The strategic planning process is a tool that helps the company's management make the right strategic decisions and adjust the daily life of the organization in accordance with them.

Strategic planning is a set of decisions and actions carried out by the management of a firm in order to achieve the goals of the organization.

Strategic planning includes four main types of management activities:

Allocation of resources: allocation of available funds, highly qualified personnel, as well as technological and scientific experience available in the organization.

Adaptation to the external environment: actions that improve the relationship of the firm with the external environment, i.e. relationships with the public, the government, various government agencies.

Internal coordination of work of all departments and divisions. This stage involves identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the firm in order to achieve effective integration of operations within the organization.

Awareness of organizational strategies. It takes into account the experience of past strategic decisions, which makes it possible to predict the future of the organization.

One of the key components of strategic management is the strategy, which is a detailed comprehensive comprehensive plan. It should be developed from the perspective of the whole corporation, rather than a specific individual. It is rare that a company founder can afford to combine personal plans with organizational strategies. The strategy involves the development of reasonable measures and plans to achieve the intended goals, which should take into account the scientific and technical potential of the company and its production and marketing needs.

On the basis of the analysis carried out in the process of developing a strategy, strategic thinking is formed by discussing and agreeing with the managerial linear apparatus on the concept of the development of the company as a whole, recommending new development strategies, formulating draft goals, preparing directives for long-term planning, developing strategic plans and their control.

Strategic management assumes that the company determines its key positions for the future, depending on the priority of goals.

The firm faces four main strategic alternatives: limited growth, growth, downsizing, and a combination of these strategies.

Limited growth is followed by most organizations in developed countries. It is characterized by the establishment of goals from the achieved, adjusted associations of firms in unrelated industries.

Leaders are less likely to choose a downsizing strategy. In it, the level of goals pursued is set below that achieved in the past. For many firms, downsizing can mean a path to rationalization and reorientation of operations. In this case, several options are possible: liquidation (complete sale of inventories and assets of the organization); deduction of excess (separation by firms of some of their divisions or activities); reduction and reorientation (reduction of part of its activities in an attempt to increase profits).

A downsizing strategy is most often used when a company's performance continues to deteriorate, during an economic downturn, or simply to save the organization.

Strategies for combining all alternatives will be pursued by large firms active in several industries.

Having chosen a certain strategic alternative, management must turn to a specific strategy. The main goal: the choice of a strategic alternative that will maximize the long-term effectiveness of the organization. To do this, leaders must have a clear, shared vision of the company and its future. Commitment to a particular choice often limits future strategy, so the decision must be carefully researched and evaluated. A variety of factors influence the strategic choice: risk (a factor in the life of the company); knowledge of past strategies; the reaction of equity holders, which often limits the flexibility of management in choosing a strategy; time factor, depending on the choice of the right moment.

Decision-making on strategic issues can be carried out in different directions: “bottom-up”, “top-down”, in the interaction of the above two directions (the strategy is developed in the process of interaction between top management, planning service and operational units).

Forming the strategy of the company as a whole is becoming increasingly important. This concerns the priority of the problems to be solved, the definition of the structure of the firm, the validity of capital investments, the coordination and integration of strategies.

The strategic plan must be supported by extensive research and evidence. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly collect and analyze a huge amount of information about the sectors of the national economy, the market, competition, etc. In addition, the strategic plan gives the firm a certainty, a personality that allows it to attract certain types of employees and help sell products or services.

Strategic planning alone does not guarantee success, and an organization that creates strategic plans may fail due to errors in organization, motivation, and control. However, formal planning can create a number of significant favorable factors for the organization of the enterprise. Knowing what an organization wants to achieve helps clarify the most appropriate course of action.

By making informed and systematic planning decisions, management reduces the risk of making the wrong decision due to erroneous or unreliable information about the organization's capabilities or the external situation. In this way, planning helps to create a unity of common purpose within an organization.

The formation of a strategic plan is a thorough, systematic preparation for the future activities of the enterprise (firm), carried out by top management, and includes the following items: mission selection; formation of goals (long-term, medium-term, short-term); development of supporting plans (policy, strategy, procedures, rules, budgets).

After the development of the organization's strategy, the stage of its implementation begins.

The main stages of the implementation of the strategy are: tactics, policies, procedures and rules.

A tactic is a short-term plan of action aligned with a strategic plan. Unlike strategy, which is more often developed by top management, tactics are developed by middle managers; tactics are more short-term than strategy; the results of tactics appear much faster than the results of strategy.

Policy development is the next step in the implementation of the strategic plan. It contains general guidelines for action and decision making to facilitate the achievement of the organization's objectives. The policy is long-term. The policy is formed in order to avoid deviation in making daily management decisions from the main goals of the organization. It shows acceptable ways to achieve these goals.

After developing the organization's policy, management develops procedures, taking into account previous decision-making experience. The procedure is used in case of frequent repetition of the situation. It includes a description of specific actions to be taken in a given situation.

Where complete lack of freedom of choice is expedient, management develops rules. They are used to ensure that employees perform their duties accurately in a particular situation. Rules, unlike a procedure that describes a sequence of recurring situations, are applied to a specific single situation.

An important stage in planning is the development of a budget. It is a way of the most efficient allocation of resources, expressed in numerical form and aimed at achieving certain goals.

An effective method of management is the method of management by objectives.

It consists of four steps: formulating clear and concise goals; developing the best plans to achieve these goals; control, analysis and evaluation of work results; adjustment of the results in accordance with the planned .

The development of goals is carried out in descending order along the hierarchy from top management to subsequent levels of management. The goals of the subordinate manager should ensure the achievement of the goals of his boss. At this stage of developing goals, feedback is obligatory, that is, a two-way exchange of information, which is necessary for their coordination and ensuring consistency.

Planning determines what needs to be done to achieve a given goal. There are several stages of planning:

Identification of tasks that need to be solved to achieve the goals;

Establishing the sequence of operations, creating a schedule;

Clarification of the authority of personnel to perform each type of activity;

Estimation of time costs;

Determining the cost of resources required to carry out operations through the development of a budget;

Adjustment of action plans.

The decision on the choice of organizational structure is made by the top management of the organization. The middle and lower levels of management provide initial information, and sometimes offer their own options for the structure of their subordinate units. The best structure of the organization is considered to be such a structure that allows you to optimally interact with the external and internal environment, meet the needs of the organization and most effectively achieve its goals. The strategy of an organization should always determine the organizational structure, and not vice versa.

The organizational structure selection process consists of three steps:

The division of the organization into enlarged blocks horizontally, in accordance with the activities carried out;

Establishing the ratio of powers of posts;

Definition of job responsibilities and assignment of their implementation to specific persons.

Types of organizational structures:

Functional (classic). Such a structure involves the division of the organization into separate functional elements, each of which has a clear specific task and responsibilities. Such a structure is typical for medium-sized firms or organizations that produce a relatively limited range of products, operate in a stable external environment, and where standard management decisions are most often sufficient.

Divisional. This is the division of the organization into elements and blocks by type of goods or services, or by groups of consumers, or by regions where goods are sold.

Grocery. With this structure, the authority for the production and marketing of any product is transferred to one leader. This structure is most effective in the development, development of production and organization of the sale of new products.

Regional. This structure provides the best solution to the problems associated with taking into account the peculiarities of local legislation, as well as the traditions, customs and needs of consumers. The structure is designed mainly for the promotion of goods to remote regions of the country.

Customer oriented structure. With this structure, all departments are united around certain groups of consumers who have similar or specific needs. The purpose of such a structure is to satisfy these needs as fully as possible.

Design. This is a temporarily created structure to solve a specific problem, or to carry out a complex project.

Matrix. This is a structure that results from the imposition of a project structure on a functional one, and implies the principle of “double” subordination (both to the functional manager and to the project manager).

conglomerate. It involves the connection of various divisions and departments that work functionally, but focused on achieving the goals of other organizational structures of the conglomerate. Most often, such a structure is used in large national and international corporations.

An important role is played by the degree of centralization of the organizational structure. In a centralized organization, all management functions are concentrated in the top management. The advantage of this structure is a high degree of control and coordination of the organization's activities. In a decentralized organization, some of the management functions are transferred to its branches, departments, etc. This structure is used when the external environment is characterized by strong competition, dynamic markets and rapidly changing technology.

For more effective work of personnel in the organization, its motivation is obligatory. Motivation is the process of inducing other people to act in order to achieve the goals of the organization.

Modern theories of motivation are divided into two categories: content and process. Content theories of motivation are based on the definition of need. A need is a person's feeling of lack, the absence of something. To motivate an employee to action, managers use rewards: external (monetary, career advancement), and internal (sense of success). Process theories of motivation are based on elements of psychology in human behavior.

Control is the process of ensuring that the firm achieves its goals. Control can be divided into: preliminary control, current control, final control.

In general, control consists of setting standards, measuring the results achieved, making adjustments if results are achieved that differ from the established standards.

Preliminary control is carried out before the start of the work of the organization. It is used in three industries: in the field of human resources (recruitment); material resources (selection of suppliers of raw materials); financial resources (formation of the firm's budget).

Current control is carried out directly in the course of work and the daily activities of the organization, and involves a regular check of subordinate personnel, as well as a discussion of emerging problems. At the same time, feedback between departments and the upper management echelon of the company is necessary to ensure its successful operation.

Final control is carried out after the work is done. It provides information to the head of the company for better planning and implementation of similar tasks in the future.

Control-oriented employee behavior produces more effective results. However, there must be mechanisms for rewarding and punishing. At the same time, excessive control, which can annoy employees and staff, must be avoided. Effective control must be strategic, reflect the firm's overall priorities, and support the organization's operations. The ultimate goal of control is not only the ability to identify the problem, but also to successfully solve the tasks assigned to the organization. Control must be timely and flexible. Simplicity and efficiency of control, and its cost-effectiveness are very relevant. The presence of an information management system in an organization helps to increase the efficiency of control and planning of the company's activities. The information management system should contain information about the past, present and future of the organization. This information allows the company's management to make optimal decisions.

Strategic planning defines the main goals and directions of the organization's actions, ensures the achievement of the chosen goals by using existing advantages and creating new ones. A strategic plan is a program of integrated actions to achieve the set goals.

Strategic planning is the process of defining the goals of an organization and the lines of action to achieve them. The decisive planning decision for the organization is the formulation of the mission and the definition of specific goals that ensure its implementation. On the basis of the adopted goals and taking into account the results of the strategic analysis, decisions are made on the main directions of action and the corresponding management procedures.

Figure 17 shows the sequence of actions that make up strategic planning in the form of a cycle. This cycle begins with the development of a mission and goals. The formulated mission allows you to define measurable goals, expressed in the relevant indicators. In practice, after clarifying the goals, the mission is often re-specified, and the cycle begins anew.

The next step in strategic planning is to determine the parameters of the external environment that affect the activities of the organization. This strategic planning step is exploratory in nature and is often carried out by third parties. The results of the study of the external environment often force the mission and goals to be clarified again, so the strategic planning procedure returns to the initial stage again.

At the next stage of strategic planning, a SWOT analysis is carried out, which reveals positive and negative external and internal factors of the organization or project.

The results of the SWOT analysis often force us to return to the formulation of the mission and goals and supplement the study of the external environment. It is this step in Scheme 17 that is represented by dotted lines.

The formulation of the mission, goals, SWOT analysis - all these elements of strategic planning have been successfully used and are being used in the practice of not only commercial, but also government organizations, and they were used several centuries ago.

An example of a strategic approach in public administration is the work of Jean Baptiste Colbert, Minister of the Court of Louis XIV, who served as head of government for the "Sun King" for 23 years. In many of his endeavors, he proceeded from the principles of strategic planning. One of the episodes of his activity is very typical. According to his instructions, oaks were planted in large areas in France. On the territory of modern France, you can still find the remains of oak groves created by order of J.B. Colbert. These landings at the end of the 17th century. were made for the sole purpose: that by the middle of the XIX century. (!) France became the owner of the best mast timber in Europe and thus would provide itself with the best material for shipbuilding.

Colbert was interested in creating new competitive advantages for the state as a whole, since the development of the fleet in the 17th century. was of decisive importance for the country. In Colbert's actions, all elements of strategic planning are visible: the definition of the mission and goals, SWOT analysis, strategy development and its implementation.

Strategic planning and long-term planning are not the same thing, although strategic plans tend to be long-term in nature. Long-term plans can be both strategic and operational. The former include the justification of goals, their hierarchy, assessment of external conditions, internal pros and cons, and main directions of action. The latter relate to simpler management tools and include a list of necessary actions, quantitative characteristics of these actions, deadlines, responsible for actions and control procedures. Operational plans, being detailed action plans, usually complement strategic ones, being a tool for implementing strategic plans. At the same time, they cannot be successful without preliminary analytical study at the strategic planning stage.

Strategic planning can be carried out at different levels of the management hierarchy. For example, in a large commercial organization, you can develop a strategy at the corporate level as a whole, determining which types of business are best to go into. In this case, the issues of diversifying activities, integrating with other similar organizations, absorbing competitors, etc. will be mainly resolved. kind. Its niche in the market, pricing strategy, business geography, innovation and investment strategy are determined. At the same time, within each business, its own functional strategies are identified: financial, production, marketing strategy, R&D strategy, information strategy, etc. These strategies determine what and how to do in the implementation of the relevant functions.

In the same way, we can consider different levels of state strategic management: federal, regional, municipal. For example, a country's development strategy is reflected in the program of economic and political reforms; each region forms its own strategy in accordance with federal programs and plans, taking into account its own specifics of socio-economic development and using its own advantages. The same can be said about the city strategy in relation to the regional strategy.

Every organization needs a strategic information system to conduct strategic analysis. Most large organizations have special information and analytical units. In small organizations where it is not possible to have their own information and analytical unit, their specific sources of strategic information are used, such as personal experience, reports, books, magazines, newspapers, conferences, professional meetings, subordinates, external counterparties, etc.

In the process of developing a strategy, it is useful to use forecasting, building scenarios and models, and creating a development concept.

There is no need to dwell here in detail on forecasting methods. Suffice it to say that an organic part of the development of a strategy is the forecast of the development of the control object under various basic assumptions. For example, based on a variant forecast, it is possible to consider various development scenarios: what will happen if nothing is changed and continue to act in accordance with the old, well-established approaches and management methods, and what will happen if different strategy options are implemented.

It is advisable to analyze various development options not only for the organization as a whole, but also for its individual divisions, as well as individual aspects or types of activities.

Of the special models used in strategy development, strategy models based on various analytical matrices, including those based on the Boston Consulting Group matrix (BCG matrix), which are successfully used for strategy development and their analysis in many commercial organizations, are widely used. .

To develop a strategic development plan, both large and small organizations often resort to the help of professional consultants.

Strategic planning has firmly entered the life of almost all commercial organizations. Traditional strategic planning technologies are business plans and commercial projects. Practice has proven high efficiency, and in some cases the urgent need for the use of strategic planning not only in commercial activities, but also in other types of human activity. Recently, strategic planning has been increasingly used in the practice of non-profit organizations (foundations, churches, universities) and in public administration, including regional administration.

It is legitimate to raise the question of the strategy of the country as a whole, region or city, ministry, department. All these management objects are very different from a commercial firm, and therefore their development strategy has its own characteristics. At the same time, the main elements of the strategy of the country, region, city, ministry, department and commercial organization are the same.

Strategic planning is successfully used in the work of universities, hospitals, non-profit organizations. Especially fruitful is the use of strategic planning in the management of the development of the region.

All strategic planning procedures, with appropriate adaptation, are applicable to regional and city development planning. Strategic planning can be successfully used not only in the preparation of comprehensive plans for socio-economic development, but also in the implementation of anti-crisis measures in regions and cities, in the management of large-scale infrastructure projects, and in the implementation of investments.

Some strategic planning techniques formalized in business planning are already widely used in the practice of regional governments. However, all constructive elements of strategic planning and strategic management have yet to be fully implemented in the practice of city and regional administrations.

Strategic planning in the enterprise- this is the basis of strategic management, the establishment of directions for the organization's activities for certain periods of time (most often from a year to 10 years).

In the 70-90s. 20th century many organizations have chosen the path of decentralization of management and on-farm planning. The planning of scientific and technical (research, development of new generations of equipment and basic technologies) and financial policy (investments, loans, issuance of shares, purchase and sale of property and securities in significant amounts) remained in the responsibility of the management of companies.

Strategic planning at the macro level is engaged in forecasting structural shifts and basic proportions in the economy of the country as a whole or its large region.

Strategic planning at the micro level - the development of the scientific and technical level of production and the competitiveness of the company as a whole, the assessment of investments, their payback, profit and its distribution, as well as the assessment of the production process of specific goods from the purchase of raw materials to the sale of finished products and services.

The main goal of strategic planning in the enterprise- coordination of various directions of development of the company in predetermined periods of time.

Implementation of the plan is a means of effectively organizing the work of the organization. The plan should be adjusted to reflect market conditions. The performance of departments is assessed not by the percentage of fulfillment, let alone overfulfillment of plans, but by the fulfillment of delivery schedules, product quality (the number of defects per 100 products), the use of production capacity, the level and dynamics of production costs and profits (at intracompany settlement prices for parts, semi-finished products , services, etc.).

Composition of the strategic plan:
1) a long-term forecast for 6-15 years (a reasonable probabilistic assumption about changes in the structure and demands of the market, equipment and technology, production and their socio-economic consequences);
2) development plan for 3–5 years, broken down by years;
3) targeted programs for solving the most important problems.

The structure of the strategic 5-year plan.
1. Development goals of the organization.
2. Investments and renewal of production.
3. Directions for improving the use of resources.
4. Improving management.
5. Problems of increasing the competitiveness of the organization and ways to solve them.
6. Distribution of resources between the structural units of the company and the strategic projects of the organization.
7. Perspective landmarks of the company and tasks for its structural units in terms of production efficiency.

Stages of strategic planning at the enterprise.
1. Forecast of the development of the organization based on marketing research and assessment of its competitiveness.
2. Disclosure of the main problems that hold the improvement of market positions, substantiation of options for their resolution, assessment of the likely consequences of a particular choice.
3. Development of a long-term plan that sets development goals and related regulatory indicators.
4. Target programs for strategic areas of management.

Strategic planning sets promising directions for the development of the enterprise, determines the main types of its activities, allows you to link marketing, design, production and financial activities into a single system. The strategic plan ensures the adaptation of the enterprise to the external environment, to the allocation of resources and internal coordination of activities in order to identify strengths and weaknesses. The strategic plan for large enterprises is usually long-term. But the time period of the strategic plan for different enterprises may be different, and what is long-term for one enterprise may be short-term for another. Strategic planning at enterprises should be aimed at their long-term development, achieving high rates of economic growth. Development is a process in which the ability and desire of an enterprise to satisfy its desires and needs of consumers increase. Thus, strategic planning is designed to ensure the necessary economic growth and the desired level of enterprise development for the coming long-term period.

The first and most important decision in strategic planning is the choice of the mission and goals of the enterprise. The mission reveals the meaning of the existence of the enterprise, in which the differences between this enterprise and similar ones are manifested. In other words, the mission is the main goal of the enterprise. Mission and goals - serve as a guideline for all subsequent planning stages and at the same time impose certain restrictions on the direction of the enterprise's activities when analyzing development alternatives. The mission of an enterprise may be to conquer the market for products, to expand the geographical or product market, to improve the quality of products while reducing prices for them. Goals are long-term, medium-term and short-term. They are formed and established within the framework of the mission and in its development. At the same time, goals are a key part of strategic planning.

Strategic plans are drawn up mainly for the medium term, usually for three years. Long-term strategic plans have low accuracy or reliability, as they reflect an aggregated assessment of the goals and possibilities for achieving them due to the lack of sufficiently objective information.

The strategic plan sets a promising direction for the development of the enterprise, defines the main activities, allows you to link all the main areas of activity into a single system, and also allows you to better understand the structure of needs, the processes of planning, promotion and marketing of products, mechanisms for the formation of market prices. It establishes specific and clear goals for each division of the enterprise, which are consistent with the overall development strategy of the enterprise. It provides coordination of efforts of all functional services of the enterprise. The strategic approach encourages enterprise managers to better assess their strengths and weaknesses in terms of competitors, opportunities, constraints, and environmental changes. The plan defines alternative actions of the enterprise for the long term and creates a basis for the allocation of limited economic resources. Demonstrates the possibility of actually applying the basic functions of planning, organizing, managing, monitoring and evaluating the activities of an enterprise as a single system of modern management.

The process of strategic planning at the enterprise includes the implementation of the following interrelated functions:

• 1) determination of a long-term strategy, the main goals and objectives of the development of the enterprise;
• 2) creation of strategic business units at the enterprise;
• 3) substantiation and clarification of the main objectives of conducting marketing research of the market;
• 4) implementation of situational analysis and choice of the direction of economic development of the enterprise;
• 5) development of the main marketing strategy and integrated production planning;
• 6) choice of tactics and refined planning of ways and means to achieve the goals;
• 7) control and evaluation of the main results, adjustment of the chosen strategy and methods of its implementation.

In the process of strategic planning, the main goals of the enterprise are set by top management and agreed with all departments. After their consideration, the units put forward their proposals and, thereby, the necessary prerequisites are created for the development of common goals of strategic planning. The approved plans provide for the general goals of the enterprise, its place in the market, the organizational structure of management, financial results, etc.

Thus, the main task of strategic planning in enterprises is to substantiate the most important goals and develop the right strategy for long-term development. In modern planning theory, it is customary to distinguish eight main areas of activity, within which each enterprise defines its main goals. These areas are the position of the enterprise in the market, innovation, productivity level, availability of production resources, degree of stability, management system, staff professionalism and social responsibility. Strategic planning is a dynamic process of defining the mission and goals of the organization, finding specific strategies for selecting and acquiring the necessary economic resources, allocating and using them in order to ensure the effective operation of the organization in the foreseeable future.

The main tasks of planning the work of the organization are:

the choice of the optimal strategy of the organization for the future, taking into account the forecasts of alternative options for strategic marketing. Ensuring the stability of the functioning and development of the organization.

Formation of an optimal portfolio of innovations in terms of nomenclature and assortment based on scientific approaches. Structuring the goals of the organization. Comprehensive support for the implementation of plans. Development of organizational, technical and socio-economic measures to ensure the effective implementation of plans.

Coordination of the implementation of plans in terms of deadlines, quality of work, resources, performers. Moral and material incentives for the implementation of plans. The strategic planning process includes the following steps:

1) Formation of the mission.

The main overall goal of the organization - a clearly expressed reason for its existence - is referred to as its mission. Goals are developed to carry out this mission. The value of an appropriate mission that is formally expressed and effectively presented to the employees of the organization cannot be overstated. The goals developed on its basis serve as criteria for the entire subsequent process of making managerial decisions. If leaders do not know what the main purpose of their organization is, then they will not have a logical starting point for choosing the best alternative. Without defining the mission as a guideline, leaders would have only their individual values ​​as the basis for making decisions. The result might be a huge spread of effort rather than a unity of purpose essential to the success of the organization.

The mission details the status of the firm and provides direction and benchmarks for setting goals and strategies at various organizational levels. The organization's mission statement should include the following:

• 1. The mission of the firm in terms of its main services or products, its main markets, and its main technologies. In other words, what kind of business activities does the firm engage in?
• 2. External environment in relation to the firm, which determines the working principles of the firm.
• 3. Culture of the organization. What type of working climate exists within the firm? What type of people are attracted to this climate?
• 2) Goal setting

Corporate goals are formulated and established on the basis of the overall mission of the organization and certain values ​​and goals that top management is guided by. To truly contribute to the success of an organization, goals must have a number of characteristics:

First, goals must be specific and measurable. By expressing its goals in specific, measurable terms, management creates a clear baseline for future decisions and progress. Middle managers will have a guideline for deciding whether more effort should be put into training and educating employees. It will also be easier to determine how well the organization is working towards achieving its goals.

Second, goals must be time-oriented. The specific forecast horizon is another characteristic of effective goals. It should specify not only what the organization wants to accomplish, but also, in general, when the result is to be achieved. Goals are usually set for long or short time periods.

Third, the goal must be achievable in order to serve to increase the effectiveness of the organization. Setting a goal that exceeds the capacity of the organization, either due to insufficient resources or due to external factors, can lead to disastrous consequences.

Finally, to be effective, the goals of an organization must be mutually supportive: the actions and decisions necessary to achieve one goal must not interfere with the achievement of other goals.

3) Assessment and analysis of the external environment

After establishing its mission and goals, management should begin the diagnostic phase of the strategic planning process. The first step is to study the external environment. Managers evaluate the external environment according to three parameters:

• 1. Evaluate the changes that affect different aspects of the current strategy. For example, rising rocket fuel prices have created a variety of problems for airlines. The latter must constantly assess the dynamics of fuel prices as part of the strategic planning process.
• 2. Determine what factors pose a threat to the current strategy of the firm. Controlling the activities of competitors allows management to be prepared for potential threats.
• 3. Determine which factors provide more opportunities to achieve company-wide goals by adjusting the plan.

Environmental analysis is the process by which strategic planners control factors external to the organization to identify opportunities and threats for the firm.

Analysis of the external environment helps to obtain important results. It gives the organization time to anticipate opportunities, time to plan for contingencies, time to develop an early warning system for possible threats, and time to develop strategies that can turn past threats into any profitable opportunity.

Threats and opportunities faced by an organization can generally be classified into seven areas. These areas are economics, politics, market, technology, competition, international position and social behavior.

4) Management survey of internal strengths and weaknesses of the organization.

The next challenge facing management will be determining whether the firm has the internal strength to take advantage of external opportunities, as well as identifying internal weaknesses that can compound the challenges posed by external hazards. The process by which a diagnosis of internal problems is made is called a management survey.

A management survey is a methodical assessment of an organization's functional areas designed to identify its strategic strengths and weaknesses.

5) Exploring strategic alternatives

Once leadership has weighed external threats and opportunities against internal strengths and weaknesses, it can determine the strategy it will pursue. An organization faces four main strategic options: limited growth, growth, downsizing, or a combination of these three strategies.

6) Choosing a strategy

After management has considered the available strategic alternatives, it then turns to a specific strategy. The goal is to select the strategic alternative that will maximize the organization's long-term performance. While the choice of overall strategy is both a right and a responsibility of top management, the final choice has a profound effect on the entire organization. To make effective strategic choices, senior leaders must have a clear, shared vision of the firm and its future. The strategic choice must be definite and unambiguous. Commitment to a particular choice often limits future strategy, so the decision must be carefully researched and evaluated.

The development of a strategic plan includes the following steps:

• - formation of goals for the long-term development of the enterprise and their disaggregation to a set of tasks;
• - substantiation of the concept of long-term development of the enterprise, ensuring the achievement of the goal;
• - determination of long-term forecasts for the development of the enterprise with various options for changing the external environment and the possibility of changing the internal potential;
• - substantiation of directions and indicators of the strategic plan for the development of the enterprise, including business plans for an investment or entrepreneurial project.

Let's take a closer look at each of these stages.

1st stage- the formation of the goals of the long-term development of the enterprise is very important, since when substantiating the goal, the long-term results of the enterprise's activities are anticipated, the most general guidelines and mission for the development of the enterprise are formed.

Basic rules for justifying the goal:

• - must be specific and understandable (measurable goal);
• - must be achievable in the foreseeable future (realistic goal);
• - can be broken down into a set of tasks that ensure the achievement of the goal, i.e., be able to build a "tree of goals" (comparability of goals and objectives);
• - must formalize the mission (main functional purpose) of the enterprise in the long term (specificity of the goal).

The goal is formulated by top management and predetermines the concentration of efforts for its implementation. Goals are important because they:

• - are the foundation for planning, management, organization, coordination and control;
• - determine the prospects of doing business;
• - serve as a guide in the formation of the image of the enterprise.

There are eight key spaces within which the enterprise defines goals:

• 1. Market position (share and competitiveness).
• 2. Innovative processes of production and sale of products and services.
• 3. Profitability of the enterprise.
• 4. Resource intensity of products and services and the possibility of additional attraction of resources.
• 5. Mobility of management: organizational structures, forms and methods of interaction, motivation, etc.
• 6. Qualification composition of personnel and the possibility of its change.
• 7. Social consequences of changes and their impact on the level of development of the enterprise.
• 8. Ability to quantify the goal. The formulated goal is disaggregated through a set of tasks, then the tasks are detailed to measures that are concretized into target standards and indicators that determine the ideal future state of the enterprise. An example of target downscaling is shown in Fig. 4.

Rice. 4. An example of building a "tree of goals"

• 2nd stage. Substantiation of the concept of long-term development. The concept as a system of views on the prospects of the enterprise is based on future opportunities and risks, and also relies on the resource potential of the future (technology, equipment, personnel, etc.). Realization of the set goal involves taking into account three basic conditions in the justification of the concept:
  • - sustainability of economic relations both within the enterprise and in the external environment;
  • - the effectiveness of the enterprise at all stages of its development;
  • - innovativeness of strategic directions.

These conditions for determining the concept of enterprise development are based on three main approaches:

• - minimization of costs for the production and sale of products and services and the formation of competitive advantages on this basis is a very vulnerable strategy, especially for enterprises;
• - a high level of specialization and, on this basis, an increase in the quality characteristics of products and services;
• - focusing on only one segment of the market with the study of its needs and specialization for their maximum satisfaction.

Based on this, four groups of basic conceptual strategies are distinguished:

• - concentrated growth strategy - includes plans to strengthen market positions; search for new markets for existing goods and services; upgrading a product or service for sale in an existing market;
• - growth strategy by increasing the number of structures (integrated growth), including horizontal mergers of enterprises of the same market segment, production or sales (creation of a network of enterprises of the same profile); vertical mergers along the chain of production-distribution-sales, carried out on different organizational and legal conditions; conglomerate mergers of enterprises from different sectors of the economy in order to diversify activities);
• - a strategy of diversified growth through the production of new goods and services;
• - downsizing strategy - includes a liquidation plan, when the enterprise is unable to conduct an existing business, so it sells all or part of its business.

In addition, enterprise strategies are divided into levels:

• - corporate - involves the strengthening of positions in the market, the formation of corporate interests and goals, culture;
• - business (business strategy) - is developed by types and areas of activity based on the corporate strategy;
• - functional - managerial, i.e. substantiation of approaches to ensure effective management for the implementation of business strategies;
• - operating - includes the strategy of logistics, commerce, production, sales, ensuring the implementation of the business business strategy.
• 3rd stage. Development of forecasts for the long-term development of the enterprise (at least three options). Forecasting the development of an enterprise takes into account changes in the external environment, which implies:
  • - determination of the market potential and its conjuncture;
  • - change in qualitative needs for products and services;
  • - growth of incomes of the population and directions of its use (as a factor of growth);

change in the internal environment:

• - growth in production and sales of products and services;
• - qualitative and quantitative changes in the resource potential;
• - competitiveness and stability of the enterprise.

Forecasting can be carried out according to trend models, according to target standards, using economic-mathematical, simulation and network modeling.

The practical tasks of modeling are:

• - analysis and forecasting of the economic situation within the enterprise and beyond;
• - analysis and forecasting of sales markets and logistics;
• - preparation of planned decisions regarding the subsequent activities of the enterprise.

Each of the methods gives its own version of the forecast, which are subsequently compared, analyzed, evaluated from the point of view of the possibility of developing the enterprise under different options, and the degree of controllability of the forecast indicators is determined. There should be at least three forecast options: minimum, maximum and most probable.

It is advisable to develop forecasts for periods exceeding the periods of a long-term (strategic) plan.

4th stage. The development of a long-term plan involves the evaluation and selection of the most effective and realistic forecast option, its concretization. In the long term, goals, strategies are expressed in planned indicators and tasks (in an enlarged form, sometimes in extreme values).

The range of long-term (strategic) plans includes:

• 1. Company-wide consolidated strategic plan:
  • - a company-wide business portfolio, which defines the prospects for the types of business, areas of activity of the enterprise;
  • - strategies and key indicators of the development of the enterprise, taking into account the goals and forecast calculations;
  • - a plan for strategic transformations (changing the types and objects of activity; creating a network of enterprises, etc.).
• 2. Plans by type of business:
  • - business portfolios by types of business and activities;
  • - the main indicators of the development of business types;
  • - plans for new products and technologies.
• 3. Strategic plans for the development of the functional areas of the enterprise:
  • - commercial activities;
  • - development of production;
  • - development of material and technical supply;
  • - development of complex functional areas of activity (marketing, personnel, etc.).
• 4. Plan for improving the organizational structure and legal form of the enterprise:
  • - a plan for the reorganization of the enterprise as a legal entity (taking into account changes in the tasks to be solved, the volume and structure of economic activity);
  • - reengineering (redesign) of the organizational structure of the enterprise:
  • 5. Plans for improving the management system (management):
  • - placement and reserve of leading personnel;
  • - staff development;
  • - improvement of the organizational structure of management;
  • - improvement of the personnel incentive system;
  • - development of information management system.

This approximate list of strategic (long-term) plans for each enterprise is specified taking into account the purpose and development strategy of the enterprise, as well as taking into account the completeness and reliability of information characterizing the future conditions of its activities.

The draft strategic plan is submitted for discussion by the general meeting of shareholders or other management bodies, where it is considered as a general direction in the activities of the enterprise. It is advisable to involve ordinary employees in the discussion to participate in the development of the most promising areas of activity. The strategic plan, approved by the supreme governing body, acquires a directive character and is implemented in stages, mainly through the inclusion of strategic indicators in current plans and ensuring their implementation.

Current planning is a short-term strategy that implements a long-term (strategic) plan. The current plan is being developed by:

• o in the development of the strategic plan;
• o as a rule, at all levels of management;
• o for a shorter period of time compared to the strategic plan;
• o to determine the results of the implementation of the strategy in a shorter period of time.

In the system of plans (strategic and current), the implementation of the strategy means:

• o determination of indicators of the current work plans of the enterprise, taking into account their strategic values;
• o formation of procedures for the implementation of planned indicators with the definition of specific resources for them, the rationale for a set of tasks for each division of the enterprise;
• o action planning and development of calendar plans and schedules;
• o control over the implementation of strategic and current plans.

Thus, the implementation of strategic (long-term) plans involves their interconnection with current ones and the formation of a planning system at an enterprise with different time horizons.

Control questions and tasks

• 1. What tasks does strategic planning solve in an enterprise?
• 2. What are the main planning methods used in developing an enterprise development strategy?
• 3. Name the types of strategies and their characteristics.
• 4. Describe the steps involved in developing a strategic plan.
• 5. How is the implementation of the tasks of the strategic plan organized?