Planning is based on an agenda of steps to follow.
Planning is an action that is linked to planning . This verb, for its part, consists of making a plan .
Through planning (also referred to as planning ), a person or organization sets a goal and stipulates what steps they should follow to get there. In this process , which can have a very variable duration depending on the case, various issues are considered, such as the resources available and the influence of external situations.
It can be said that planning involves establishing a strategy to accomplish a mission. Thus, priorities are set, a schedule is defined, a budget is assigned, etc. Planning makes it possible to coordinate activities so that the joint effort allows achieving the desired results.
Planning examples
Let's take the case of a city that wants to increase the number of tourists it receives . With this objective , the authorities develop planning that works as a roadmap to meet this challenge.
The planning includes a first phase of training for tourism providers . The premise is that satisfied visitors will return in the future. Then a review of the town's attractions is carried out to evaluate its condition and restore, recover or beautify those that need it.
The planning also includes the launch of a calendar of events to attract travelers with popular festivals, gastronomic encounters and cultural initiatives.
Once all the planning steps have been executed and the planned deadline has passed, the tourism authorities must analyze different indicators to make a diagnosis about whether or not the planned objectives have been met.
Let's now think about a company that aspires to start exporting its products for the first time. Planning begins with a feasibility study to determine if foreign sales are feasible.
Given the positive results of the report, progress is being made with the implementation of marketing actions to position the company in new markets, with a high investment in advertising. The process continues with strategic alliances with local firms and other steps.
It is important that planning contemplates different scenarios.
Variety of options
All planning consists of different stages, since it is a process that involves making successive decisions. Planning often begins with the identification of a problem and continues with the analysis of the different options available. The subject or the company must choose the option that is most conducive to solving the problem in question and starting the implementation of a plan .
It should be noted that, in a broad sense, planning is carried out almost every moment, even on a day-to-day basis. For example, when a person decides to take a taxi to get to a certain place, they will have planned how to travel more quickly and effectively . However, it can also be carried out in the long term and with decisions that involve thousands of people, as may be the case of planning carried out in a large multinational corporation.
The characteristics of planning, of course, will depend on the context ; The decision-making that a family makes when organizing a vacation trip is not the same as the process planned by the manager of a company to launch a new product on the market. However, its success will depend on the degree of knowledge, analysis and intuition of those who execute it, and in both cases a meticulous action plan could be given, regardless of the formality of each one.
Tracking planning is necessary to control its results.
Types of planning
It is possible to classify planning in different ways, according to temporal expectations , breadth and specificity :
- Strategic planning : carried out by the managers of a company to analyze internal and external factors and their impact on the company's objectives. It is usually planned over the long term, generally several years, and consists of the detailed design of its insertion in the market, its communication with the media and its advertising campaigns.
- Tactical planning : usually related to short-term decision making, generally to cope with an unexpected crisis . When a product sells less than expected, for example, it is necessary to act, either by lowering the price or improving the offer by including accessories or creating bundles . These actions must be in accordance with the strategic plan that was initially drawn up.
- Operational planning : refers to the organization of a company's resources and personnel to solve problems. It is essential for every company, since it outlines the action plan and the relationship that the different departments will have among themselves for the development of tasks in a time generally stipulated by the management team. In work groups made up of a team and its leader, the team receives projects and their corresponding delivery dates , and decides how to proceed, which member will take care of each task, etc.
- Regulatory planning : this is a series of rules and regulations that are created for the proper functioning of a company. From employee clothing to work and break schedules, everything must be previously established to ensure that work is carried out in an orderly manner.
- Interactive planning : it is the most used by companies that offer technological products. It is based on outlining solutions to problems in an ideal future, as well as the path to achieve said future. When the tools or infrastructure necessary to achieve certain objectives are not available, the actions that must be taken to obtain those resources are analyzed.