By definition, strategic planning is the method of creating a imaginative and prescient for the longer term and creating a technique for attaining shared enterprise objectives. Strategic planning entails making choices that allocate assets, setting efficiency requirements, and assessing outcomes over time. Usually, this form of visionary planning is finished by management, and is communicated to groups all through the enterprise.
Over the previous few years, preserving strategic planning front-of-mind has grow to be much more vital in our new hybrid and distant world. As companies navigate their method by this unprecedented time of disruption, it’s now important to develop methods tailor-made to their explicit wants and challenges, which is the place strategic planning instruments grow to be important.
What’s strategic planning?
With acronyms like KPI to ROI to CI, it may be difficult to maintain up with all of the terminology and jargon that comes with strategic planning. Nonetheless, if we take away the acronyms and give attention to the nuts and bolts, strategic planning is solely a course of that helps organizations maximize their assets and obtain long-term objectives.
Strategic planning entails:
- Analyzing a corporation’s present state.
- Setting general goals.
- Growing motion plans to achieve these goals.
- Measuring progress.
This course of could be simplified utilizing strategic planning software program that helps streamline the method by automating and monitoring lots of the handbook steps related to it. It’s a magic wand for planning, monitoring, and attaining your long-term enterprise objectives.
Not all strategic planning software program is created equal
There are particular options that assist groups guarantee success when planning for the longer term, however that doesn’t imply that the identical strategic planning software program is true for everybody. Listed here are just a few components that you must take into consideration earlier than committing to a strategic planning software program to your crew:
Consumer-friendly interface: Search for software program that’s straightforward to navigate and perceive, even for non-technical customers.
Customization choices: Don’t simply accept the cookie-cutter choice. Select a software program that permits you to tailor its options to fulfill the distinctive wants of your enterprise – assume integrations, automations and extra.
Collaboration instruments: Make sure that the software program you select has full means to speak through chat, in addition to throughout the challenge and duties themselves.
Knowledge visualization and reporting: Search for software program that may enable you shortly and simply perceive advanced knowledge and current it clearly and concisely.
Integration choices: Your online business shouldn’t be in-built a silo and solely use a single kind of software program (no less than, I hope not). Ensure that the software program you select integrates with some other instruments and techniques you already use in your enterprise, corresponding to challenge administration platforms, monetary instruments, and buyer relationship administration software program.
Cellular compatibility: Whereas this isn’t a make or break component for many groups, make sure the software program could be accessed from any machine, together with smartphones and tablets. It’s good to have the ability to work in your plan on the go – however maintain your work-life stability manageable!
Scalability: At all times, all the time, all the time search for software program that may develop and evolve with your enterprise. Altering software program to fulfill your wants could be extraordinarily pricy and resource-draining. So decide one and keep it up for the lengthy haul.
Assist and coaching: A very good customer support portal (not simply an AI asking/responding to arbitrary prompts) and good coaching are all the time mandatory. Decide one that gives complete assist and coaching to get probably the most out of it and maximize its advantages.
Prime Strategic planning software program instruments of 2024
Now that we’ve reviewed the fundamental parts of strategic planning options, right here’s a roundup of the most effective strategic planning software program that can assist you zero in on the only option for your enterprise. Whereas this isn’t an exhaustive listing, it’s going to enable you decide among the key options provided and if they’d praise your workflow.
1. Hive
Hive is a strategic planning software program constructed for groups that have to plan, coordinate and observe their work. Made by groups, for groups, Hive has considered every part throughout the challenge administration pipeline.
Our distinctive strategic planning options assist groups outline goals, set milestones, and assign duties to complete groups. Hive Objectives, a brand new purpose setting and OKR software program, can also be utilized by groups to create, set and visualize progress, preserving everybody aligned below one massive company-wide purpose.
Beneath the company-wide purpose, groups or people can set sub-goals which assist route technique throughout the enterprise. Objectives in Hive could be measured both by the completion of related duties, by crew progress or with handbook updates. Groups may carry their Objectives, duties, tasks and Notes into one centralized dashboard with Hive Pages – a one-stop store for strategic monitoring.
One of the best half? You’ll be able to attempt Hive free for 14 days to see why hundreds of groups select Hive to plan their tasks and obtain their strategic objectives.
Key options:
- Assign, evaluate and observe progress on a number of duties
- Use Hive Objectives to centralize and automate your goal-tracking and reporting
- Automated notifications maintain groups knowledgeable of adjustments in a challenge
- Gantt charts and Calendar views assist visualize challenge timelines and roadmaps
- Portfolio administration for preserving observe of a number of tasks
- Reporting and analytics
2. ClickUp
ClickUp is a much-loved challenge administration platform with versatility for strategic planning. It presents a variety of third-party integrations and is well accessible on cell gadgets. Whereas it could be extra concerned than a few of our different selections, it has a superb customer support division and in-depth how-to articles should you ever get misplaced alongside the best way.
Key options:
- Strategic planning whiteboard templates to get your crew began
- Customers can set and observe objectives, monitor progress, and alter plans as wanted.
- Facilitates crew collaboration and communication by options like feedback, mentions, and real-time updates.
3. Airtable
Airtable is a cloud-based platform permitting customers to create, set up and retailer knowledge for his or her tasks. It isn’t only a strategic planning software program, as it’s typically used for reporting and buyer relationship administration and might simply align with strategic planning. With Airtable, you may create {custom} boards in minutes to trace objectives, monitor progress and assign duties effectively. Whereas we love a very good custom-made choice, should you’re uncertain the place to begin, the technique planning templates are glorious and easy to comply with and perceive.
Key options:
- Create {custom} fields as wanted to trace particular knowledge factors
- Designed for distant groups – entry from any machine.
- Actual-time collaboration permits for seamless communication between crew members.
4. Adobe Workfront
For these enterprise shoppers, Adobe Workfront is a large centralized hub for all of your work actions and processes. It integrates with lots of Adobe’s merchandise, together with Inventive Cloud and Acrobat, to make it simpler for groups in bigger organizations to collaborate on advanced tasks.
So far as your strategic planning goes, Adobe Workfront presents varied strategic planning options that enable groups to set objectives, observe progress, and analyze outcomes. This may be the most effective program for you if you’re a artistic enterprise and use Adobe tasks religiously.
Key options:
- Custom-made reviews that tie in from all adobe platforms
- Actual-time reporting capabilities so that you all the time know the place you stand
- Superior analytics instruments that allow you to measure success over time
5. Any.do
Any.do is a strategic planning software program that gives a free planner and customised managed workflows — excellent for any enterprise trying to maintain observe of its strategic planning. You’ll be able to simply entry and share your plans throughout groups and with shoppers. Any.do additionally allows you to assign duties, chat in real-time, and onboard a whole crew. Plus, Any.do could be accessed on-line from a number of gadgets, making it an awesome answer for distant and hybrid groups.
Key options:
- A number of views dashboard — attempt private house, workspace and my day views
6. Trello
From quick access (cell app and web-based) to versatile dashboard views (kanban-style, calendar, listing views), Trello is a strategic planning software program with a number of capabilities to trace strategic planning.
It permits you to invite new members to collaborate in your workspace, observe duties, and use color-coded labels to arrange your knowledge. Its no-code automation options enable you optimize the time spent on repetitive duties, preserving your crew on the right track. Trello has a free model; its paid plans begin at $5 per person/month.
Key options:
- See your work from a number of angles: Kanban board, timeline, desk, calendar, and extra
- Automate repetitive duties and improve workflow
- Combine with over 100 of your favourite instruments
- Dozens of premade templates
7. Unito
Unito Strategic Planning Software program is an modern and intuitive device that helps organizations develop and handle their enterprise and challenge plans. Its highly effective options present customers with a streamlined and results-driven framework. Unito’s distinctive methodology is on open-source software program to make sure flexibility, scalability, and safety. With an intuitive interface, customers can shortly and simply entry the options they should create and keep strategic plans.
Key options:
- Workforce administration
- Portfolio monitoring
- Fast begin templates – use a custom-made workflow from private to industry-related templates.
- Defend your privateness – restrict boards to a personal viewing for you alone or a specific group of customers.
8. Monday.com
Monday.com is a challenge administration software program with extremely customizable options, making it adaptable to your particular strategic planning wants. It presents sturdy collaboration capabilities, highly effective automations, timeline and Gantt chart views for challenge planning, and a mess of integrations to seamlessly join along with your different instruments. With the power to create dashboards for high-level insights, Monday.com is ready to present a complete overview of your plans, serving to guarantee everybody in your crew stays aligned with the general goals. You will get began with Monday.com without cost and plans begin at $8/person/month.
Key Options:
- Time monitoring
- Doc administration
- Job dependencies
- Distant collaboration instruments.
Try some options to Monday.com and evaluate them to search out the most effective strategic planning platform to your group.
9. Planview AdaptiveWork
Beforehand often called Clarizen, Planview AdaptiveWork helps challenge managers acquire real-time visibility throughout all their work, automate workflows and proactively handle dangers. With regards to strategic planning, one of many coolest options of Planview is the power to create “what if” eventualities, the place you may acquire insights about your assets and reallocate them accordingly.
Planview Adaptive Work makes reporting straightforward with its Slide Writer function. It creates computerized real-time (up-to-the-minute) standing reviews with spectacular accuracy. Planview additionally integrates with commonest third-party purposes, corresponding to Slack, Jira and Salesforce, and presents nice customization and integration capabilities. However all this flexibility comes at a worth, Planview AdaptiveWork doesn’t have a free plan and its preliminary plan begins at $1,495/month. You’ll be able to, nevertheless, get a free trial earlier than making the dedication.
Key Options:
- Useful resource Planning
- Portfolio Administration
- Request Consumption
- Dynamic Reviews and Dashboards
10. Wrike
Wrike is a challenge administration platform with sturdy options tailor-made for strategic challenge monitoring. Wrike has built-in time monitoring, superior reporting, and useful resource administration options that make it extra appropriate for bigger groups working with advanced, multi-stage tasks. Wrike additionally presents quite a lot of integrations with different instruments, corresponding to CRM techniques, ERP techniques, and BI instruments. This can assist groups to streamline their workflow and automate duties whereas concentrating on their strategic objectives and tasks.
Wrike has a free plan with restricted capabilities. Their hottest plan begins at $24.80 monthly/person, however you may get nice options below a decrease tier referred to as “Workforce” for $9.80 monthly/person.
Key Options:
- Integrates with varied purposes like Google Drive, Slack, Salesforce, and Adobe Inventive Cloud
- Personalised dashboards for necessary duties, updates, and challenge overviews
- Workflow automation to get rid of handbook duties
11. MindMeister
Some individuals are visible learners and for these, MindMeister works as an awesome technique planning device. The software program permits customers to create visible thoughts maps effortlessly, making it a super device for brainstorming and organizing ideas. With actual time collaboration options and integration capabilities, MindMeister additionally works as an honest job supervisor. MindMeister has a free plan with restricted capabilities. Its Professional plan — excellent for groups —prices at $6 per person/month and embrace phrase export, PowerPoint export and Google Workspace for domains sign-on.
Key options:
- Visible thoughts maps
- Actual-time collaboration
- Presentation Mode
What’s subsequent to your crew’s strategic planning?
In the end, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all answer when selecting a strategic planning software program platform. From small enterprise to enterprise-level, you should decide what specifics you need for your enterprise after which check out just a few instruments to see if it matches the mould. Hopefully, this roundup will give you a superb place to begin as you discover your choices.
Have a strategic planning software program platform you’re keen on? Inform us within the feedback under.
