The Operational Plan: Schedules, Suppliers and Backup Plans
The operational plan includes the schedule of getting the job done and how to implement the business plan. Define the size and period you will start your business. For example, you have considered six months for the initial stage and another six months to enter the market. Sometimes the plan is formulated for a three-year or five-year period, and sometimes an operational plan is considered in short-term, one-year periods. This helps you focus on the time you have to achieve a certain goal.
Determine the method of producing your products and services. How do you prepare the products you want to offer? Who are your suppliers? How do you coordinate customer support? What are the duties of every single employee? What machinery do you need, and where and how do you get it? When is the equipment going to be installed? How is the quality control? How can you achieve customer satisfaction, and how can you know its degree?
People who play a role in production and supply, from supplying the raw materials to delivering to the customer, are called key players. Define the role and characteristics of each. Make a list of required qualifications from your suppliers, research, and determine which supplier you will choose. For example, you write exactly from whom you want to supply your restaurant's meat.
Define a schedule and write the exact time of all the tasks. For example, the meats must be delivered up to two days before the opening day, and you contact the supplier to ensure it. Define the operational plan as a flexible one. Brace up for the case where the meats are not delivered on time, and have a viable contingency plan. You may have done all your planning six months ago, but the refrigerator manufacturer goes bankrupt two weeks before delivering. If you have prepared a backup plan, you can handle the job no matter what happens. Don't be dependent on one single supplier.