Writing your strategic plan is only half the battle in strategic planning. Implementing that plan is the other half to it and it is definitely the hardest to do. Coming up with ideas and typing them into a document is easy enough, but coming up with strategy that you can actually implement, track and use is another story. Implementation is critical to making a plan hold.
How Does Strategic Planning Software Help?
- Well, when you come to the point where you are ready to implement your strategic plan you will need a way to update, track, present and report out. Web-based strategic planning software is a perfect way to do all these things. Our system, OnStrategy, allows clients to enter in their plans, if they already have them developed, or build their plan step by step through the system. Both management and technology systems help track the progress of the plan and make it faster to adapt to changes. As part of the system, it is recommended to build milestones into the plan that must be achieved within a specific time frame. A scorecard is one tool many organizations use to incorporate progress tracking and milestones. The scorecard and goal progress will show who is contributing and who is not.
- Having a web-base software gives you the ability to easily edit your goals anywhere and at anytime. Being able to go into your plan, update any items that are necessary and have your reports view that instantaneously is a wonderful thing to have. You then have the ability to keep the plan relevant by adapting it based on changes throughout the year. This is just one more way to keep your plan alive and keep it implemented.
- You can also use strategic planning software to run your next Quarterly Business Review or Strategy Session by using our PowerPoint Report or even The Dash to display your plan. Using The Dash also is a way to show transparency for those organizations that need to by posting it on their website. It is important to have your plan somewhere visible so that everyone can stay focused on your organization’s strategic direction.
The next time that you pull out that Excel doc or that giant three ring binder that houses your strategic plan, think about using strategic planning software for your strategic plan. It might be the step you need to take your plan to the next level.
