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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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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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How To Write the Operations Plan Section of the 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.

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.

Keeping 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 disposed.

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, site, 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 crystalize 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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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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Free Annual Business Operational Plan Templates

Praburam Srinivasan

Growth Marketing Manager

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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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.

How to Finish Your Business Plan Template in 1 Day!

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your business plan template?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

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• Learn how to do operational planning th ...

Learn how to do operational planning the right way

Some of this planning will be developed yearly—things like your yearly objectives and key results, for example, will naturally grow as time goes on. But to make sure you’re staying on track and executing against your long-term goals, you need an operational plan. 

What is operational planning?

Operational planning is the process of turning your strategic plan into a detailed map that outlines exactly what action your team will take on a weekly, or sometimes even daily, basis. An operational plan will include action items and milestones that each team or department needs to complete in order to execute your strategic plan. 

During the operational planning process, outline each team or person’s responsibilities for the next quarter, six months, or fiscal year. The level of detail and timeline you select for your operational plan should depend on how quickly your organization typically moves—if you’re a fast-paced team with an accelerated roadmap, consider creating an operational plan for the next quarter or half year. But if your organization tends to think more long-term, create an operational plan for the entire fiscal year.

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Operational planning vs. strategic planning

A strategic plan is a business-level plan of your long-term strategy for the next three to five years. An operational plan is smaller in both scope and timeline. The goal of operational planning is to outline the daily actions you need to take to hit your strategic goals. 

Unlike a strategic plan, an operational plan should also focus on implementation . What daily and weekly actions does your team need to take in order to accomplish your longer-term strategic plan? What specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) do you need to track on a regular basis in order to ensure that your team is progressing towards your objectives? These details should be captured in your operational plan.

Who should create an operational plan?

To capture exactly who is doing what by when, an operational plan needs to be very detailed. For this reason, create an operational plan at a smaller scale than your strategic plan—both in terms of timeline and scope. Instead of trying to create an operational plan for your entire company, create one at the department or team level. At a larger company, you could even create an operational plan for a specific initiative—similar to a detailed work plan .

For example, create an operational plan to explain the daily tasks your IT department needs to do in order to support the company. Your IT department’s operational plan might include how frequently IT team members will check the IT requests project inbox , budgeting details for the program, how the IT team will onboard and equip new employees, and how frequently the team will meet. 

There are three levels to who should create an operational plan:

Scope: Your operational plan will capture the who, what, and when of each activity. It should be laser-focused on a team or initiative.

Timeline: Depending on how fast your organization moves, your operational plan should span a quarter, six months, or a fiscal year. 

Stakeholders: Make sure the people involved in operational planning are close to the work, so they can accurately project and predict what work should be included in the plan.

The benefits of operational planning

A strategic plan is a great way to proactively align your team around a shared purpose. By defining long-term goals, you can outline exactly where you want to go.

An operational plan helps you hit your strategic goals. According to our research, only 26% of knowledge workers have a very clear understanding of how their individual work relates to company goals. By creating a detail-oriented operational plan, you can define exactly what short-term goals you need to achieve in order to be on track towards your long-term objectives. It can help you think through the actions you’re currently taking or need to take in order to execute against your goals. 

In particular, an operational plan:

Clarifies exactly what your team will be doing on a weekly and daily basis.

Provides a comprehensive guide of the day-to-day operations your team members need to take in order to accomplish your long-term goals.

Sets a benchmark for daily expectations, so you can avoid getting off track.

5 steps to making an operational plan

During the operational planning process, you're not creating new plans or developing new goals. Rather, to create an operational plan, assess everything your team is currently working on and everything you need to do on a daily or weekly basis to hit your strategic goals. Here’s how:

1. Start with a strategic plan

If you haven’t already, create a strategic plan first. You need a long-term vision and goals before you can break down the day-to-day details. There are four steps to creating a strategic plan:

Determine your position

Develop your strategy

Build your strategic plan

Share, monitor, and manage your strategic plan

To learn more, read our article on strategic planning .

2. Narrow down your scope

In order to create a detail-oriented operational plan, you need to narrow the scope to a team, department, or focus area. The scope of your operational plan will depend on the size of your company.

For example, imagine you’re breaking down your strategic plan into action plans for various company departments. Your marketing team spans multiple functions—for example, design , product marketing, social media, content creation, and web promotion. To capture specific, daily functions within each team, you should create an operational action plan for each smaller team. 

3. Identify key stakeholders

Before creating an operational plan, decide who will be involved in the operational planning process. The team members creating the operational plan should be relatively close to the actions the plan describes. 

To continue our example, the design team’s operational plan should be created by the head of the design team and the team leads (depending on the size of the team). Once they’ve created their operational plan, the team should share the plan with the head of marketing for final approval.

4. Create the plan

Your operational plan explains the actions your team will take to achieve your goals within a set time frame. To create an operational plan, outline:

Your team’s objectives

The deliverables that will be achieved by the operational plan

Any desired outcomes or quality standards

Staffing and resource requirements , including your operating budget

How you will monitor and report on progress

If you’re struggling to figure out all the details that should be included in your operational plan, ask yourself the following questions: 

What do we need to accomplish? This information should come from your strategic plan or yearly goals.

What daily tasks do we need to complete in order to hit our goals? These can be daily tasks you’re currently doing or new work that needs to be kicked off.

Who are the people responsible for those tasks? Make sure each task has one owner so there’s no confusion about who to go to for questions or updates.

What are our metrics for success? If you haven’t already, make sure your goals follow the SMART framework . 

To continue our example, here’s the framework the design team might use to create their operational plan:

Part of the strategic plan for the marketing team is to increase share of voice in the market—which means more eyes on marketing materials and increased engagement with potential customers. To support these goals, the design team will: 

Create additional promotional materials for the social team

Revamp the website home page to attract more potential customers

To accomplish these two goals in the next year, the design team will:

Hire two new team members to focus on social media engagement

Partner with the web development team within the marketing department to create an interactive home page

To track and report on their progress, the design team will use Asana as their central source of truth for key performance metrics, including:

What designs they are creating

The level of engagement they’re getting on social media

The progress of the website update

This is just the framework the design team would use to create their operational plan. Bring this plan to life within a work management tool like Asana to share clarity on all of the work the team needs to do to hit their goals. With work management, every task can be tracked in real-time from inception to completion.

5. Share and update your operational plan

Once you’ve created the plan, share it with key stakeholders so they understand your team’s most important goals and the daily tasks it will take to get there. Manage your plan and updates in a shared tool that captures real-time progress, like Asana .

Like any element of project planning, things will inevitably change. Actively monitor your operational plan and report on progress so key stakeholders and team members can stay updated on how you’re tracking against your goals. Report on progress monthly through written status updates . 

Get started with operational planning

An operational plan can help you ensure you’re making progress on long-term goals. But in order for this plan to be effective, make sure you’re tracking your work in a centrally-accessible tool. Siloed information and goals don’t help anyone—instead, track your action items and goals in a work management tool.

Related resources

15 creative elevator pitch examples for every scenario

How Asana streamlines strategic planning with work management

How to create a CRM strategy: 6 steps (with examples)

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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.”

A refreshed look at leadership from the desk of CEO and chief content officer Stephanie Mehta

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How to Create a Strong Operational Plan for Your Business

Last Updated on March 18, 2024 by Owen McGab Enaohwo

Featured Bonus Content: Download our Epic Operational Plan Checklist for FREE! Click Here To Download It.

Is there a rampant lack of unity, evident confusion among employees, and complacency of stakeholders within your organization?

The lack of an operational plan negatively impacts the attitude of your team who may feel aimless with no sense of a greater purpose. They get lost trying to accomplish your company goals. So they come to work just for the paycheck.

The lack of a roadmap wears down the morale of your team because the future seems bleak, unpredictable, and out of control. These depressing conclusions pose a threat to employment—and affect the productivity of an organization.

Everyone is more productive when they have proper guidance on what they should be doing in an organization. A strong operational plan provides direction to your team and they know what’s expected of them.

Drafting an operational plan isn’t attractive, but it’s a must for any business. Fortunately, you don’t need to be a business guru to create one. This in-depth guide will help you get it right.

Operational Plan Full Guide – Content Index

Chapter 1: what is an operational plan, chapter 2: the importance of an effective operational plan, chapter 3: steps to creating a successful operational plan, chapter 4: key items to include in your operational plan.

Chapter 5: Questions That a Good Operational Plan Answers

Chapter 6: Software to Help Implement Operational Plans

Chapter 7: operational plan examples, chapter 8: using sweetprocess for operational planning and other business processes.

Conclusion: Create a Strong Operational Plan That Supercharges Your Business

You may have mapped out your long-term strategies covering at least the next five years. But your organization still needs additional planning to help it get into the future successfully. Some of the planning will take a year to develop.

To make sure your company executes against the set long-term goals and stays on track throughout, you’ll need a strong and effective operational plan.

What is an operational plan?

An operational plan is a strategic plan turned into a detailed map clearly defining what actions your company’s team members need to take on a weekly or daily basis.

It includes action milestones and items that each department or team member in your organization needs to complete before you can execute your strategic plan.

When drafting an operational plan, summarize each team member’s responsibilities for the next financial year. How long it takes to create your operational plan will significantly depend on how quickly your organization moves.

For example, if teams want to focus on the long term, then draft a detailed operational plan with an extended timeline (at least more than a year).

That said, if you’re a fast-paced team with a hastened roadmap, draft an operational plan covering at least the next half year.

What are the different types of operational plans?

An operational plan is more department-focused. Only two types of this plan exist in the business world: standing and single-use.

Single-use operational plan . As the name suggests, this is an operational plan that is only used once before being discarded when a project is complete.

Using this operational plan is favorable only when your project doesn’t match another project in your organization (or isn’t likely to be used again). The best way to get the most of the single-use is to customize it to fit your project.

Standing operational plan . Unlike the single-use, a standing operational plan is used frequently and repeatedly. The organization will use this plan for different tasks and new projects cropping up frequently.

When you have a standing plan, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time. But you will sacrifice time to make it more flexible for your project.

Operational Plan vs. Strategic Plan

Compared to a strategic plan—a long-term strategic plan covers three to five years—an operational plan is smaller in terms of timeline and scope.

The goal of the latter plan is to summarize the daily individual tasks you need to take to attain your strategic goals (in your organization).

During the operational planning process, ensure to capture specific details in the document such as:

• Specific key performance indicators (or KPIs) you need to track regularly to ensure your team members are progressing toward your company objectives.
• Daily and weekly individual tasks that your team needs to take to effectively accomplish your long-term strategic plan.

In essence—and unlike a strategic plan—when creating an operational plan, make sure to focus on the implementation of specific (daily or weekly) actions.

What are the levels of creating an operational plan?

To effectively capture the specifics of what each team member is doing, create a detailed operational plan. For that reason, ensure to draft an operational plan at a smaller scale.

In other words, instead of creating an operational plan for your entire organization, draft one for each team member or department.

If you have a larger organization, draft a detailed operational plan for each specific initiative—more like a detail-oriented work plan.

For instance, let’s focus on your IT department and draft an operational plan explaining how the department’s daily tasks can support your organization.

In the operational plan for the IT department, make sure to capture how frequently team members meet, how they hire and equip new employees, budgeting details, and how frequently IT teams check their projects inbox.

Here are the three levels of creating an operational plan:

Timeline : Depending on how fast your organization works, your operational planning process should span six months to a year.

Stakeholders : Ensure the people involved in the operational planning process are closely related to the work so they can forecast what is to be included in the plan.

Scope : When drafting an operational plan, ensure to include the details of who, what, and when of each business activity. Zero in on a specific team member or initiative.

Operational Plan vs. Tactical Plan

An operational plan is about how things need to happen in an organization, while a tactical plan is about what is going to happen in an organization.

The tactical planning process supports strategic planning and includes tactics a company intends to use to achieve what’s outlined in the strategic plan.

An operational plan describes ongoing plans (or the daily running) in a company. The scope of a tactical plan is less than one fiscal year and can be subdivided into a strategic plan with actionable objectives.

Unlike an operational plan, a tactical plan asks specific questions about what needs to happen to accomplish certain company goals and objectives.

An operational plan asks an organization how it will carry out action tasks to accomplish its mission.

Key Components of a Tactical Plan

Creating a tactical plan greatly varies with each organization and its unique set of goals. That said, creating a successful tactical plan requires several key elements, including:

• Flexibility
• Timeline. (Duration needed to accomplish each action in a tactical plan)
• Directly responsible individuals (or DRIs). (Who are the people responsible for the tactical planning goals?)
• Resources. (May include outsourcing products, finance equipment, workforce, material, and more needed to achieve a tactical plan’s success.)
• Key performance indicators (or KPIs).
• Actionable steps. (These are steps outlined to progress toward the end goal.)
• Goals and objectives. (What would you like your company to achieve?)
• Mission and background of the business.

Here are a few essential things to consider when developing a tactical plan for your organization’s team members. (For the record, your tactical plan should answer these questions to help meet the objectives of your operational plan).

• What’s the timeline for achieving the set of goals?
• Do you have specific tools or resources to help you accomplish these objectives?
• Are there specific actions you need to take to achieve the intended outcome?

An effective operational plan serves as a practical manual that ensures quality management and accountability in a company’s department are attained.

Each year, companies revisit their operational plans to identify weak revenue areas, revamp workflows, and define new growth opportunities.

Other top benefits of operational planning include:

1. Supercharges accountability in your business

Each business activity within an organization requires accountability. An operational plan establishes great accountability for each operation.

It also clarifies the expectations of each employee and department, making it easier for everyone to identify the activities they’re responsible for and why.

Identifying inefficiencies in a department becomes easier when you have an operational plan in place. You just need to revisit the plan and identify where the inefficiency occurred and then fix the problem.

2. Optimizes resource management

The mismanagement of a company’s resources often leads to low productivity levels and loss of revenue. But when you allocate resources to an operational plan, resource management processes in your organization are optimized.

By improving resource management in each department, everyone can get the necessary materials to perform daily tasks as required, leading to success.

An operational plan dictates which resources are needed, what the budget should be, who should be in charge of activities, and what activities are essential in the company.

When implemented properly, an operational plan can eliminate guesswork and minimize the misappropriation of resources that leads to losses.

3. Enhances workplace productivity

To maintain workplace morale and accountability, certain key performance indicators are needed to track employee performance.

And without setting specific goals for each role in your organization, you decrease the effectiveness of both operational and workplace productivity.

An operational plan optimizes the performance of an organization and ensures each department understands how their productivity levels and work quality has a direct impact on the entire organization.

4. Clarifies what each team member is doing daily

An operational plan clarifies the activities, responsibilities, and daily tasks of department heads and managers in detail. It also illustrates how team members in an organization play a key role in achieving a department’s goals.

Without a well-defined operational plan, team members will have a difficult time measuring tasks against pre-defined outcomes.

5. Improves competitive advantages

To enhance workflow in an organization and ensure it runs smoothly, coordinating different parts of an operational plan is necessary. This coordination eventually allows team members to deliver high-quality deliverables without delay, keep their heads in the competition, and create outstanding customer experiences.

6. Boosts organization’s profits

Having an effective operational plan keeps teams and projects on track. And when operations in an organization are managed properly, team members can boost a company’s profits and bolster innovations—faster and better.

7. Increases operational efficiency

An operational plan is similar to a roadmap that aligns an organization’s activities to achieve specific goals.

It acts as a guide to decision-making and management discussions that determine resource and budget requirements. In the process, it accomplishes set objectives and increases operational efficiency .

8. Gets everyone aligned with the company’s goals and objectives

An operational plan sets up a sense of direction in which an organization must travel. It aligns everyone with the company’s goals and objectives.

Operational planning offers much more foundation to an organization and ensures it establishes boundaries for efficient decision-making, compensates team members, evaluates success, and eventually scales new heights.

9. Allows organizations to be proactive rather than reactive

Organizations wish to foresee the future and prepare for any eventualities. Through operational planning, organizations can anticipate unfavorable scenarios months earlier and safeguard against them in the future.

With a strong operational plan in place, companies can end up being more proactive rather than reacting to situations as soon as they happen.

And because of being proactive, you can keep up with the latest trends and stay ahead of competitors.

10. Helps you hit your strategic goals

A detailed operational plan defines the short-term goals you need to achieve as an organization and then guides you toward attaining long-term objectives.

In other words, a strong operational plan can help you think through the actions you need to take to help hit your strategic goals. About 26 percent of workers understand how daily individual tasks directly relate to an organization’s goals.

11. It makes success more likely

Every organization should set ambitious goals as it always gives you something to drive toward. But realizing these goals is practically impossible without a realistic operational plan in place. Creating an operational plan makes it more likely that your organization will succeed over time.

12. Improves teamwork and collaboration

When you create an operational plan, everyone, including department heads and managers, has a role to play.

Therefore, they won’t need to step into each other’s toes when handling day-to-day tasks. That’s the beauty of the operational plan as it clearly pinpoints who is responsible for what task, and sets expectations on how and when these tasks are achieved.

To create a successful operational plan, evaluate tasks your team is working on and everything you’re doing on a day-to-day basis to achieve your company goals. Here are key steps to successful operational planning.

Step 1: Set up your strategic plan

The first step is to create a strategic plan if you haven’t already. You need to have a vision and goals in place before you can break them down into daily tasks.

So, how do you create a strategic plan?

• By determining your current position
• By developing your strategies
• By building your strategic plan
• By sharing, monitoring, and managing your strategic plan

Step 2: Narrow down your scope

To create a successful and detail-oriented operational plan for your organization, narrow down your scope to a smaller department or team. However, this will significantly depend on the size of your organization.

If your company has several departments, you need to break down your strategic plans into action plans to fit all these departments.

For example, your marketing team is responsible for web promotion, content creation, social media, product marketing, and design.

To capture daily tasks within each marketing team, create an operational plan for each smaller marketing team.

Step 3: Identify your main goals

Identify and prioritize your main goals to create a simple operations plan. A simple operations plan is more likely to succeed than a complex one. Why? Because your company’s marketing team can easily follow it to the letter.

When identifying your main goals, focus on three to five initiatives likely to contribute to your long-term goals and objectives. Then develop metrics to measure your key performance indicators (KPIs).

Step 4: Select the right KPIs

Predictive measurements or leading indicators are great key performance indicators that can help you predict the future. Compared to measurements of the past or lagging indicators, they’re more helpful in guiding you to make early adjustments as you go.

Think of operational planning as a car where the windshield is the leading indicator and the rear-view mirror is the lagging indicator. Leading indicators look into the future while lagging indicators look back.

Step 5: Involve major stakeholders

When drafting an operational plan, think of the people you want to include in the operational planning process.

The members drafting the plan for your organization should be those close to the actions that the plan seeks to describe and execute.

For example, the head of the design team should be involved in the creation of the design team’s operational plan. Once the plan is successfully created, the head of marketing should make the final approval.

Step 6: Write the operational plan

Your company’s operational plan details all the actions your team members will undertake to achieve your set goals within a given timeframe. To create a successful operational plan, make sure to include:

• The objectives of your team members.
• That tangible “thing” (or deliverable) you expect the operational plan to achieve.
• Quality standards and any other desired outcomes.
• Your current operating budget (and other resource requirements) and staffing.
• How you will monitor and report your progress from time to time.

If you’re struggling to come up with details to outline in your operational plan, ask yourself these four questions:

• What does my organization need to accomplish? Look into your yearly goals and you’ll find answers to this question.
• What specific tasks should my company complete to hit our set goals? Find out all the daily tasks you are currently handling with your team members.
• Who should be handling the daily tasks? Make sure each team member is handling specific individual tasks to avoid confusion in the future in case a problem arises.
• What are we using to measure progress and success? Make sure all your set goals are specific and achievable.

Step 7: Update your plan

Once you have an operational plan in place, share it with your team members to lend them visibility of the goals and specific tasks needed to get your company to success. Then systemize the operational plan’s updates through a real-time progress tool.

Just like any other project planning tool, things will someday take a different turn and change.

So, to make sure key stakeholders and team members are updated regularly, make sure to actively monitor your operational plan and report on its progress.

Every company’s functional operational plan has key elements accentuating its purpose and direction.

Some of these essential elements include:

Mission Statement

An operational plan is more of a tactical tool that implements an organization’s strategic plan.

A strategic plan complements the mission of an operational plan, answering the “why” for any activity, process, task, and project.

Without the mission statement, an organization will simply draft an operational plan but with no clear direction or purpose. Think of it as planning a journey without a real destination in mind. The efforts are futile.

Goals and Objectives

If an operational plan is complicated to grasp, team members in your organization won’t follow it to the letter—and for a good reason.

The best way to avoid creating a complex operational plan is to set specific goals then break them down into small objectives.

Imagine creating an operational plan covering the next one year, and a goal to scale your sales by about 25 percent yearly. It’s difficult to achieve such a goal.

But if you subdivide this goal into monthly objectives such as improving conversion rates in January, generating leads in February, increasing website traffic in March, and so on, your company’s marketing team will quickly achieve this goal with ease.

Value Proposition

Why should someone become your company’s partner, client, or customer? A value proposition is a brief description that answers this question.

Your company’s value proposition explains to potential customers why your products offer more value for money than your competitors’ offerings.

However, in the context of operational planning, a value proposition emphasizes your company’s mission and strength, helping your team members to focus on why the organization is doing business in the first place.

Drafting an operational plan is just half the journey. You should create an operational plan that can measure the effectiveness and success of your organization—or, better yet, a plan that clearly defines a list of metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs).

Predictive indicators are the best metrics and KPIs to measure because they show what a team expects in the future.

By predicting future outcomes, predictive indicators allow a company’s marketing team to make early adjustments before it is too late.

Constant Communication

Your operational plan is only as good as the people willing to execute it. Before you begin operational planning, take time to discuss the selected KPIs with your company’s team and relevant departments.

Being in constant communication with these people will ensure they fully understand why particular KPIs were selected, their importance to your organization, and how they’ll help your organization achieve its goals and objectives.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis—strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis—helps you to identify crucial aspects, happenings, and threats within your organization.

Running a SWOT analysis will provide you with clear insights into the daily operations of your organization.

Your organization’s weakness might be the inability to attract local customers, while its strength could be its ability to enhance smooth business operations. Knowing this can help you improve certain areas of the organization.

Chapter 5: Questions Answered By a Good Operational Plan

If you’re a first-time business owner or have never created an operational plan, you may not know where to start. If that’s your current dilemma, here are four top questions every good operational plan should answer:

#1: What yearly goals do we need to accomplish? 

This question compels you to be clear about the specific goals you want to achieve as an organization.

Your goals should be reachable and challenging but not overwhelming that you have to tirelessly work yourself and your team to the bones to achieve them. More information about your goals should come from your strategic plan.

#2: What daily tasks do we need to complete to hit those goals? 

Daily tasks could be anything you’re currently doing in your organization or new work that needs to be kicked off right away. Daily individual tasks could be divided such that each includes one clearly defined action.

Completing a specific task every day brings you closer to hitting your goals because you’ll end up making progress while having small accomplishments every day.

#3: Who is responsible for those daily tasks?

This question addresses a crucial aspect of any project in an organization: Who will take responsibility if any of those tasks fail?

Make sure someone in your team is responsible for each daily task. That way, there’ll be no confusion about who to go to for questions or updates. When operational planning, be clear on who your teammates are, how they work, and the role they play.

#4: What are our success metrics?

This question is of utmost importance, and something many organizations forget to consider. If you cannot measure progress, you can’t rally your teammates toward achieving specific goals for your organization.

To find out the right metrics for your organization’s success, make sure your goals follow the SMART framework , which dictates that your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound.

To improve efficiency and implement an operational plan in your organization, you need a comprehensive tool (or software) to help you share files with team members, maintain project budget, manage resources, create workflows, and track projects.

Here’s a list of software to use to help develop your operational plan:

Monday has a rich list of features with a simple user interface.

If you’re new to the software, you’ll have little trouble learning how it works. The best part? It has a unique presentation that puts it ahead of the competition.

This top-rated software boasts a unique proprietary task management and dashboard system, which is designed to help you manage every step of a project, including budgeting, resource management, time tracking, and task management.

Despite being valuable, Monday fails in the pricing department. The most basic paid option (for three seats) starts at $24 (per month). The good news is that there’s a free trial and even a free option for two seats.

Asana is designed with team members in mind.

It’s accessible to everyone in an organization and provides useful team collaboration features and task management options.

In an organization, Asana empowers all team members in a project to work closely, communicate, and collaborate with their managers.

The most notable Asana feature is the workload management feature. It uses notifications and graphs to notify managers when members in an organization are assigned more work than they can realistically handle.

Asana lacks project reporting and budgeting features.

Trello boasts a healthy list of features with a simple learning curve.

This software is ideal for all kinds of teams and projects in an organization, including HR tracking, sales pipelines, customer support tracking, software development, marketing projects, and content teams.

If you’re just developing an operational plan for your company, managing projects in Trello is fun. The software is ideal for mapping out and tracking your process.

4. SweetProcess

SweetProcess gives you the systemization to scale and grow your business.

Whether you’re managing a team or you’re hiring your first employee, SweetProcess helps you focus on the work that matters—including document processes, procedures, and tasks—and puts them in one place so you can focus on growing your business.

This software documents how team members need to do their job by harnessing the culture of defining and improving business operations.

If you have SweetProcess and you combine it with the right team members, there’s nothing that may limit how far and wide your organization may go.

Wrike is scalable and flexible. It helps you track and manage tasks.

This simple software is designed for fast-paced projects with continuously changing demands and needs. And when it comes to functionality, Wrike delivers in spades despite having a plain user interface.

Compared to its competitors, Wrike boasts project reporting and budget management features which can be useful when creating an operational plan.

Having a business plan is not enough. A business plan should have (or complement) an operational plan.

To put it another way, if you don’t set action plans and strategies (for your business operations), your business functions will not be complete. Here are examples of business operational plans:

Business Operational Plan Template

Source: template.net

File format: Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Pages

Operational Plan Template

Startup Operational Plan Template

Basic Operational Plan Template

The usage of these documents can (positively or negatively) influence the operations of your business. An operational plan simply peeks into the quality standards and metrics you need to consider to attain operational success, goals, and objectives.

SweetProcess can help you manage a company’s operations in a super-easy way. It’s a standardized, online operational manual that processes documents, procedures, and tasks in one place so you can focus on growing your business.

So, whether you manage a team or you’re hiring your first employee, SweetProcess will systemize operations and help you scale your business.

Here are real-life examples of how the SweetProcess platform streamlined operations for different companies.

A Dental Clinic Streamlined Its Operations Post-COVID Shutdown through SweetProcess

The Dentist Off Main, a dental clinic based in Oregon, wanted to improve its patients’ dental experience by systemizing its business operations.

Dr. Olesya Salathe and Alex Jacks (who both run the dental clinic) started to document their business processes on Word documents only to realize it’s a tedious process. They now needed a better system to help enhance the efficiency of their employees.

And that’s how they came to learn about SweetProcess.

SweetProcess platform came in handy and they were fascinated that it could streamline their operations . But they had not done much until the emergence of the COVID-19.

“… We didn’t dive deep [into SweetProcess] until the pandemic hit, and then we were shut down. The idea of coming back without clear processes when the scary virus is out there solidified that we literally cannot work without systems and processes”.

SweetProcess helped them achieve success (and change a lot of things post COVID-19 pandemic) and ensure the safety of their patients and employees.

SweetProcess Improved an Australian Brewing Company’s Performance and Operations

Stone & Wood, an Australian brewing company, was in dire need of maintaining quality assurance and enhancing smooth operations.

The company was working with binders and Microsoft Word documents to resolve the problem to no avail.

The absence of an effective system made it impossible to achieve their desired success. After trying several outdated systems, they finally found a solution in SweetProcess .

Thomas Parker, the company’s quality assurance and sensory coordinator, said SweetProcess was the right fit for Stone & Wood. It enhanced the efficiency of his team members with hands-on information to systemize tasks successfully.

“I did look at several different options online. I can’t recall the specifics, but ultimately, it did boil down to a couple, and I liked SweetProcess from its ease of use and how flexible the sign-up was.”

SweetProcess simply repositioned the organization’s operations for the better, enhancing its performance tremendously by simplifying employee training, creating a centralized knowledge base, and customizing operations.

A Canada-Based Law Firm Used SweetProcess to Structure Its Business Operations

Resolute Legal, a law firm based in Canada, had a poor business structure and it became a serious concern for David Brannen, the founder and managing lawyer of the law firm.

Initially, David juggled all the tasks in the early days of his business. Disorganization soon caught up with him and he now desperately needed help.

Afraid that his business would not scale to new levels unless he created proper business structures, David started looking for an effective system that could systemize his business operations . And that’s how he discovered SweetProcess.

“I had someone tell me probably in the six months to a year before I got SweetProcess that I would never be able to be successful or grow this business if I didn’t get out of my way. Basically what he told me is: you got to systemize things.”

SweetProcess helped David become successful in his business. He scaled up from being a lone ranger to “having a real business with a bunch of employees.”

Create a Strong Operational Plan That Supercharges Your Business

Anyone can create a good operational plan, but drafting a strong operational plan that supercharges a business to broader levels? That’s a whole new ballgame.

Strong operational planning helps your organization achieve its broader vision. It’s a roadmap guiding you to accomplish a set goal.

To create a strong operational plan that supercharges your business, you should:

• Understand your vision
• Create achievable goals
• Lay out concrete plans to meet them

Operational planning isn’t something you can whip up in half an hour on your lunch break. You need to set aside hours (or days) to do the legwork, meet with stakeholders and department leaders, and create a strategy with detailed action steps.

If that sounds challenging, don’t worry. SweetProcess will help you get it right, saving you precious time and money.

Adopting SweetProcess will streamline all your business operations and soar your business to newer levels.

Sign up for a  14-day free trial  today (no credit card required), and download the “Epic Operational Plan Checklist That Ensures You Don’t Miss a Thing”, that covers actionable steps to help you draft a smooth and effective operation plan.

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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.

Operational Plan: Everything You Need To Know (2024 Guide)

The old way of planning no longer works in complex and unpredictable business environments, and companies are struggling to find their feet on shaky ground. As we’ve seen with many of our customers and strategies in Cascade, organizations can no longer count on executing three or even five-year strategic plans.

The new reality forces companies and their operations teams to adapt their operational plans more frequently and within shorter time frames if they want to reap benefits faster than their competitors. Organizations need to work on their strategic instinct and fast adaptability to enhance their operational efficiency .  

And that requires big changes—including building a flexible operational plan, supported by the right tools and systems that help you achieve real-time centralized observability and empower a strategic response to external disruptions.

Read this article to build a bulletproof operational plan that includes all the key elements necessary to overcome unpredictable business chaos. You’ll also get free templates that will help you rapidly adapt and align your teams.

✨Bonus: We’ve included pro tips from business leaders in our network to help you identify gaps in your strategy execution and build resilient business operations.

What Is An Operational Plan?

An operational plan is action and detail-oriented; it needs to focus on short-term strategy execution and outline an organization's day-to-day operations. If your operations strategy is a promise, your operational plan is the action plan for how you will deliver on it every day, week, and month.

Put simply, an operational plan helps you bridge the gap between business strategy and on-the-ground execution and ensures that the organization is on track to achieve its long-term goals.

Benefits of operational planning

• Clear definition of relationships between cross-functional teams in different departments and responsibilities for each to eliminate duplicated efforts.
• Tighter alignment between corporate or business unit strategic plans and on-the-ground execution, helping the organization meet its business targets.
• Strong operating system that enables the company to quickly adapt, deliver operations goals, and monitor performance.

Operational planning vs. strategic planning

Operational planning deals with the day-to-day details and short-term goals, while strategic planning focuses on the big picture and long-term direction of an organization.

To put it in simpler terms, operational planning is about the "how" of daily tasks, while strategic planning defines the "what" and "why" for future success.

📚Recommended reading: Strategic vs. Operational Planning

Kickstart Your Operational Planning Process: Lay The Foundation

The quality of your operational plan will depend on your input. A successful operational planning initiative will consider these aspects:

• Who will be involved? Identify and include employees, customers, and the management team in the planning process to gain valuable insights from the front lines, ensuring better strategy and execution buy-in.
• What are your internal capabilities? Assess internal capabilities by conducting an internal analysis , including resource requirements, operating budget, and talent skills. Talent management and employee engagement are just a few of the many challenges that COOs will have on their operations agenda.
• What environment are you operating in? Conduct an external analysis (e.g., PESTLE or Porter’s 5 Forces ) to inform your approach and identify optimization opportunities and risks, keeping you agile in a changing market.
• Is it aligned with your organization’s strategy? Ensure alignment of your operational plan with your organization’s strategic plan to actively support the company's long-term vision and contribute to key business metrics.

👉🏻 Once you’ve gathered this information, you can develop an operational plan to help you execute business strategies.

Key Elements Of Your Operational Plan

Enough chit-chat; it’s time to put your operational plan together. We've built this based on our proven and tested approach, used by over +45,000 Cascade users.

See how Cascade Strategy Execution Platform enhances operational efficiency by reducing duplication and aligning teams toward common goals. It effectively eliminates waste resulting from misalignment, fostering smoother operations and improved performance.

Here’s a recap of the five key elements your plan must consider:

Choose key metrics aligned with the company goals

Selecting your operational plan's key metrics isn't a mere exercise in tracking numbers; it's about laser-focused alignment with your business needs and objectives. These metrics are the tangible indicators of your organization's efficiency and performance. They serve as the compass, guiding your daily decisions and actions toward achieving concrete results.

By precisely aligning these metrics with your company's core objectives, you ensure that every initiative and action within your operational plan directly contributes to achieving tangible results.

An aligned operational plan makes it easier to:

• Communicate roles and responsibilities to all employees so they know how their efforts contribute to overall business success.
• Identify and address operational bottlenecks and inefficiencies that could derail strategy execution.
• Motivate and engage employees to work toward strategic objectives and deliver on business outcomes.

Remember that the role of operations is to close the gap between your organization's strategic goals and what is being done on a daily basis to make them happen.

👉🏻 How Cascade can help:

With Cascade’s Metrics Library , you can bring your operating and financial business-level goals together with your strategy under one single roof. This makes reporting & governance easy, accurate, and less time-consuming by connecting your business data to your key business initiatives.

Through Cascade’s integrations , you can consolidate your metrics in one place, importing your data directly from business systems, data lakes, BI tools, or even spreadsheets.

Define the focus areas of your operational plan

The focus areas of your operational plan are the key areas of the business that the plan will address.

This will depend on your business plan. Think about how the business operates and how it succeeds. Do you need to pursue short-term cost reductions while simultaneously pursuing longer-term growth and transformation initiatives? Your operational plans must be built on these strategic priorities.

For example, you can prioritize your focus areas based on the most relevant business strategies or by specific departments. Some examples of focus areas could be:

• Administration
• Human Resources

💡Tips to help define the focus areas of your operational plan:

• Identify the business's key challenges and opportunities.
• Consider the business's overall long-term strategy and key metrics and how the operational plan's focus areas can support these objectives.
• Bring other people on board to help you identify what needs to be addressed by the operations plan.

Create strategic objectives for your operational plan

Strategic objectives are specific goals aligned with the operation’s strategy and focus areas. They represent what you want to achieve in each focus area and will serve as the building blocks of your plan, ensuring that it’s focused and actionable.

Some examples of strategic objectives:

• Reduce costs by 10% within the next year by implementing more efficient processes and streamlining the supply chain over the next year.
• Launch three new products in the next fiscal year to expand your product lines and increase revenue.
• Increase customer satisfaction scores by 5% within the next six months.

💡Tips for defining strategic objectives include:

• Ensure your objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
• Consistently align objectives with your operational plan's focus areas and the company's goals.
• Don’t be afraid to get input from other people about your objectives.

Identify and prioritize projects

It’s time to identify and prioritize the projects that need to be executed. Remember, projects are action plans to help you achieve your strategic objectives.

Project planning should include thinking about time frames, task assignments, and deliverables (and prioritizing).

Here are some examples of project ideas:

• Localize sourcing for critical semi-finished materials.
• Streamline the supply chain to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
• Find and develop an alternative logistics channel.
• Implement a new customer service training program to improve customer satisfaction scores.
• Implement a new technology that will enable end-to-end supply chain visibility.

💡Tips for defining and prioritizing projects:

• Identify the specific actions and activities needed to achieve each strategic objective.
• Prioritize the projects based on their importance, feasibility, and potential impact on the business.
• Involve stakeholders in defining and prioritizing the projects to ensure their needs and concerns are heard.

Identify and track key performance indicators (KPIs)

Finally, you’ll need to know if your operational plan and day-to-day activities result in outcomes.

Set KPIs for key initiatives and strategic objectives to measure success, ensure alignment, and identify performance gaps in your operational plan.

Some examples of operations KPIs are:

• Inventory costs
• Costs of goods sold
• Revenue growth
• Employee retention rate
• Customer satisfaction score

💡Tips for defining and tracking KPIs:

• Align KPIs with your strategic objectives and focus areas so that you can track the plan's progress against these specific goals.
• Add both lagging and leading indicators .
• Instead of using multiple disconnected spreadsheets and project management tools, consider live dashboards or reporting systems to track the KPIs and monitor progress over time.

👉🏻 How Cascade can help build your plan:

Cascade’s planner feature enables you to build your operational plan with structure and ease by breaking down the complexity from high-level initiatives to executable outcomes. Define your key elements (focus areas, objectives, projects, and KPIs), and share the plan with your teams. You’ll get full visibility of the plan’s progress in real-time, allowing you to identify gaps, quickly update the plan, and communicate the change with your team with a single click.

👉🏻 If you don’t want to start building the plan from scratch, use our free Operational Plan Template pre-filled with examples of focus areas, objectives, projects, and KPIs that you can customize to meet your organization’s needs.

Operational Plan Examples & Templates

Here are five operational plan examples to help you create plans for your teams. You can use one master operational plan or set up an operational plan for each department.

Master Operational Plan Example

This Operational Plan Template will help you close the gap between business goals and day-to-day operations. You'll be able to set goals and KPIs for your top priorities and work with the operations team to deliver operational excellence and business results.

HR Plan Example

This HR Operational Plan Template can be used to meet staffing requirements, manage human capital and align human resources activities with your strategy. HR managers in any industry can create a clear operational plan that can be constantly monitored, adapted, and improved.

IT Plan Example

If you’re in the IT team, try out this IT Plan Template to get your IT operational planning up and running fast. It comes prefilled with focus areas and KPIs relevant to IT operations; you can easily customize workflows and deliverables to your needs.

Marketing Plan Example

This Marketing Plan Template can help you efficiently understand and plan your digital marketing operations using best practices. Use it to quickly set up priorities and get your social media and marketing teams moving on tasks that will make an impact.

Finance Plan Example

This finance-focused template is ideal if you want to get on top of your finance operations plan. Use it to allocate and distribute financial resources across your organization and get real-time updates through your dashboard and reports—which are great tools to create a visually compelling financial summary that clearly shows your key metrics.

💡Pro Tip: To ensure successful execution, it's crucial to align not just your master operational plan with your overarching strategic plan, but also all the operational department plans.

With the Alignment Maps feature, you’ll be able to visualize how your top-level business strategy breaks down into functional and operational plans. This empowers COOs and CFOs to consolidate their operational plans in one place, creating tighter alignment between the finance and operations teams and improving cross-collaboration to build more resilient operations.

Want to dig deeper? Use the Relationships feature to see the relationships between connected objectives from your plans and understand how your different department goals contribute to the core business metrics and goals. This view will allow you to clearly map dependencies, blockers, and risks that may lie along your journey.

5 Tips For An Effective Operational Plan And Its Execution

1. don’t underestimate the power of transparent communication.

Regularly communicate the operational plan and progress to all relevant stakeholders to build the necessary buy-in and support. Your employees must know your goals and the roadmap, and team members should understand their role in its execution. This business transparency will help everyone row in the same direction.

“Clarity regarding strategy is one of the key drivers of autonomous execution. If people understand what you’re working toward and have guardrails in place, they can be empowered to make their own decisions and don’t need everything to be ‘run up the chain’ to get approved. This allows you to move fast and at scale.” — Sam Sterling , Chief Strategy Officer, Akqa

2. Keep moving forward and adopt a growth mindset

Keep the momentum going and ensure that the plan is executed effectively. Regular monitoring and reviews can help identify and address any challenges or obstacles that may arise.

Schedule regular reviews and check-ins and provide the necessary support to ensure projects are on track and moving forward.

“I think adopting a growth mindset is super important. This means having the confidence to fail fast, try something new and empower people to do that.” — Ken Miller , General Manager, Azure Intelligent Cloud at Microsoft

With the Team Updates functionality, every team member can post updates on key measures, actions, and objectives. This will give you real-time visibility into performance and help you identify possible risks before it’s too late—without having to schedule extra meetings or nag your team members for updates.

3. Make strategic moves and change fast when you need to

Your operational plan should be flexible, adaptable, and open to adjustments. This means keeping an eye on progress, making corrections if needed, and being willing to adapt the plan to changing circumstances or new opportunities. As McKinsey suggests, you can consider creating a team that will be able to collect data, link analysis with action, and offer quick responses to rapid changes.

“Traditionally, companies would have taken that piece of paper and gone out and said: we're going to execute it, start to finish. Then get into the formulation of the strategy, what we need to hit, and what the end product result will be like. But what we do know is that’s never the case. Along the way, you're going to have bumps, and inevitably, you’ll need to change from that original picture.” — Annie Lucchitti , Marketing Manager, Unilever

4. Empower your operations team and boost efficiency

Effective operational planning requires the engagement and empowerment of your team. Involve stakeholders in the planning process and provide them with the necessary resources. Give them context and an opportunity to set goals and prioritize initiatives. This will help you boost engagement and hold them accountable for progress.

“I think it just works at every single level. Are people allowed to be themselves at work? Personally, are they at peace? Are they happy? Productivity happens when people have the right skills, but also when they are engaged and happy. If one of those fails a bit, productivity will start decreasing.” — Joan Torrents , Global Sourcing Manager, TESCO.

5. If it isn’t measured, it isn’t managed

Don’t underestimate the importance of tracking and measuring progress against the operational plan's goals and objectives. Set milestones, enforce KPIs, and stay on top of progress. Doing this will help you stay on course, empower you to act quickly, and provide valuable insights into what is going wrong.

“Data is a foundational element in the strategy definition phase as well as in the strategy execution phase as it helps create a baseline, identify key priorities, set goals, and measure progress.” — Erica Santoni , Principal, Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Intuit

Use Cascade’s Dashboards to monitor your day-to-day progress on key metrics and critical business and strategic information in real-time.

Compile the information in powerful reports and executive summaries in seconds with pre-built templates. Share them with your key stakeholders —internal and external— and invite them to collaborate on your strategy together.

Execute Your Operational Plan With Cascade 🚀

What good is an operational plan if no one executes it? If your organization wants to operate at a higher level, static tools like Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoints, Google Docs, and/or project management tools aren’t the solution.

❌They aren’t designed for adaptive strategy and planning.

❌They often lead to siloing and hinder effective cross-collaboration.

❌They make it challenging to measure progress and slow down decision-making.

With Cascade as your central operating system, you can stop running business operations blindfolded and embrace rapid, coordinated, and data-driven decision-making.

Get your Operational Plan Template to get started with a dynamic plan that will lead to actual outcomes for your business and see faster results from your strategy.

Or take Cascade for a spin! Start today for free or book a 1:1 product tour with Cascade’s in-house strategy expert.

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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.

Download Now

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.

Download now

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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Operational Plan Template

Get your Operational Plan Template for Word or open it in ProjectManager, the best way to manage your projects online.

Once you have a strategic plan that defines your business strategy and sets up long-term goals, the next step is to achieve what you set out to do. Use our free operational plan template for Word to map out the steps you’ll take to get from where you are to where you want to be.

Or you can open an operational plan template in ProjectManager, where you can manage your plan with a Gantt chart, spreadsheet, task list, kanban board or calendar—all in an online collaborative space. Update your plan and invite your team, so you can work together in real time and track progress along the way. Get started for free and make a better operational plan.

What Is an Operational Plan Template?

An operational plan is short-term and can cover daily, weekly or monthly timeframes. It focuses on business operations, which are all the activities that are executed to deliver a product or service. The focus of the operational plan is to deliver on the strategic initiatives of a business. That’s why an operational plan is more detailed than a strategic plan; it details timelines, the scope of work and more.

The free operational plan template for Word is a tool to organize all the information you’ll need to meet the strategic goals of your business. It acts as a plan to outline the tasks, resources, budget and timeline, but also as a means of communicating the operational plan to the entire business to get buy-in from everyone involved. They have to understand deadlines, metrics for success and more.

Why Should You Use an Operational Plan Template?

Using our free operational plan template for Word provides your business with a single document that communicates the goals for everyone to understand. It helps identify parts of the business that need sharpening, can generate more revenue, are inefficient or can benefit from a partnership.

An operational plan is useful for any sized business, big or small, in that it connects teams across departments and focuses their activities on achieving the business’s strategic goals. Through the operational plan, the leadership team can detail tasks and outline what everyone in the business will be responsible for doing.

Not only does the operational plan set forth the work, but it defines the metrics that’ll measure the progress of that work to ensure that it stays on schedule. All of this works to boost productivity as there are assignments, deadlines and monitoring to keep everyone on track.

Who Should Use This Operational Plan Template?

Since the operational plan is designed to create daily tasks to achieve a business’ short-term goals, it’s a document that will touch many hands. The first is leadership, as they’re the ones tasked with developing the strategic plan that informs the operational plan.

Next, managers are often the ones assigned with the responsibility of creating the operational plan, though it’ll involve a good deal of back-and-forth with leadership to ensure it addresses everything that’s in the larger business strategy.

Finally, the operational plan filters down to the team or employees who are assigned the tasks that will deliver the goals that the business wants to achieve. As they do this work, though, managers will also be using the operational plan to monitor their progress and make sure they’re hitting the milestones which mean the work is moving forward as scheduled.

Breaking down the strategic goals into actionable steps is what makes an operational plan an effective tool for businesses. It must coordinate across different departments, often in different locations, and flow unobstructed through managerial levels. Doing this ensures that everyone is working toward the same objectives. Project management software is key to planning, managing and tracking an operational plan.

ProjectManager is award-winning project management software that can do much more than a static template. While our free operational plan template for Word sets up your operational plan, our software realizes it with robust Gantt charts that organize tasks, resources and costs on a timeline. You can link all four types of task dependencies to avoid costly delays and set a baseline to track your progress in real time against your planned effort. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

What Does This Operational Plan Template for Word Include?

When you download our free operational plan template for Word, you get an outline of everything you’ll need to develop and execute that operational plan to achieve your strategic goals. You can add your company logo and customize the template however you want. If you need to add or subtract sections, it’s as easy as cutting and pasting.

On top of the operational plan template, you’ll find an informational box. This is where you can name the plan, who created it and the date that it was made. There’s also space to add contact information. Again, if there are additional administrative details you want to add, the template can be easily customized. After this, there’s the meat of the operational plan, which includes the following.

Executive Summary

You want to start the operational plan by summarizing it for stakeholders who are only going to want the broad strokes. In this brief section, touch on all the points that’ll follow and will be more fleshed out.

Operational Objectives

The objectives of your strategic plan are going to direct the objectives of the operational plan. The strategic initiative is more general and the operational plan must fill in the blanks to make it clear how you’ll get from where you are as a business to where you want to be. That operational goal, though, must align with the strategic one.

Tasks, Processes & Workflows

Now we’re getting into the nitty-gritty of the operational plan. This is where the tasks are determined and whatever resources are required to execute them . You’ll want to assign each task to a specific team or team member as well as what processes they’ll use and map out the workflows.

Operational Budget

Tasks and resources cost the most. This is where you’ll accurately forecast the financial side of the operational plan. You’ll want to again list your tasks and resources, but this time, add an estimated cost next to each task and the associated resources in order to figure out what the project will cost.

Operational Timeline

You’ve outlined what must be done, by who and with what, including how much it’ll cost. Now it’s time to develop a schedule . The project, by definition, has a start and end date. Each task also has a start and end date. To figure out the duration of the project, you’ll list all the tasks and add a start date, end date and duration for each one.

Hiring Plan

Depending on your organization, you might have internal teams who will execute the organizational plan or you might have to contract or hire others to fulfill the requirements of the plan. Here is where you’ll note that. If new hires are needed, detail what those hires will be.

Quality Assurance and Control

The operational plan might require that you comply with various regulations or codes. Even if there are no such things related to what you’re planning to do, you’ll still want to make sure that what you produce is meeting quality expectations. This requires having a quality assurance plan with controls to monitor and respond to issues.

Key Performance Indicators

In order to control the organizational plan as it moves into its execution, you’ll need to define key performance indicators (KPIs). These metrics will allow you to measure progress and performance to make sure you are hitting milestones, staying on schedule and meeting your budget .

Risks, Assumptions and Constraints

Every project has risks , assumptions and constraints. Here you’ll want to identify what they are and how you’ll deal with them. These all can impact the project, both negatively and positively. It’s important to have a plan in place to address them quickly to mitigate or take advantage of these things as they occur.

ProjectManager Helps With Operational Planning

In order to manage all these different parts of your organizational plan, you’ll need project management software. ProjectManager is award-winning software that helps you plan, manage and track your operational plan in real time. Our risk management, task management and resource management features help you keep the project on track and teams productive by managing time, resources and costs effectively.

Use Multiple Project Tracking Views

An operational plan is executed across departments in a business. These different parts of the organization are likely to use different tools, from development to marketing and sales. Our multiple project views mean that everyone gets to use the tool that works for them. Managers can plan on Gantt charts while others can execute the plan on kanban boards to visualize workflow (great for software developers) or task lists, calendars and more. Every project view is updated in real time so no matter which one you’re using the data on, it’s up to date and keeps everyone on the same page.

Monitor Costs, Time and Progress on Real-Time Dashboards

KPIs are essential to keeping the operational plan on track. Some of those metrics are costs, time and progress, which are all key to staying on schedule and within your budget. Our real-time dashboard automatically collects this data and displays it in easy-to-read graphs and charts that show those metrics in addition to workload and more. There’s no time-consuming or complicated setup needed as you’ll find with lightweight tools. Simply toggle over to the dashboard and it’ll give you a high-level view of your project.

Related Operations Management Content

ProjectManager is powerful project management software, but it’s also an online hub for all things related to project management. Of course, there are dozens of free project management templates to download, but there are also weekly blogs, guides and more. Below is just a sampling of what our site has to offer. We cherry-picked the operations management-related works but look around. There’s plenty more.

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

ProjectManager is online project management software that empowers teams to plan, manage and track operational plans in real time. Gantt charts map out your plan, including costs, resources and more. Use kanban boards, task lists and more to execute, and it’s easy to generate customizable reports to get more detail than dashboards can offer. Then share them to keep stakeholders updated. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. 

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Business Operational Plan

Your business operational plan is an important corporate document as it guides the entire workforce when it comes to the implementation of operational guidelines, work processes, and quality standards. Through an effective business operational plan, it will be easier for the management to promote workplace efficiency which can directly impact the business’s profitability, sustainability, and continuous development. You may also see weekly plan examples .

Business Operational Plan Template

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Operational Plan Template

A simple operational plan  is expected to discuss matters related to business objectives, operational call-to-actions timeline, and procedural instructions.

If a business operational plan will be created and implemented appropriately, it can positively affect not only creditors and investors but all other stakeholders of the business as well. Making a business operational plan is a tedious work process that you need to take seriously as it can direct your business to future achievements and successes. You may also like simple business plan examples .

Try to use any of our downloadable examples if you want to have references when putting together the content of your company’s own business operational plan.

Business Operational Plan Example

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Operation and Maintenance Plan for Businesses Example

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Agency Business Operations Plan Example

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Things to Prioritize in Making a Business Operational Plan

May it be an operational plan for a restaurant or a primary school operational plan that you are currently making, one of the things that can help you successfully come up with an effective business operational plan is the existence of a well-defined objective. Knowing how to use the business operational plan properly to your advantage can make it easier for your business to implement strategies and action plans that can further improve your current corporate condition.

Aside from setting the goals and objectives of the business operational plan’s usage, here are more items that you need to prioritize if you plan to start making your business operational plan:

1. Make sure that you will be working with the right people. A part of this is ensuring the quality standards of the recruitment and selection processes of your businesses. The workforce from different departments must be aware of their expected deliverable and responsibilities so that you can count on them in terms of providing the business needs and requirements in a timely manner. You may also see risk plan examples & samples .

Working with highly skilled and competitive employees will also allow you to come up with proper responsibility designation based on the ability of your workforce to function at their maximum potential.

2. Have a timeline that the workforce and the other stakeholders involved in the business operational plan will follow.

You have to set defined time frames where specific activities are expected to be done and where particular deliverable are required to be present. Make sure that you will set attainable and realistic deadlines so that you can consider the working hours of your workforce as well as the duties that they will be assigned with. An effective timeline can result to the timely achievement of your operational goals and objectives .

3. List down all the operational call-to-actions that you would like to execute. It is important for your business operational plan to tap all the departments or divisions of the business.

All the areas of the company or business establishment must be highly functional so that the objectives set by the management in terms of operations can be achieved. Moreover, make sure that your action plans are well-designated to specific individuals or teams so you can track the progress of each action plans .

4. Do not forget the financial aspect of the implementation of the business operational plan. Set and allocate a budget that will be used for a given time period or duration. You have to ensure that you will prepare a list or a document that can present the cost that each division or department will be given with so that their operational responsibilities and tasks will be fulfilled. You may also like work plan examples & samples .

5. Set clear instructions or directions that can make the business action plan understandable and transparent. Come up with a list of business areas or locations where specific operational activities must be implemented. You have to make sure that employees can identify the part of the operations where their deliverable and expertise are needed based on the content specification of your business operational plan. You may also check out sales plan examples .

Primary School Business Operational Plan and Strategic Resourcing Example

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Detailed Business Operational Plan Example

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Business Operating Plan or Operations and Maintenance Plan Example

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Restaurant Business Operational Plan Example

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How to Ensure the Efficiency and Effectiveness of a Business Operational Plan

The  sales strategy plan , marketing strategy plan, business operational plan, and all the other business plans of the business must be aligned with one another to produce maximum results. With this, you have to make sure that you will look into the development of each plan closely so that all of them can affect and impact your business positively. Here are some of the ways on how you can ensure that you will create an efficient and effective business operational plan:

1. Always remember that different business departments have different needs. Hence, the objectives of your business operational plan must fit the operational requirements of each business area. Being able to align action plans with what each department are truly expected to provide can help your business operational plan to produce great results. You may also see risk management examples .

2. Come up with business operational plan objectives that are strategic, specific, and time-bound. You have to think of the current condition of the business and the things that you can do and implement to ensure that it can reach its vision and goals. A great objective listing can help your business operational plan to be more realistic and attainable. You may also like transition plan examples .

3. Look into the production processes of the business. Thinking of the demands, requirements, needs, and nature of the operations of your business can help you develop a relevant business operational plan. You also have to consider your company’s operational guidelines, general policies , and protocols so that you can identify the particular activities that will allow you to maximize the usage of your resources without breaking any rules or misleading the workforce during the business operational plan’s implementation.

4. There are a number of resources that you have to keep in mind which includes your suppliers of choice, the technology that the company uses in its operations, the materials and equipment that are necessary to be present in the workplace, the cost of the operations that the business should provide, and the people that will execute the business operational plan. You may also check out quality plan examples & samples .

Operational Plan for a Food Truck Business Example

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Facilities Management and Services Operations Plan Example

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Operational Plan for a Business Example

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Business Performance Management Framework Operational Planning Toolkit Example

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How to Set Appropriate Milestones Based on the Business Operational Plan Timeline

For your business operational timeline to work at its best, you have to make sure that you will set deadlines in all the action plans that you will write down. Moreover, you have to be precise with the things that you would like to achieve in specific time frames. Some of the time-bound milestones that your business operational plan must have include the following:

1. Recruit the best qualified candidate for particular work positions. As we have specified above, you have to think of the quality standards that you will set for your hiring processes. Executing business operational plans can be easier if you have the right people working with you. You may also see advertising plan examples .

2. Keep track of the development of the production. There are different things that you need to look into within the operations of the business. Know what happens during the phases of product design, development, testing, launch, and presentation.

Knowing that you have quality products to offer can make it more effective for you to incorporate a business operational plan that can make your offers more marketable, impressive, and appealing. The same goes when setting goals for the development and improvement of your services. You may also like event plan examples & samples .

3. Identify whether your business development strategy plan can also make your business more profitable. For a business to be sustainable and for a business operational plan to be deemed a success, sales must either be maintained or further improved. This can present the efficiency of all the strategies and action plans done within business operations.

4. Ensure that your business operational plan will target the right audience and the correct market. All the elements of the business operations are interlinked with one another. This is why you also have to think of the audience that you would like to be aware of the operational improvements of your business. You may also check out daily plan examples & samples .

Up for the challenge of creating an impressive business operational plan? Download any of our examples and try to start drafting your company’s own business operational plan.

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7 Business Plan Examples to Inspire Your Own (2024)

Need support creating your business plan? Check out these business plan examples for inspiration.

Any aspiring entrepreneur researching how to start a business will likely be advised to write a business plan. But few resources provide business plan examples to really guide you through writing one of your own.

Here are some real-world and illustrative business plan examples to help you craft your business plan .

7 business plan examples: section by section

The business plan examples in this article follow this template:

• Executive summary.  An introductory overview of your business.
• Company description.  A more in-depth and detailed description of your business and why it exists.
• Market analysis.  Research-based information about the industry and your target market.
• Products and services.  What you plan to offer in exchange for money.
• Marketing plan.   The promotional strategy to introduce your business to the world and drive sales.
• Logistics and operations plan.  Everything that happens in the background to make your business function properly.
• Financial plan.  A breakdown of your numbers to show what you need to get started as well as to prove viability of profitability.
• Executive summary

Your  executive summary  is a page that gives a high-level overview of the rest of your business plan. It’s easiest to save this section for last.

In this  free business plan template , the executive summary is four paragraphs and takes a little over half a page:

• Company description

You might repurpose your company description elsewhere, like on your About page, social media profile pages, or other properties that require a boilerplate description of your small business.

Soap brand ORRIS  has a blurb on its About page that could easily be repurposed for the company description section of its business plan.

You can also go more in-depth with your company overview and include the following sections, like in the example for Paw Print Post:

• Business structure.  This section outlines how you  registered your business —as an  LLC , sole proprietorship, corporation, or other  business type . “Paw Print Post will operate as a sole proprietorship run by the owner, Jane Matthews.”
• Nature of the business.  “Paw Print Post sells unique, one-of-a-kind digitally printed cards that are customized with a pet’s unique paw prints.”
• Industry.  “Paw Print Post operates primarily in the pet industry and sells goods that could also be categorized as part of the greeting card industry.”
• Background information.  “Jane Matthews, the founder of Paw Print Post, has a long history in the pet industry and working with animals, and was recently trained as a graphic designer. She’s combining those two loves to capture a niche in the market: unique greeting cards customized with a pet’s paw prints, without needing to resort to the traditional (and messy) options of casting your pet’s prints in plaster or using pet-safe ink to have them stamp their ‘signature.’”
• Business objectives.  “Jane will have Paw Print Post ready to launch at the Big Important Pet Expo in Toronto to get the word out among industry players and consumers alike. After two years in business, Jane aims to drive $150,000 in annual revenue from the sale of Paw Print Post’s signature greeting cards and have expanded into two new product categories.”
• Team.  “Jane Matthews is the sole full-time employee of Paw Print Post but hires contractors as needed to support her workflow and fill gaps in her skill set. Notably, Paw Print Post has a standing contract for five hours a week of virtual assistant support with Virtual Assistants Pro.”

Your  mission statement  may also make an appearance here.  Passionfruit  shares its mission statement on its company website, and it would also work well in its example business plan.

• Market analysis

The market analysis consists of research about supply and demand, your target demographics, industry trends, and the competitive landscape. You might run a SWOT analysis and include that in your business plan. 

Here’s an example  SWOT analysis  for an online tailored-shirt business:

You’ll also want to do a  competitive analysis  as part of the market research component of your business plan. This will tell you who you’re up against and give you ideas on how to differentiate your brand. A broad competitive analysis might include:

• Target customers
• Unique value add  or what sets their products apart
• Sales pitch
• Price points  for products
• Shipping  policy
• Products and services

This section of your business plan describes your offerings—which products and services do you sell to your customers? Here’s an example for Paw Print Post:

• Marketing plan

It’s always a good idea to develop a marketing plan  before you launch your business. Your marketing plan shows how you’ll get the word out about your business, and it’s an essential component of your business plan as well.

The Paw Print Post focuses on four Ps: price, product, promotion, and place. However, you can take a different approach with your marketing plan. Maybe you can pull from your existing  marketing strategy , or maybe you break it down by the different marketing channels. Whatever approach you take, your marketing plan should describe how you intend to promote your business and offerings to potential customers.

• Logistics and operations plan

The Paw Print Post example considered suppliers, production, facilities, equipment, shipping and fulfillment, and inventory.

Financial plan

The financial plan provides a breakdown of sales, revenue, profit, expenses, and other relevant financial metrics related to funding and profiting from your business.

Ecommerce brand  Nature’s Candy’s financial plan  breaks down predicted revenue, expenses, and net profit in graphs.

It then dives deeper into the financials to include:

• Funding needs
• Projected profit-and-loss statement
• Projected balance sheet
• Projected cash-flow statement

You can use this financial plan spreadsheet to build your own financial statements, including income statement, balance sheet, and cash-flow statement.

Types of business plans, and what to include for each

A one-page business plan is meant to be high level and easy to understand at a glance. You’ll want to include all of the sections, but make sure they’re truncated and summarized:

• Executive summary: truncated
• Market analysis: summarized
• Products and services: summarized
• Marketing plan: summarized
• Logistics and operations plan: summarized
• Financials: summarized

A startup business plan is for a new business. Typically, these plans are developed and shared to secure  outside funding . As such, there’s a bigger focus on the financials, as well as on other sections that determine viability of your business idea—market research, for example.

• Market analysis: in-depth
• Financials: in-depth

Your internal business plan is meant to keep your team on the same page and aligned toward the same goal.

A strategic, or growth, business plan is a bigger picture, more-long-term look at your business. As such, the forecasts tend to look further into the future, and growth and revenue goals may be higher. Essentially, you want to use all the sections you would in a normal business plan and build upon each.

• Market analysis: comprehensive outlook
• Products and services: for launch and expansion
• Marketing plan: comprehensive outlook
• Logistics and operations plan: comprehensive outlook
• Financials: comprehensive outlook

Feasibility

Your feasibility business plan is sort of a pre-business plan—many refer to it as simply a feasibility study. This plan essentially lays the groundwork and validates that it’s worth the effort to make a full business plan for your idea. As such, it’s mostly centered around research.

Set yourself up for success as a business owner

Building a good business plan serves as a roadmap you can use for your ecommerce business at launch and as you reach each of your business goals. Business plans create accountability for entrepreneurs and synergy among teams, regardless of your  business model .

Kickstart your ecommerce business and set yourself up for success with an intentional business planning process—and with the sample business plans above to guide your own path.

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Business plan examples FAQ

How do i write a simple business plan, what is the best format to write a business plan, what are the 4 key elements of a business plan.

• Executive summary: A concise overview of the company's mission, goals, target audience, and financial objectives.
• Business description: A description of the company's purpose, operations, products and services, target markets, and competitive landscape.
• Market analysis: An analysis of the industry, market trends, potential customers, and competitors.
• Financial plan: A detailed description of the company's financial forecasts and strategies.

What are the 3 main points of a business plan?

• Concept: Your concept should explain the purpose of your business and provide an overall summary of what you intend to accomplish.
• Contents: Your content should include details about the products and services you provide, your target market, and your competition.
• Cashflow: Your cash flow section should include information about your expected cash inflows and outflows, such as capital investments, operating costs, and revenue projections.

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Mastering Operations Strategy: Key Elements for Success

What is Operations Strategy?

Definition of operations strategy.

An operations strategy is a comprehensive plan that outlines the actions and decisions needed to manage and optimize the production and delivery of goods and services. It’s a roadmap designed to align day-to-day operations with long-term business goals, ensuring all activities contribute to overall organizational success. This type of strategy is crucial for establishing the methods and frameworks through which an organization achieves its objectives efficiently.

Importance of Operations Strategy

The significance of effective operations strategy cannot be overstated. By aligning operations strategy with broader business aims, companies can enhance their competitive positioning, realize cost efficiencies, and ensure smoother execution of business activities. Without a well-defined operations strategy, it becomes challenging to scale operations, enhance customer satisfaction, or achieve long-term sustainability. Explore business diagrams for strategic planning .

Aligning Operations Strategy with Business Goals: Ensures coherence and unified direction across all departments.

Enhancing Competitive Advantage: Through optimized processes and resource allocation, companies can outperform competitors.

Operational Efficiency: Streamlines processes to reduce waste and manage costs effectively.

For those interested in operational action planning, Learn more about Operational Planning .

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Examples of Operations Strategies

An operations strategy is a long-term plan that outlines how an organization will utilize its resources to support business objectives, deliver value to customers, and gain a competitive edge. Here are some examples of operations strategies across different industries:

1. Cost Leadership Strategy

Example: A manufacturing company might focus on reducing production costs through economies of scale, lean manufacturing techniques, and efficient supply chain management. Companies like Walmart and IKEA leverage cost leadership by focusing on high efficiency, large-scale production, and cost-saving measures to offer low prices to consumers.

2. Quality Improvement Strategy

Example: A luxury car manufacturer, such as BMW or Mercedes-Benz, might focus on superior quality as a core element of its operations strategy. This can involve implementing rigorous quality control processes, investing in advanced manufacturing technologies, and sourcing high-quality materials to maintain a premium brand image.

3. Customer Service Strategy

Example: A company like Ritz-Carlton focuses on delivering exceptional customer service as part of its operations strategy. By empowering employees to provide personalized service and resolving issues on the spot, the company creates a loyal customer base and enhances its brand reputation.

4. Sustainability Strategy

Example: A company like Patagonia emphasizes sustainability in its operations strategy. This might include using environmentally friendly materials, reducing waste in manufacturing processes, and encouraging recycling among customers to align with its brand values and attract environmentally conscious consumers.

5. Technology Integration Strategy

Example: A company like Tesla incorporates advanced technology into its operations strategy by investing in automation, AI, and robotics to streamline production processes, enhance product quality, and improve efficiency in its Gigafactories.

These strategies are often tailored to fit the specific goals and challenges of the organization and are designed to align with the overall business strategy.

5 Key Elements of an Operations Strategy

A successful operations strategy is comprised of several key components:

Resources: Including human, mechanical, and locational. It’s vital to assess both current capabilities and potential acquisitions.

Technology: Encompassing advanced tools beyond basic software, such as production automation and machine learning.

Products/Services: Analyzing the lifecycle of your offerings and adapting to market trends will optimize efficiency.

Facilities: Ensuring production facilities and inventory management systems meet operational goals and safety standards.

Production System: Essential for effective resource planning and quality control, influencing long-term operational efficiency.

Why is a Successful Operational Strategy Important?

Aligning with business goals.

An effective operational strategy is pivotal in ensuring that an organization’s daily activities are aligned with its overarching business goals. By synchronizing operational plans with strategic objectives, companies can streamline their processes and improve overall efficiency. This alignment helps in setting clear priorities and ensures that all departments work towards common targets, ultimately leading to cohesive and coordinated business efforts.

Gaining Competitive Advantage

A well-crafted operational strategy enhances a company’s competitive advantage by optimizing resource utilization and improving customer satisfaction. For instance, tailoring production processes to meet unique customer needs not only boosts brand loyalty but also positions the business favorably in the market. Competitive priorities such as speed, quality, and flexibility become achievable, thus providing a significant edge over competitors. Read more on a winning customer experience strategy.

Improving Operational Efficiency

An operational strategy is crucial for enhancing operational efficiency. It allows businesses to identify and eliminate bottlenecks, optimize workflows, and reduce operational costs. Utilizing tools like action plans can further clarify roles and responsibilities, making the execution of operational tasks more structured and effective.

Companies leveraging platforms like Creately, can achieve greater transparency and collaboration, resulting in improved productivity and streamlined operations.

Components of an Effective Operations Strategy

No matter which type of initiative you choose to prioritize in your company, you’ll need to consider several key components for an effective operations strategy:

Capacity Planning:

Accurately assessing your current resources and anticipating future needs is crucial for long-term success. A thorough understanding of your business’s capabilities helps identify what is necessary to sustain or expand operations.

Human Resources Management:

Effective HR planning covers everything from attracting new talent to retaining existing employees. Prioritizing your workforce can reduce turnover, stabilize operations, and preserve valuable institutional knowledge.

Quality Management:

Implementing quality management practices ensures that product development meets desired standards. In a professional service firm, this might involve focusing on client feedback to enhance collaboration and outcomes.

Supply Chain Management:

In manufacturing, supply chain management is vital. Streamlining the flow of goods from suppliers helps reduce costs, support growth, and ensure high levels of customer service.

Technology and Innovation:

Embracing digital transformation and cutting-edge technologies is essential for boosting business efficiency. Regardless of the industry, tools like AI, automation, and cloud computing can greatly enhance operational capabilities and inform better decision-making.

5 Core Types of Operational Strategies

Understanding the different types of operational strategies is crucial for optimizing your business operations. Here, we explore the various approaches and provide operational strategy examples to illustrate their application.

1. Cost-Based Strategy

A cost-based strategy focuses primarily on minimizing expenses to deliver competitive pricing. It involves optimizing the supply chain, automating workflows, and carefully managing resources to maintain low costs without compromising quality. This strategy is particularly beneficial for businesses competing on price.

Focus: Minimizing costs to offer competitive pricing.

Approach: This strategy emphasizes cost efficiency through optimized supply chains, bulk purchasing, automation, and lean production techniques. Companies aim to reduce operational expenses without compromising product quality.

Example: Walmart is known for its cost-based strategy, using its scale and efficient logistics to offer low prices.

2. Quality-Based Strategy

Quality-based strategies prioritize delivering high-quality products or services. This approach aims to enhance customer satisfaction, boost brand reputation, and reduce return rates. Companies implementing this strategy often invest in rigorous quality control processes and continuous improvement initiatives.

Focus: Delivering superior quality products or services.

Approach: Companies that adopt a quality-based strategy prioritize high standards in production and service delivery. They invest in quality control measures, continuous improvement processes, and premium materials to enhance customer satisfaction and brand reputation.

Example: Mercedes-Benz focuses on quality-based strategies by producing high-end vehicles with precision engineering and premium materials.

3. Flexibility Strategy

Flexibility strategies are designed to allow businesses to adapt quickly to market changes and customer demands. This strategy involves developing flexible systems and processes that can accommodate varying production volumes or personalized customer requests. Flexibility also fosters innovation and rapid product development.

Focus: Adapting quickly to market changes and customer demands.

Approach: Flexibility strategies involve developing adaptable systems that can respond to varying production volumes, customized orders, or changing market conditions. This strategy often includes diversification, flexible manufacturing systems, and scalable operations.

Example: Amazon’s ability to scale operations during peak times like holidays reflects its flexibility strategy, ensuring timely deliveries and meeting fluctuating demand.

4. Speed-Based Strategy

In today’s fast-paced business environment, speed is often a critical factor in gaining a competitive edge. A speed-based strategy focuses on minimizing the time required to produce and deliver products or services to customers. By implementing techniques such as just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing, lean operations, and process streamlining, companies can significantly reduce lead times and enhance their ability to meet customer expectations swiftly. This strategy is particularly vital in industries where timely delivery is crucial, such as logistics and e-commerce.

Focus: Reducing lead times and accelerating delivery.

Approach: Speed-based strategies focus on reducing the time it takes to produce and deliver products or services. Techniques like just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing, lean operations, and streamlined processes are used to increase efficiency and meet customer expectations for quick service.

Example: Companies like FedEx and UPS utilize speed-based strategies to ensure fast and reliable delivery services.

5. Dependability Strategy

Reliability is the foundation of trust between a company and its customers. A dependability strategy is centered on ensuring that products and services are consistently delivered as promised, maintaining high levels of operational reliability. By focusing on robust supply chain management, consistent production processes, and unwavering service quality, companies can build strong customer loyalty and a solid reputation for dependability. This strategy is essential for businesses where consistency and reliability are key to customer satisfaction and long-term success.

Focus: Ensuring consistent and reliable operations.

Approach: A dependability strategy centers on maintaining high levels of reliability in delivering products or services. This involves robust supply chain management, consistent production processes, and reliable service delivery, which build customer trust and loyalty.

Example: Toyota is known for its dependability strategy, focusing on consistent quality and reliable production processes through its well-established Toyota Production System (TPS).

6. Innovation Strategy

In a rapidly evolving market, innovation is the engine that drives growth and differentiation. An innovation strategy emphasizes the continuous development of new products, services, and business processes to stay ahead of the competition. By investing in research and development (R&D), fostering a culture of creativity, and embracing new technologies, companies can introduce groundbreaking offerings that capture market share and set industry trends. This strategy is crucial for businesses aiming to lead in dynamic sectors where staying innovative is the key to sustained success.

Focus: Driving growth through innovation in products, services, or processes.

Approach: Innovation strategies prioritize the development of new products, services, or ways of doing business. Companies invest in research and development (R&D), encourage creativity, and seek out new technologies to stay ahead of competitors.

Example: Apple’s focus on innovation in product design and technology has kept it at the forefront of the tech industry.

7. Service-Based Strategy

Exceptional customer service can be a powerful differentiator in a competitive market. A service-based strategy focuses on delivering outstanding customer experiences as a core component of the business’s value proposition. Companies adopting this approach invest in comprehensive training, advanced customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and continuous service innovation to exceed customer expectations. This strategy is vital for businesses looking to build strong, lasting relationships with their customers, where service excellence is the hallmark of their brand.

Focus: Providing exceptional customer service to differentiate from competitors.

Approach: Companies adopting a service-based strategy emphasize customer service excellence as a key differentiator. They invest in training, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and service innovation to create a superior customer experience.

Example: Companies like Ritz-Carlton and Zappos are renowned for their exceptional customer service, which is a core part of their operational strategy.

Adopting the right operational strategy can significantly impact your business’s efficiency and competitive stance in the market. By understanding and implementing a suitable strategy, you can better manage costs, maintain high-quality standards, and swiftly adapt to changes, thereby positioning your business for success.

Creating an Operational Plan

Setting goals and objectives.

Creating a robust operational plan starts with clearly defining your goals and objectives. Understanding what you aim to achieve helps structure your approach and ensures alignment with overarching business strategies. Begin by analyzing your company’s market position, current operational capabilities, and the competitive landscape. Utilizing tools like a SWOT analysis generator aids in pinpointing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, helping to set realistic and impactful goals.

Budget and Indicators

Once goals are established, the next step is to allocate a corresponding budget. An effective operational plan must include financial planning to fund different activities, whether for marketing, production, or human resources. Incorporating leading indicators is equally crucial, as they provide early signals for potential issues and help in proactively managing operations. Indicators like sales growth, customer satisfaction scores, and production efficiency metrics offer actionable insights for monitoring and adjusting strategies.

Communication and Documentation

A successful operational plan hinges on efficient communication and thorough documentation. It’s essential to communicate the plan’s objectives, strategies, and key performance metrics to team members and stakeholders to ensure everyone is on the same page. Keeping detailed documentation of processes, decisions, and progress aids in maintaining transparency and accountability.

Technology and Tools

Leveraging technology not only enhances the operations planning process but also streamlines execution. Integrated visual collaboration tools like Creately provide an interactive platform that enables users to visualize and manage operational plans effectively. Advanced tools such as Market Research, Competitive Analysis, and cascading OKR Structures can be used to help align day-to-day operations with long-term business goals. These tools facilitate data-driven decision-making, thereby improving overall operational effectiveness.

An operational plan serves as a roadmap to achieving business objectives, ensuring every team member understands their role and how their efforts contribute to the larger mission. By setting clear goals, managing budgets, maintaining open communication, and utilizing the right tools, businesses can vastly improve their operational efficiency and strategic alignment.

Benefits of a Robust Operations Strategy

Cost savings and optimization.

A well-defined operations strategy helps businesses manage and optimize costs effectively. By streamlining processes and removing inefficiencies, companies can minimize waste and reduce expenses. This strategic approach enables organizations to allocate resources more judiciously, leading to better financial health and a stronger bottom line.

Customer Satisfaction

One of the significant advantages of a robust operations strategy is the ability to deliver high-quality products and services consistently. This reliability boosts customer satisfaction and loyalty. Enhancing customer experience is imperative for long-term success, as satisfied customers are more likely to become repeat buyers and brand advocates.

Operational Efficiency

A meticulously crafted operations strategy ensures that all business activities are optimized for maximum efficiency. By simplifying workflows and leveraging technology, companies can enhance productivity and reduce the time and resources needed to achieve operational objectives.

Market Competitiveness

Companies with strong operations strategies are better positioned to compete in their respective markets. By aligning operational activities with strategic goals, businesses can respond swiftly to market demands, leverage opportunities, and mitigate risks. This proactive approach offers a unique competitive edge, making it easier to thrive in a dynamic market environment.

Leveraging Technology for Operations Strategy

In today’s fast-paced business environment, leveraging technology is critical to maintaining an effective operations strategy. Technology doesn’t just support operational processes; it transforms them. From automating routine tasks to providing real-time data insights, technology enables organizations to streamline their operations, reduce costs, and improve productivity and efficiency.

Types of Impactful Technology

Several types of technology can significantly impact your operations strategy:

Production Line Automation: Automation tools can optimize workflows, reduce errors, and increase consistency in production processes.

Machine Learning: Leveraging machine learning algorithms can predict maintenance needs, analyze production data, and improve decision-making processes.

Business Process Automation (BPA) Software: Platforms like Creately’s visual workspace can automate repetitive tasks, ensuring that resources are used efficiently.

Real-Time Data Integration: Tools that provide real-time updates on various KPIs empower businesses to make data-driven decisions quickly and effectively.

Tools like Creately facilitate the creation and execution of an operations strategy with features like Strategy Mapping Software and Real-time Data Integration , making it easier to visualize and align strategic goals effectively within your organization.

Utilizing comprehensive tools like Creately facilitate thorough planning, seamless execution, and continuous improvement, ensuring your operations strategy is always aligned with your overarching business goals.

Integration Benefits

Integrating technology into your operations strategy offers numerous benefits:

Enhanced Efficiency: Automating routine processes frees up valuable time for employees to focus on more strategic tasks.

Improved Decision-Making: Real-time data integration and analysis tools, such as those offered by Creately, provide the insights needed for informed decision-making.

Increased Collaboration: Collaborative tools allow teams to work together seamlessly, regardless of their physical locations.

Reduced Costs: By optimizing processes and reducing manual errors, technology helps to cut down on operational costs, thereby increasing profitability.

Best Practices for Implementing an Operations Strategy

Implementing an operations strategy requires more than just a solid plan. It involves leveraging the right tools, adhering to proven best practices, and constantly measuring and adapting the strategy to suit evolving business needs. Here are some of the key practices, tools, and frameworks that can facilitate the implementation of your operations strategy.

Key Practices

Embedding these key practices into your strategy implementation can ensure better outcomes:

Define Clear Objectives: Establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound SMART goals that align with your overarching business strategy.

Engage Stakeholders: Actively involve stakeholders at all levels to foster buy-in and ensure everyone is on the same page.

Document Everything: Maintain comprehensive documentation of all strategic decisions and changes to ensure clarity and accountability.

Communicate Effectively: Foster open communication channels within the organization to ensure smooth execution and alignment with business goals.

Monitor Performance: Use key performance indicators (KPIs) and other metrics to regularly track progress and make necessary adjustments.

Tools and Frameworks

Several tools and frameworks can assist in the successful implementation of your operations strategy:

Visual Strategy Mapping: Utilize visual tools like Creately’s Visual Strategy Mapping Software to create a clear and communicative visual representation of your strategy.

Market Analysis and Competitive Strategy: Regularly conduct market analysis and competitive benchmarking to stay ahead of industry trends and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Real-time Data Integration: Leverage real-time data integration to ensure that all stakeholders have access to the most current information, facilitating informed decision-making.

Analysis Frameworks: Employ various analysis frameworks like SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis, and Porter’s Five Forces to thoroughly analyze internal and external factors impacting your operations strategy.

Project Management Software: Utilize tools like Creately to manage project timelines, resources, and ongoing tasks efficiently, ensuring a streamlined implementation process.

Measuring and Adapting

Continuous assessment and adaptation are crucial for the long-term success of an operations strategy. Follow these steps for effective measurement and adaptation:

Set Benchmarks: Establish initial benchmarks for various KPIs to gauge the performance against strategic objectives.

Regular Reviews: Conduct regular performance reviews to identify gaps and areas of improvement.

Incorporate Feedback: Actively seek feedback from various stakeholders and incorporate it into your strategic refinements.

Adapt to Changes: Stay agile and be prepared to adjust your strategy based on new data, market trends, and internal performance metrics.

Scale Up Successes: Identify successful elements of your strategy and scale them up across different departments and operations.

By incorporating these best practices, tools, and frameworks into your operations strategy implementation, you can ensure a more effective and dynamic approach to achieving your organizational goals.

In conclusion, an operations strategy is a vital framework that guides the efficient production and delivery of goods and services within an organization. It aligns daily operational activities with long-term business objectives, ensuring that every action contributes to overall success. The importance of a well-defined operations strategy lies in its ability to enhance competitive advantage, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

Key components of an operations strategy include resources, technology, products/services, facilities, and production systems, all of which must be carefully managed and optimized. Different types of operational strategies, such as cost-based, quality-based, and flexibility strategies, can be employed depending on the business’s goals and market conditions.

Effective implementation of an operations strategy involves setting clear objectives, engaging stakeholders, leveraging technology, and continuously measuring and adapting the strategy to meet evolving needs. By following best practices and utilizing tools like visual strategy mapping and real-time data integration, businesses can streamline processes, reduce costs, and improve overall performance, positioning themselves for long-term success in a competitive market.

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Heroshe is a content specialist and a writer at Creately, online diagramming and collaboration tool. He is responsible for creating engaging, informative, and high-quality content that helps users understand and utilize the platform's features effectively. He mainly focuses on making complex concepts easy to grasp, and is passionate about art & music.

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Brewery business plan templates and examples [Free and paid]

• Published on August 16, 2024
• by Oguzhan Uyar
• Last updated: 2 days ago

Securing funding for your brewery dream in 2024? It all starts with a rock-solid business plan.

But where do you begin? How do you make your plan stand out from the crowd and convince investors to take a chance on your sudsy vision?

Fear not, aspiring brewery owner. We’ve got you covered with 7 brewery business plan templates that will help you navigate the planning process and impress potential funders.

From crafting a compelling executive summary to nailing your financial projections, these templates will guide you every step of the way.

So grab a cold one, and let’s dive into creating a business plan that will make your brewery dreams a reality.

Brewery Business Plan Templates: Key Elements for Success

Creating a comprehensive and compelling business plan is crucial for any aspiring brewery owner seeking to secure funding and establish a successful venture. By incorporating key elements and following a structured template, you can effectively communicate your brewery’s unique value proposition, target market, and growth potential to investors and stakeholders. Learn how to craft an effective plan for your brewery business , ensuring your vision comes to life by understanding what constitutes an impactful brewery business plan.

Executive Summary: Your Brewery’s Unique Value Proposition

The executive summary is the first and most critical section of your brewery business plan. It should provide a concise overview of your brewery’s mission, goals, and unique selling points. This section is your opportunity to capture the attention of potential investors and convince them to read further. Interested in structuring an effective brewery business plan? Learn how to craft a compelling executive summary and other key components for success.

Crafting a Compelling Overview

Begin by stating your brewery’s mission statement, which should encapsulate your core values and long-term objectives. Highlight your brewery’s unique selling points, such as your focus on locally sourced ingredients, innovative brewing techniques, or commitment to sustainability. Clearly define your target market, including demographics, preferences, and buying habits.

Summarizing Financial Projections and Funding Requirements

Provide a brief summary of your financial projections, including revenue, expenses, and profitability over the next 3-5 years. Clearly state your funding requirements and how you plan to allocate the funds to support your brewery’s growth and operations.

TIP: Ensure that your financial projections are realistic and well-researched. Consider using industry benchmarks and consulting with financial experts to validate your assumptions.

Company Description: Showcasing Your Brewery’s Identity

The company description section should provide a detailed overview of your brewery’s history, ownership structure, and physical location. This section helps investors understand your brewery’s background and sets the stage for your future growth plans.

Detailing Your Brewery’s History and Ownership

Begin by outlining your brewery’s history, including when and how it was founded, as well as any significant milestones or achievements. Provide information about the ownership structure, including the names and backgrounds of the key stakeholders and their roles within the company. Eager to ensure your brewery becomes a financial success ? Make sure to revisit and refine your business plan regularly to stay aligned with your profitability goals.

Describing Your Brewery’s Location and Facilities

Provide a detailed description of your brewery’s physical location, including the size of the facility, production capacity, and any unique features or amenities. Discuss the advantages of your location, such as proximity to key suppliers, distribution channels, or a thriving craft beer scene.

TIP: Include images or floor plans of your brewery to help investors visualize your facility and production capabilities.

Showcasing Your Brewery’s Core Values and Brand Personality

Discuss your brewery’s core values and how they shape your brand identity and company culture. Describe your brand personality, including the tone, voice, and visual elements that set your brewery apart from competitors. Outline your vision for growth, including plans for expansion, new product lines, or distribution strategies.

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Crafting a Winning Brewery Business Plan Outline

Creating a well-structured and engaging business plan outline is crucial for securing funding and guiding your brewery’s growth. A winning outline should cover all essential aspects of your business, from market analysis to financial projections, while being easy to navigate and compelling to potential investors.

Market Analysis: Understanding Your Target Audience and Competition

Conducting thorough market research is the foundation of a solid business plan. Start by identifying your target audience, including their demographics, preferences, and buying habits. Analyze consumer trends in the craft beer industry, such as the growing demand for unique flavors and local offerings.

Next, evaluate your competition at both local and regional levels. Identify their strengths and weaknesses, and look for opportunities to differentiate your brewery. Consider factors such as their product offerings, pricing, taproom experience, and distribution reach.

Conducting Market Research

Survey potential customers to gather insights on their preferences and expectations

Attend local beer festivals and events to observe consumer behavior and trends

Analyze sales data and market reports from industry associations and research firms, such as the Craft Beer Market Research Report by IBISWorld

Check what a detailed Market Analysis can bring to the table wth this template

Product Line and Services: Showcasing Your Brewery’s Offerings

Your product line is the heart of your brewery business plan. Describe your core beer styles, seasonal offerings, and any limited-edition or experimental brews. Highlight the unique aspects of your products, such as locally-sourced ingredients, innovative brewing techniques, or eye-catching packaging.

In addition to your beer offerings, outline any additional services or experiences your brewery provides. This may include a taproom, beer garden, or event space. Describe how these services contribute to your brand identity and customer loyalty.

Marketing and Sales Strategy: Reaching and Engaging Your Target Audience

A comprehensive marketing and sales strategy is essential for attracting customers and driving revenue. Develop a strong brand identity that reflects your brewery’s unique personality and values. Create a marketing plan that includes tactics such as social media campaigns, email marketing, and partnerships with local businesses or events.

Your sales strategy should outline your distribution channels, pricing structure, and sales targets. Consider the balance between on-premise sales (taproom) and off-premise sales (retail distribution). Establish relationships with local bars, restaurants, and liquor stores to expand your reach.

Building Your Brand

Design a memorable logo and packaging that stands out on shelves and social media

Develop a consistent brand voice and messaging across all marketing channels

Engage with your audience through storytelling, behind-the-scenes content, and user-generated content, as seen in successful campaigns by breweries like Stone Brewing

By crafting a detailed and compelling business plan outline, you’ll be well-equipped to secure funding and guide your brewery’s growth. Remember to keep your plan concise, visually appealing, and easy to navigate for potential investors and partners.

Mastering Brewery Business Plan Financials

Startup costs and funding requirements: planning for success.

Crafting a detailed breakdown of your brewery’s startup costs is crucial for securing funding and ensuring a smooth launch. Begin by listing all the necessary equipment, such as brewing systems, fermentation tanks, and packaging machinery. Include the costs of any facility improvements or renovations required to accommodate your brewery’s operations. Don’t forget to account for inventory expenses, including raw materials like hops, malt, and yeast.

Developing a Funding Strategy

Once you have a clear understanding of your startup costs, outline your funding requirements and sources. Determine how much personal investment you can contribute and explore additional options, such as business loans or attracting investors. Be realistic about the amount of funding you need and the timeline for securing it.

Average Rates: According to the Nerd Wallet , the average interest rate for business loans range from 6.14% to 12.47% as of July 2024.

Creating a Launch Timeline

Develop a detailed timeline that outlines the steps from securing funding to launching your brewery. Include milestones such as equipment installation, facility preparation, and obtaining necessary licenses and permits. This timeline will help you stay on track and demonstrate to potential investors that you have a well-thought-out plan.

This template will ensure you’re on track for your launch

Financial Projections: Forecasting Your Brewery’s Growth and Profitability

To showcase your brewery’s potential, create a 3-5 year financial projection that includes revenue, expenses, and cash flow. Start by estimating your production capacity and expected sales volume based on market research and competitor analysis. Factor in the costs of raw materials, labor, utilities, and other operating expenses. Use this information to generate projected income statements and cash flow statements.

Identifying Key Assumptions and Drivers

Be transparent about the key assumptions and drivers behind your financial projections. Explain how factors such as production efficiency, pricing strategy, and distribution channels impact your revenue and expenses. Identify potential risks and challenges that could affect your projections, and outline strategies for mitigating these risks. Industry benchmarks suggest that breweries with efficient production processes can reduce costs by up to 15%.

Scenario Planning for Financial Resilience

To demonstrate your brewery’s financial resilience, develop best-case, worst-case, and realistic scenarios. The best-case scenario should showcase your brewery’s potential for rapid growth and profitability, while the worst-case scenario should address potential challenges and how you plan to overcome them. The realistic scenario should provide a balanced view of your brewery’s expected performance based on current market conditions and your competitive advantages. A break-even analysis can help illustrate when your brewery will become profitable under each scenario.

By presenting a comprehensive financial plan that includes detailed startup costs, funding requirements, and realistic projections, you’ll be well-positioned to secure the necessary funding and support to launch and grow your brewery business.

Operations and Management: Ensuring Smooth Brewery Operations

Production and quality control: crafting consistently exceptional beer.

A well-designed production process is the foundation of any successful brewery. Start by outlining your brewing process, including the equipment you’ll be using, the ingredients you’ll source, and the quality control measures you’ll implement at each stage.

Brewing Equipment and Facilities

Invest in high-quality brewing equipment that can handle your production volume and ensure consistent results. Consider factors such as:

🍺 Brewhouse size and capacity

🍺 Fermentation and conditioning tanks

🍺 Packaging equipment (bottling, canning, or kegging)

🍺 Laboratory equipment for quality control testing

Ingredient Sourcing and Quality

The quality of your ingredients directly impacts the quality of your beer. Develop relationships with reliable suppliers who can provide consistent, high-quality ingredients:

🌾 Malted grains (barley, wheat, rye, etc.)

🌾 Hops (pellets, whole leaf, or extracts)

🌾 Yeast strains (ale, lager, or specialty strains)

🌾 Water (treated or filtered to ensure consistency)

Quality Control and Testing

Implement a robust quality control program to ensure consistency and prevent off-flavors or contamination:

🔎 Regularly calibrate and maintain brewing equipment

🔎 Conduct sensory evaluations at each stage of the brewing process

🔎 Perform laboratory tests (gravity, pH, IBU, etc.) to monitor fermentation and ensure product consistency

🔎 Implement a recall plan in case of any quality issues

Inventory Management and Supply Chain Partnerships: Optimizing Efficiency

Effective inventory management and strong supply chain partnerships are essential for optimizing efficiency and minimizing waste in your brewery operations.

Inventory Management System

Implement an inventory management system to track raw materials, finished products, and packaging supplies:

🍺 Use software solutions (e.g., BeerBoard, Ekos Brewmaster) to monitor inventory levels and automate reordering

🍺 Conduct regular physical inventory counts to ensure accuracy

🍺 Establish par levels for each item to avoid stockouts or overstocking

🍺 Analyze sales data to forecast demand and optimize production schedules

Supply Chain Partnerships

Develop strategic partnerships with suppliers to ensure a reliable and cost-effective supply of raw materials and packaging:

📈 Negotiate long-term contracts with favorable pricing and delivery terms

📈 Collaborate with suppliers on forecasting and production planning to avoid shortages or delays

📈 Explore opportunities for bulk purchasing or group buying with other local breweries to reduce costs

Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility

Highlight your commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility in your brewery operations:

🌾 Implement water conservation measures, such as reclaiming rinse water or using low-flow fixtures

🌾 Explore energy-efficient equipment and renewable energy sources (e.g., solar panels)

🌾 Develop a waste reduction and recycling program for spent grain, packaging materials, and other byproducts

🌾 Partner with local farmers or food producers to repurpose spent grain as animal feed or compost

🌾 Get inspired by Sierra Nevada’s solar array , which generates 20% of the brewery’s electricity

🌾 Check out New Belgium’s wastewater treatment system : it produces biogas for energy production

By focusing on production quality, management structure, inventory efficiency, and sustainability, you can create a solid foundation for your brewery’s long-term success. These elements demonstrate to investors that you have a well-conceived plan for ensuring smooth and profitable operations.

Appendices and Supporting Documents: Strengthening Your Business Plan

Financial statements and projections.

A strong business plan requires detailed financial statements and projections to demonstrate the viability of your brewery. Include balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow projections for the next 3-5 years. These documents should be based on realistic assumptions and supported by thorough research.

Additionally, provide supporting documentation such as tax returns, contracts, and lease agreements. This level of transparency builds trust with potential investors and lenders, showing that you have a solid understanding of your brewery’s financial health and future potential.

Learn about your business’ future with this financial projection template

Market Research and Competitive Analysis

Investors want to see that you have a deep understanding of your target market and the competitive landscape. Include relevant market research data, such as industry reports, consumer surveys, and competitor profiles. This information should highlight the demand for craft beer in your area and identify any gaps in the market that your brewery can fill.

Provide a detailed SWOT analysis of your brewery, identifying its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This analysis should demonstrate your ability to capitalize on your unique selling points while mitigating potential risks.

Learn everything you need to know about your brewery with this SWOT template

Industry Reports and Consumer Surveys

📦 Craft Beer Market Size and Growth Projections

📦 Consumer Preferences and Buying Habits

📦 Local and Regional Market Trends

Competitor Profiles

🍻 Established Breweries in Your Area

🍻 Emerging Craft Beer Brands

🍻 Unique Selling Points and Market Positioning

Product and Packaging Samples

Your brewery’s products and packaging are the face of your brand. Include high-quality images of your beer labels, packaging designs, and merchandise in your business plan’s appendices. These visuals should showcase your brand’s unique identity and appeal to your target audience.

Provide samples of your marketing materials, such as brochures, flyers, and social media content. These materials should demonstrate your ability to effectively promote your brewery and engage with potential customers.

Beer Labels and Packaging Designs

👁️ Unique and Eye-Catching Artwork

👁️ Consistent Branding Across Product Lines

👁️ Sustainable and Environmentally-Friendly Materials

Merchandise and Promotional Items

🛍️ Branded Glassware and Apparel

🛍️ Custom Tap Handles and Signage

🛍️ Promotional Giveaways and Loyalty Program

Legal Documents and Permits

Demonstrating your commitment to compliance and due diligence is crucial when seeking funding for your brewery. Include copies of all necessary legal documents and permits in your business plan’s appendices, such as:

👉 Business License and Registration

👉 Federal Brewer’s Notice (TTB Form 5130.10)

👉 State and Local Alcohol Permits

👉 Food Service Licenses (if applicable)

👉 Lease Agreements or Property Deeds

👉 Insurance Policies

Having these documents readily available shows potential investors and lenders that you have taken all the necessary steps to operate your brewery legally and responsibly.

Personnel and Management Team

Your brewery’s success depends on the strength of your team. Include detailed biographies of your key personnel and management team, highlighting their relevant experience, skills, and qualifications. This section should demonstrate that you have assembled a well-rounded team capable of executing your business plan and achieving your goals.

Founder and Head Brewer

👥 Professional Background and Brewing Experience

👥 Awards and Recognition in the Craft Beer Industry

👥 Vision for the Brewery’s Future

Sales and Marketing Manager

🗣️ Experience in Craft Beer Sales and Distribution

🗣️ Proven Track Record of Building Brand Awareness

🗣️ Strategies for Expanding Market Share

By including these essential appendices and supporting documents, you will strengthen your brewery’s business plan and increase your chances of securing the funding needed to bring your vision to life. Potential investors and lenders will appreciate the level of detail and transparency provided, demonstrating your commitment to building a successful and sustainable craft beer brand.

Your Recipe for Brewery Success

You now have the essential ingredients to craft a compelling brewery business plan that will impress investors and set your brewery up for success. By showcasing your unique value proposition, understanding your target market, and developing a solid financial strategy, you’ll be well on your way to securing the funding you need to bring your vision to life.

Remember, a well-crafted business plan is more than just a document – it’s a roadmap for your brewery’s future. As you navigate the exciting world of craft brewing, refer back to your plan regularly, adjusting and refining as needed to stay on course.

Are you ready to take the next step in your brewery journey? Start by choosing one of the templates we’ve discussed and begin filling in the details of your plan. With dedication, passion, and a solid plan in place, you’ll be pouring your first pint before you know it.

Cheers to your brewing success!

What is a good brewery business plan?

Do you have a profitable brewery? review your business plan

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