Implementation

 

QTE Solutions implementation teams provide guidance and resources to oversee all aspects of the project:

 We view Implementation as the process that turns strategies and plans into actions.

Critical actions move a strategic plan from a document that sits on the shelf to actions that drive business growth.

According to Fortune Magazine, nine out of ten organizations fail to implement their strategic plan for many reasons:

  • 60% of organizations don’t link strategy to budgeting
  • 75% of organizations don’t link employee incentives to strategy
  • 86% of business owners and managers spend less than one hour per month discussing strategy
  • 95% of the typical workforce doesn’t understand their organization’s strategy.

Although the topic of implementation may not be the most exciting thing to talk about, it’s a fundamental business practice that’s critical for any strategy to take hold.

The strategic plan addresses the what and why of activities, but implementation addresses the whowherewhen, and how. The fact is that both pieces are critical to success. In fact, companies can gain

Here are the most common reasons strategic plans fail:

  • Lack of ownership: The most common reason a plan fails is lack of ownership.  If people don’t have a stake and responsibility in the plan, it’ll be business as usual for all but a frustrated few.
  • Lack of communication: The plan doesn’t get communicated to employees, and they don’t understand how they contribute.
  • Getting mired in the day-to-day: Owners and managers, consumed by daily operating problems, lose sight of long-term goals.  
  • Out of the ordinary: The plan is treated as something separate and removed from the management process.
  • An overwhelming plan: The goals and actions generated in the strategic planning session are too numerous because the team failed to make tough choices to eliminate non-critical actions. Employees don’t know where to begin.
  • A meaningless plan: The vision, mission, and value statements are viewed as fluff and not supported by actions or don’t have employee buy-in.
  • Not considering implementation: Implementation isn’t discussed in the strategic planning process. The planning document is seen as an end in itself.
  • No progress report: There’s no method to track progress, and the plan only measures what’s easy, not what’s important. No one feels any forward momentum.
  • No accountability: Accountability and high visibility help drive change.  This means that each measure, objective, data source, and initiative must have an owner.
  • Lack of empowerment: Although accountability may provide strong motivation for improving performance, employees must also have the authority, responsibility, and tools necessary to impact relevant measures. 

 

Our implementation teams, guided by our project managers, execute and control against the project plan, A project plan that is completed with complete collaboration and agreement with our customers.

We believe that implementation is an essential part of the strategic planning process, and organizations that develop strategic plans must expect to include a process for applying the plan. The specific implementation process can vary, dependent largely on the details of the actual strategic plan, but some basic steps can assist in the process and ensure that the implementation is successful, and the strategic plan is effective.

The requirements for successful implementation of a project are:

  • Planning
  • Managing the Project Team
  • Managing Stakeholders
  • Managing Change
  • Project Reporting
  • Good Communications
  • Project Records

 

Our customers remain our most valued references to our approach.