Tactical & Operational Planning

Over the years we have come across many organisations that attempt to execute business strategy and implement business integration processes that unfortunately see only short term gain or failure.  It is unfortunate because they fail to realise the inherent value of this mission critical business management process. 

One of the main reasons for these failures appears to be the instability or lack of clarity of their tactical planning.  If the tactical end of the business is out of control and highly unstable, people are not going to be too interested in the longer-range or strategic business horizons.  It’s a must to gain control of the tactical planning in order to create a strong foundation for building a confident, competent and effective organisation. 

If the strategic plan is the destination, the tactical plan is the road map.

Tactical Planning is the process of taking the strategic plan and breaking it down into specific, short term actions and plans. The relative length of the planning horizon will vary from one business to another but typically the strategic plan will cover a period greater than three years while the tactical plan covers the period from today through to the end of year three.

The process of producing a useable tactical plan is not easy as some flexibility is required to allow response to unplanned events.  A Manager can use tactical planning to outline what the various parts of the organisation need to do to be successful at some point into the future, but they also need emphasize the current operations of those various parts.   It is important that the tactical plan should be checked to ensure it is aligned with the strategic plan and that all activities are aligned to the goals defined in the strategic plan.