Many companies claim to have a "strategic plan" ("this is our vision of where we want to go") or an "annual plan" (simply a budget), but the team's thinking on "how we are going to get there" is often neglected or woefully inadequate. Solid operational planning techniques can help create an environment focused on performance targets and accountability.

Operational planning engagements typically are structured to answer the following:

• What are the major objectives for each functional area of the business?
• What are the major tasks that need to be completed to meet these objectives?
• How will the tasks get done (i.e. who is responsible - who owns them)?
• What are the completion dates for each task?
• What is the estimated financial impact of each task (e.g. revenue enhancement, gross margin improvement, expense reduction, spending increase, balance sheet change, etc.)?

Once the operational plan is completed, it needs to be thoroughly communicated and progress tracked on a regular basis.