Planning takes place at all levels within an organization and may even include external entities. Plans need to be kept current and coherent. When done properly, plans become useful in achieving superior performance.
You've heard it before, "failing to plan is planning to fail". Trite but true.
For plans to be effective they need to fit together across the organization so that resources, timeframes and commitments all work together to ensure success. In this way there is a smooth flow of communications so essential to make sure everyone is on board with where you want to drive the company.
When you build a scaffold of plans the resources required and specific responsibilities are identified to ensure that no one drops the ball. It is also essential to take into account the timing of events, sharing of resources and so forth.
Whether taking on an ongoing concern or starting a new effort, methods of execution need to be integral and communications need to be established for going forward and for feedback to the plan.
Business moves so fast these days that a plan is obsolete by the time it is completed. How does one use the collective intelligence of the organization to set direction and communicate the essentials to everyone? How does one keep up at all?
Planning is necessary to inform the company and stakeholders of direction of the organization and they way in which it will achieve that direction. Striate is the tool to use to create executable plans that comprehend the breadth and depth of the organization, the interrelationships amongst business units, organize key data and communicate essential information to teams and stakeholders.
This is no trivial matter. Striate is the tool to use to manage complex planning data and expose contradictions. Striate uses a comprehensive planning model which captures and manages essential information while working to remove contradictions and reduce complexity. This frees business leaders to focus on matters of the business instead of getting bogged down in the planning process.
Companies spend a lot of time and money on consultants define their plans. Some have an internal staff or they pull resources from existing organizations. They also must commit the time of their top people to engage in the process. When the planning is done, the plan has to be explained to the rest of the company in a manner that is appropriate to each particular audience.
Frankly, companies and consultants are terrible at doing this. It is a time consuming process in which only a few people participate. Bizarre charts and reams of text are produced and, typically, those who benefit are the participants, not the entire organization. Plans are difficult to explain and become shelfware. Often, planning creates a bad experience and no one wants to do it again for several years. (Hence, the birth of the 5 year plan.)
Striate is still in development. It is an interactive tool that collects and organizes essential information to provide integrated plans at every significant level of an organization. Striate builds a model of your organization using your inputs. Striate uses templates to build a foundation and a complex information structure to work in. With a bit of AI, this structure is customized to your organization. Plans are compiled and refined through a process designed with agility in mind.
Behind Striate are years of experience in information technology, manufacturing, retail, government and aerospace industries. Striate will be available by subscription and it will support businesses of any size.
Feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have.
