastructure and engineering resources and can these support your business going forward?
3. Barriers/Weaknesses: What stands in the way of success? What are your problems and challenges? What issues represent the biggest barriers to growing market share in today’s highly competitive environment?
4. Business and Competitive Environment: How do your strengths and weaknesses compare to those of your closest competitors? Which markets of yours are likely to grow, which are likely to decline, which are likely to undergo change? How will the competitive and regulatory landscape evolve? Are there any internal barriers?
5. Marketing and Selling Processes: How do your marketing and selling processes need to evolve to succeed in the current marketplace? In new markets?
6. Vision: Where do you want to take this business, what do you want it to look like in three to five years? What will it take to get there? How will it be different than today? What will the business structure look like? Organizational structure?
7. Strategies: What are the four to six key initiatives that drive the company forward? Are they specific, actionable, and deliverable so that you can measure progress?
8. Business Objectives: What measurable objectives do you want to achieve over the next three to five years? How will you measure them? What are your capital investment plans and what is the ROI outlook?
9. Action Plans: Who will do what? When? How will it be accomplished? What are the measurable results? Are your action plans assignable and trackable. What is the methodology to ensure that you keep up with these plans month after month, year after year.
Learn more about Decision Associates’ strategic planning approach:
