Chapter 3 - Planning And Control Flashcards
Strategic planning covers what time range?
3-10 years
What does the tactical plan cover?
Medium term company policies, implements key elements of the strategy such as new insurance products, recruitment, investing in services etc. project appraisal and project management important here.
What is the timescale for tactical plans?
One to three years
What does operational plans look at?
Routine day to day matters And is concerned with making sure strategic goals are met, for example hitting revenue targets, service levels etc. Detailed action plans are put in place to make sure objectives achieved. Action plans will show allocation of responsibility And resources. Budgets also important here.
Give a list of 8 control models
- Management accounting
- Budgeting
- Critical success factors
- Key performance indicators
- Key risk indicators
- Balanced scorecards
- Benchmarking
- Management by objectives
The practice of management accounting is based on the concept that information should be made available to…
Managers to enable them to track the progress of the financial performance of the business throughout the financial year.
Critical success factors are usually derived from a …
SWOT analysis ( strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats )
How will a company find its critical success factors?
These will be the factors that are critical to realising its mission, can be exploiting opportunities, fending of dangers posed by external threats and internal weaknesses.
If an organisation decides it will only survive if say for example its distribution systems are improved, the improvement of these systems will be a?
Critical success factor
Key performance indicators are quantifiable points in the development of a company’s strategy that show…
Whether or not the company is reaching its targets and objectives.
Key performance indicators can be in what two types?
Result orientated and effort orientated
Give examples of result orientated key performance measures
- sales
- rates of return in investment
- market share
- asset growth
Give examples of effort orientated performance measures
- number of potential customers contacted
- number of complaints resolved within planned timeframe
- extent of relationships with customers
- effort applied to improving staff relations, such as surveys
- staff turnover or absence rates
- active pursuing of debtors
Give some examples of key risk indicator measures
- it downtime
- examples of fraud
- complaints
- property loss or damage
- employee injury or illness
A balanced scorecard is defined as?
A strategic planning and management system used to align business activities to the vision statement of an organisation.
How does balanced scorecards measure an organisations performance? List them also.
Looking at the activities of the organisation from four perspectives. These are internal perspective, financial perspective, learning and growth and customer perspective.
Defined, benchmarking is a process that allows a company to…
Compare its own progress with that of a comprehensive standard.
What are the three types of benchmarking?
- Internal - compares the performances of divisions and departments within the same organisation
- External - contrasts the company’s overall performance with competing firms e.g growth, profitability, roce
- Functional - covers an assessment of company’s main functions and processes and compares these against the same functions and processes in other organisations but not necessarily competitiors.
To ensure benchmarking is successful it is essential that:
- use of comprehensive and accurate information on competing or comparable companies
- benchmarked based on industry best practice
- benchmarks used are flexible and can be altered if the external environment changes
- benchmarks relate to the company’s corporate strategies and plans
- there are sound internal audit processes in place
Management by objectives is the process of…
Defining objectives within an organisation so that both management and employees agree to the objectives and understand what they need to do in order to achieve them.
Management by objectives is suitable for companies such as insurance companies, why is this?
Because these are knowledge based organisations
Management by objectives requires managers and employees to have a…
Clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities expected of them so that they can understand how their activities relate to the achievement of the organisations goals.
What are some of the important features and advantages of management by objectives?
- motivation, by involving employees in the goal setting process they will be more satisfied and committed.
- better communication and coordination, having reviews and interactions with managers helps maintain relationships and solve problems
- clarity of goals using SMART methodology
- employees tend to have higher commitment to goals they set themselves
- managers can ensure the objectives of the employees are linked to the organisations objectives
- common goals for the organisation means it is a directive principle of management
What are the remaining 3 essential features of management by objectives? The first are:
- clarification of results to be achieved
- agreement with each manager of job improvement plan
- provision of conditions which will help managers to achieve their results and job improvement plans e.g team spirit, effective management information systems
- performance review of managers results
- potential reviews to see which mamagers can advance in the company
- development of mangement training plans to improve management skills
- motivation of managers by effective salary, selection and career development plans