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New Improved Tool For Strategic Planning
July 28, 2008

In the last few years I have been working more with College and University inplants. Unlike commercial printing assignments which focus on tactical assignments such as workflow and implementing more value added serices these assignments include a strategic planning component.

Anyone who knows me realizes I don’t always see things the same way that others see them. For example, while other people tend to think of inplants as completely different from commercial printers I think of them as more similar then dissimilar. In my mind the competitive threats are the same. Tactically you still have to manufacturer a product at a competitive price and keep people happy. And strategically you still have demonstrate your value.

The tool most often used for strategic planning is the SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). It is used to help gain a competitive perspective and set the stage for preparing strategic objectives. We have used the SWOT analysis for years to help establish objectives, prioritize them, and develop strategies to address them.

However we have begun to develop a new tool to help use with strategic planning. It is based on an article written by John Whitney which appeared in the Harvard Business Review entitled “Strategic Renewal for business Units”.

We have been beta testing this process for months and are going to unveil this process at NAPLs Management Institute Aug 9-12 at George Washington University. For podcasts and more information click NAPL MI.

Posted by Howie Fenton on July 28, 2008 | Comments (0)