[Solution] Operational Planning
Created at:
Author: Sarah Bennett
Derived from tactical plans, operational plans are developed to achieve operational goals. This is where "the rubber meets the road." All the goal setting and planning that has taken place at higher levels can be ineffective without sound operational plans.
Types of Operational Plans
Operational plans can be classified in two ways:
- Standing plans are developed to carry out activities that the organization needs to perform repeatedly.
- Single-use plans are developed to address situations that probably will not occur again.
Operational Planning Framework
Standing Plans
- Policies: How the organization responds to given situations
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Steps to follow under certain circumstances
- Rules and Regulations: Exact requirements for specific activities
Single-Use Plans
- Programs: Plans for a large number of activities
- Projects: Smaller scope plans, possibly part of a program
Types of standing plans include:
- A policy states how the organization will respond to a given situation. For example, a public library might have a policy to acquire every book that wins a major literary award.
- A standard operating procedure (SOP) outlines the steps to be followed under certain circumstances. For example, the library might have an SOP that addresses how donated books are evaluated and processed.
- Rules and regulations describe exactly how specific activities must be carried out. For instance, the library might have a rule that requires librarians to maintain a wait list for patrons who wish to check out a popular book.
Types of single-use plans include:
- A program is a plan for a large number of activities. For example, a company may develop a program for launching a new product.
- A project is smaller in scope and less complex than —and may even be part of— a program. For example, a project would develop the web pages that allow customers to learn about and purchase the new product.
Select the term that best complete the following sentence.
An operational plan designed for activities employees will probably not need to perform again is a .
View Explanation
As their name implies, single-use plans are expected to be needed only once. They are developed to address unusual situations that are unlikely to reoccur. Examples of single-use plans are programs and projects.
Match each example with the type of operational plan it illustrates.
A statement defining how an organization handles employee sick days
A list of the steps a supervisor should follow when an employee calls in sick
A requirement that unhappy customers never be given cash refunds
A single-use plan outlining the many activities involved in implementing a new technology throughout the organization
A single-use plan to install new software on laptops as one of many activities that will occur during the implementation of a new technology throughout the organization
View Explanation
A policy is a description of how the organization handles a certain recurring situation, such as an employee who calls in sick. It applies to all such situations but does not lay out the exact action steps to enforce the policy.
An SOP is a list of the steps an employee should follow whenever a certain recurring situation arises, such as when an employee calls in sick. It is more specific than a policy because it spells out the actions to take.
Rules and regulations give specific directions about what action must or must not be taken in a given situation. Requiring that employees never give cash refunds is an example of a rule. While standard operating procedures describe a process to follow to reach the correct outcome, rules specify what the correct outcome should be.
A program is a single-use plan that includes a large number of activities, such as those necessary during the implementation of a new technology.
A project is a single-use plan that is relatively small in scope; one or more projects may be part of a larger program. The implementation of a new technology is an example of a project.
