STEPS OF PLANNING PROCESS- STEP 7: IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN

In the previous steps, the main plan, alternatives are selected, supportive plans are prepared, etc. However, all these activities take place on paper, plans are discussed in meetings, and managers make assumptions about future. None of these involve practical implementation of the plan, i.e. everything is on paper and in minds of the manager. So to make the whole plan come into real business world, the next step of planning process involves implementing the plan.

When all the pre required activities are done the next step to be carried out is to put the plan into action. For this purpose, the managers initiate with communicating the plans to the employees, as the employees are the ones who carry out the activities and operations of the organization. Once the plan is communicated to all the operating levels of the organization, the required responsibilities to perform the activities are defined and authorities are delegated. Further, the resources required for operations are procured and allocated. All other required steps are taken by the managers to make the implementing process easy and effective.

Timing is an important factor in the implementation process because all the activities are interconnected and any delay in one activity may effect all other activities resulting in inefficiency and complications at the later stages. To avoid this issue, a time schedule for all the activities is prepared alongside a sequence of operations. These allow the process to run smoothly and timely.

Taking the example from the previous post where ‘a company aiming to advertise its products and services has various media options for advertisement and the managers adopt the digital media platform for the same.’ Once all the previous steps are performed well, managers move forward with implementing the plan. Managers would communicate the plan of using digital media platform to various levels of the organization, define responsibilities of advertising plan, content creation, delegate authority for monitoring the advertising process, appoint market response head, prepare operation sequence, allocate time for various activities, allocate budget, etc. Thus, make efforts and perform necessary activities for successful implementation of the plan.

Points to be considered while implementing the plan:

• Communicate the plan to all the employees to avoid any conflict and chaos at later stages;
• Outline all the required activities;
• Delegate authority according to responsibility;
• Prepare for all the required resources needed to perform the activities and operations;
• Allocate adequate time for all activities based on estimated  time from past experience and future assumptions;
• Proper sequence of operations must be prepared so that no task is overlooked.