A department business plan defines the goals and activities a department will undertake for a specified time period and may be included as a section in a business's overall business plan. Because different departments have different responsibilities, the particular data needed for and useful in department business plans varies widely. However, you can follow a structured process to write a department business plan that fits your department's needs.
Instructions
1. Write an introductory section stating the purpose for your department business plan. State to whom the plan will be given and the deadline for delivering the plan. Specify the time frame the plan covers, such as the next six months or the next year.
2. Insert your department's vision and mission statements to form the next section of the plan. This provides context so that your plan can be evaluated in terms of its alignment with your vision and mission.
3. Write a situation analysis section for the plan. Include historical data on departmental or general business issues that directly influence decisions in the current plan.
4. Write the goals section of the plan. State specific and measurable goals for your department and the time frame for meeting the goals. Your department's goals might be stated in terms such as revenue targets, sales targets, or measurements of customer awareness or customer satisfaction.
5. Write the strategy section of the plan. Define both the strategic approach and the tactical steps your department will take to meet each goal in the goals section. If the tactical steps are longer than one or two pages, attach them as an appendix to the plan.
6. Define the key performance indicators (KPI) for the plan. These are the measurements by which you will evaluate the success of the department business plan and are stated in terms of a time frame. For example, a KPI might specify that your department is expected to meet one-fourth of its revenue goals in the first three months of the plan. State KPIs for each item in the strategy section of the plan.
7. State the budget needed to support the plan. Provide projected costs for each of the activities stated in the tactical-steps section of the plan. If the budget information is longer than one or two pages, attach it as an appendix.
8. State the long-term outlook for the department. This section describes goals and activities the department is expected to undertake in the next two to three years.
Tags: section plan, department business, plan State, your department, business plan
