Aim and scope of the strategic and implementation plan
Strategic frame is an essence that decides a strategic orientation of an organisation and accordingly business fate gets decided. Implementation is a core part in strategic planning and without implementation business stumbles a lot. This report is based on a small company named Softwire in United Kingdom. This small firm offers software development services with its headquarters in London (Armstrong et al, 2012). For a seven repeated years this business firm has secured its position among top twenty five small business companies in the country. The firm does not consider the profit making as only driving strength to run its business though the revenue of the firm had risen to £11.9m in the year 2015. The business of this firm is to offer custom-made software of high quality for keeping the software suitable as per business needs.
Strategic plan- Softwire aims for strengthening its position in the software development industry by staying undisputed in its service, commitment and quality for satisfaction of customers.
Values-satisfaction among customers and improvement in the trust level the firm do share with its client base are the main driving force. To run business in ethical manner by keeping focus on development of society and environmental awareness (Terpstra, Foley & Sarathy, 2012).
Vision- Softwire is desirous to become the biggest and reliable name by offering service and products to customers maintaining is ethical practices and delivery of challenging projects.
Objectives- The company wants to sustain its business in the industry with high level of consistency depending on customers’ satisfaction in support of customised software.
Strategies- the company ensures effective utilisation of resources for ensuring maximum delivery of projects. More focus on customised software development, to sustain relationship with stakeholders and members in supply chain (Wilson et al, 2009).
Goals- To become a most reputed large conglomerate in coming years.
Tactics-development of strategic relationship with stakeholders, to prepare long term business plan including long term success plan, focus on technology, human and financial resources for ensuring maximum business performance.
Performance indicators- Softwire sets the following as performance indicators.
Proper assessment of software development programme, standard of knowledge of a person evaluating this, the evaluation process cannot be performed by someone who does not have the required competence.
Values
- To run business in most possible ethical manner with no violation of moral compliance. The business wants to keep its focus on its fulfilment of responsibilities regarding improvement in working conditions of the people who are disadvantaged in supply chain.
- To better the condition of living of people in the society by way of employment generation and keeping them busy in thinking and working for environmental conservation.
Vision – To score big reputation in market by the means of excellence in service depending on delivering on commitment towards customers by making customised software (Wilson et al, 2009).
In software development industry, delivery of projects at time and within clients’ specification is the biggest performance criteria. Fulfilment of these is aligned to the vision of the business.
The strategic direction of the company is towards attainment of sustainable development of business performances with focus on operational excellence. This is the direction; Softwire is poised to move towards. This is surly beneficial for the company to mark a beginning of business excellence as leadership, organisational intelligence will be focused on with diverse systems and principles to smoothen the attainment of operational excellence. This is deemed to be most viable and rational to achieve big reputation and customers’ satisfaction in the business (Wilson et al, 2009). Though the business is small but the wings of business such as software development, mobile app development, consultancy regarding in-house software and support system will further excel if operational excellence is embraced as a strategic direction.
Part A Strategic plan
Softwire has three goals which are specific, measurable and achievable in line of the vision of the company.
- To increase sales by 25 percent. This is a thoughtful arrangement for accommodating business conditions. This is very particular and worth achieving along with knowledge of increase in sales in the profitability which fulfils conditions like the goal is being measurable. The time frame for the goal achievement is 1 year.
- Minimisation of errors by twenty percent. This will boost business and satisfaction among clients will be maximised. This also is measurable in terms of increment in sales volume. The time frame for this goal achievement is 1 year.
- To reduce staff absenteeism. This will reflect in the productivity of the company and the service after sales will become more effective. Again this reflects on better sales volume. The time frame for the goal achievement is six months (Peter & Donnelly, 2011).
For goal 1 – rational allocation of financial resources for products’ promotion, focus on motivation among staffs in marketing department.
For goal 2 – Interaction with customers to understand their feedbacks regarding product quality, to focus on training of employees.
For goal 3 – To increase staff motivation by launching safety and security programme for staffs. To understand the requirement of financial resources in this purpose for financial arrangement (Jobber & Ellis-Chadwick, 2012).
Financial – positive implication on financial resource, Better utilisation without increasing debt on the business.
Customer – positive feedbacks from customers, improvement in satisfaction level reflected in their feedbacks.
Internal – congenial working culture, culture of diversity for talent nurturing.
Growth perspectives – strategy optimisation for sales increment, internal cost control.
Activities, milestones and timing
Activities in implementation of planning
- Team formation with talented managers as parts of the team with specific number of team members under their control.
- Brainstorming for deliberation on the selected strategies like product customisation with minimum financial resources allocation with effective talents of people in the business(Jain & Haley, 2009).
- To engage stakeholders by asking their consultancy services
- To conduct a thorough scanning of internal strength of the company.
- To assimilate knowledge that relates to clients’ specific demand and successful project completion.
- Project commencement and decision on business requirement
- Software customisation within capacity of business and Software customisation considering demands among clients.
- Testing on system integration.
- Test conducting on success of acceptance by users.
- Product readiness testing
This is assumed that the each milestone corresponds to the every activity mentioned above. Thus the time frame is sequential and is considered to be realistic for the activities and milestones.
- Time limit for 1stactivity and 1st milestone- 5 days
- Time limit for 2ndactivity and 2nd milestone-10 days
- Time limit for 3rd activity and 3rdmilestone- 15 days
- Time limit for 4thactivity and 4th milestone- 20 days
- Time limit for 5thactivity and 5th milestone- 20 days
Total time requirement is 70 days subject to fluctuation in requirement.
Financial resources- Funding is highest requirement to roll out activities related to implementation of planning or strategy. Softwire needs to think on the volume of requirement of financial resources. If retained earnings will not suffice then financial arrangements may be required (Hartley & Claycomb, 2013).
Technological resources- The company’s key product is software, mobile apps, consultancy services and accordingly technological acumen and technology is required in every realm of the business activity.
Human resources- Staffs’ talent and motivation are huge requirements for delivering the expected level of performances.
Physical resources- These include telephone lines, more office space, safety tools, and information system.
A business organisation is a separate identity but still cannot perform solely and depends on the task orientation set and performance of individuals associated with it. Softwire has some degrees of dependencies on the factors that decide the rate of success in implementation of strategies and planning (Hollensen, 2015). Dependencies are explicitly present within the working spectrum involving the implementation part of strategies and business planning. Thus factors which the business is dependent on are finance, lack of which the business comes to standstill; the next is human resources as they are the determinants of entire business performance. A solid marketing plan can steer the business towards success and is much required (Gummesson, 2011). Dependency on legal aspect is central part of performing within scope of statutory compliance. Environmental factors keep it binding for the company to care for environment. Therefore the business depends on knowledge regarding environment. Technology has become an instrumental aspect that supports business to move towards excellent performance.
Considering the nature of business of Softwire the anticipated situations which may disrupt the business is natural disaster like earth quake and cancellation of bulk orders that requires product recalling (De Mooij, 2013). In both of these the Softwire has separate contingency planning summarised below.
The steps involved in contingency planning are:
- Risk assessment regarding quantum of loss if earth quake strikes.
- Planning for emergency response like procedure for data protection. Arrangement of data back up in advance, formation of team for ensuring post disaster recovery.
- Evaluation of time requirement for returning to normalcy after the strike of earth quake.
- Arrangement of additional production to some extent so that to meet with demands and avoidance of business loss (Czinkota & Ronkainen, 2013).
This causes a vital action like product recalling if defects seem irreparable.
- Anticipation regarding causes of order cancellation.
- Arrangement of insurance coverage like product recall expense coverage for business due to financial loss.
- Quick response to customers by issuing notices for public awareness.
- Selection of options like total or partial recall of products
- Standby product recall plan to be set in advance.
Conclusion
Strategy development becomes more fulfilling if is implemented properly. Thus small business firm like Softwire needs to have proper strategies and their planning relating to better implementation. The values and visions of the business have impact on goal determination and orientation of overall business (Belz & Peattie, 2009). The business depends on several resources like financial, human, technological as well as physical resources. Each activity in strategy implementation corresponds to the milestones with time limit determination. Contingency planning is vital for the business so that to stay protected from risks and their impacts.
References
Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., & Brennan, R. (2012). Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Prentice-Hall, London.
Belz, F. M., & Peattie, K. (2009). Sustainability marketing: A global perspective. Chichester: Wiley.
Czinkota, M. R., & Ronkainen, I. A. (2013). International marketing. Cengage Learning.
De Mooij, M. (2013). Global marketing and advertising: Understanding cultural paradoxes. Sage Publications.
Gummesson, E. (2011). Total relationship marketing. Routledge.
Hartley, R. F., & Claycomb, C. (2013). Marketing mistakes and successes. Wiley.
Hollensen, S. (2015). Marketing management: A relationship approach. Pearson Education.
Jain, S. C., & Haley, G. T. (2009). Marketing planning and strategy. Cincinnati South-Western Publishing Company 1985..
Jobber, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2012). Principles and practice of marketing (No. 7th). McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Peter, J. P., & Donnelly, J. H. (2011). Marketing management: knowledge and skills: text, analysis, cases, plans. Plano: Business pub., INC.
Terpstra, V., Foley, J., & Sarathy, R. (2012). International marketing. Naper Press.
Wilson, A. M., Jones, R., Miller, K., & Pentecost, R. (2009). Marketing research: An integrated approach. Pearson Australia.
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