39 Proven Operating Plan Templates & Examples

Businesses engage in different daily activities to help spread their root into the market. An operational plan helps entrepreneurs know the types of activities needed in their enterprise. They get a view of the structure the activities should follow. Through an operational plan, an organization achieves a smooth workflow.

An operating plan template provides an outline of the important activities in a business. Many organizations design a business operations plan template to show the strategic plan implementation process in the organization. In the operational plans template, the company outlines its goals and objectives. An operational plan outline may feature both long-term and short-term goals.

Operating Plan Templates

What is an operational plan template?

An operational plan template offers organizations a platform for creating a smooth workflow. Organizations may use an operational plan outline to get a single platform that provides goals to be followed. It brings every interested party in the business on board. A business operations plan template ensures everyone is playing their role from the same page. 

An operating plan template allows teammates to understand the daily tasks they ought to undertake. Entrepreneurs may want to create annual plans or performance reviews using an annual operational plan template. It helps them get a view of existing gaps and their immediate solutions. 

The operational plans template acts as a strategic planning tool to track progress and have control over project management. As a planning tool, it allows brands to stay focused on things that must be done. The tool may contain key performance indicators based on strategic goals for measuring the successes of the business strategy.

Business Operations Plan Templates

Is an operating plan template divided into different types?

Different entrepreneurship reports show at least 20% of new enterprises close in their first year. Those that succeed do so because they create an effective operational plan to help them run. They may create a quarterly or annual operational plan template to define their workflows and tasks. A business operations plan template can also be referred to as a business strategy plan which aligns perfectly with the business objectives and also the company mission.

Each type of enterprise may use one more type of key performance indicators to know their progress. The KPIs are included in every operating plan template of the business. Here are the different types of operational plan examples. 

• International operational plan outline
  This type of plan defines the workflows in an enterprise at a cross-border level. It may define how the business will conduct its operations in each country and how the operational planning will be put in place and by whom. This type of operational plan outline works best for enterprises seeking to extend their roots beyond the states.
• Traditional operational plans
  Traditional plans are used by entrepreneurs who want to seek funding for their enterprises. They might want to present the operational plan outline to a strategic investor or banking institution. This type of annual operational plan template may include specific items as follows.
  A summarized data about the enterprise
  A SWOT analysis of the business
  A detailed structure of the leadership plan
  An analyzed market report
  Financial plan of the business
  Specific KPIs in place
  Hiring plan
• New business plans
  This is a type of operational plan template designed by new investors. Before starting up a company, they create a start-up growth plan. They can design an annual operational plan template that shows the products the entrepreneur plans to launch. It contains financial projections for the first year and probably the next five years.
  A long-term strategic business plan. Long-term operational plan examples may include a five to ten-year plan.  The operational plan contains strategic factors that will bring success. The business strategy contains goals that have to be met at different phases of the plan.
• Feasibility study plan
  A feasibility plan is designed to help an organization determine its success probability. It can be used when a company is planning to launch a new product. Enterprises seeking to enter into a new market may use the plan.
  Many startups use the plan to understand if the new business will be competitive. They learn the things that will make it successful. The business operations plan template helps the company understand the possible risks and ROI.
• Business growth plan
  A growth plan is a business strategy that helps enterprises focus on growth. The operational plan template helps an organization know the tricks and strategies they will use to achieve growth. Based on the strategies, they develop the key performance indicators to use in that particular business environment. It is usually in sync with the necessary resources and other strategic initiatives needed to achieve the goals.

What key performance indicators can organizations use?

Key performance indicators in an operational plan are important for success. They are important metrics that help an organization view its progress. 

Companies use KPIs to know what is effective and what is not. They know things that inhibit growth and those that propel it. The different key performance indicators a company can use may include the following. 

• Operations margin versus profit margin
• Absenteeism versus productivity rate
• Market demand versus production rate
• Leads achieved versus conversions made
• Cost of winning a customer against returns from the customer
• Progress rate against the human resources available

Considerations to make when creating an operational plan template

An operational plan is a document that helps corporations create goals. The document allows them to define their expectations and timeframes to work with. Managers need to learn how to create an operational plan that will work. There are different considerations to make for such plans. 

• Let the plan be solid
  An operating plan template that is solid does not leave out any important component. The plan takes time to prepare and involves diverse stakeholders. It should leave room for changes if they might needed later.
• Let it be purposeful
  A business operations plan template that is purposely made will likely be successful. To purpose means to spend money and time on the plan. It means working with the right people and using the right resources.
• It must be time-bound
  An operational plan outline should run within a specific timeframe. If it is an annual operational plan template, it should run within one year. During that time, there should be specific broken-down milestones that must be achieved.
• It should be growth-focused
  The purpose of an operational plan template is to help a business grow. Growth could mean understanding competitors and market changes. It could mean tapping into the opportunities available to gain more business.

Annual Operational Plan Templates

How do you write an operations plan?

An operational plan template should include specific details about a business. Most operational plan examples outline what workers need to do daily to push the business forward. Having a business operations plan template can help employees know their roles and tasks. 

Each day that they perform business drives the business closer to achieving its targets. Creating an operating plan template may take time but is important to follow the steps correctly. 

• Review the company’s vision
  The vision of a company should be the guideline for creating a strategic plan. The vision tells the team where the direction the company is following. It explains the things that need to be fulfilled or met.
  Every company that does not deviate from its vision is destined for success. The plan should stick to the vision and follow the main goals of the organization.
• Know the unique goals to follow
  A business operations plan template can focus on long-term or short-term goals. Before you create your plan, define what you want to achieve.
  Goals may range from product launch to market extension and improvement of awareness. The purpose of the plan should be to help the brand achieve its goals.
• List the tasks and roles
  Tasks and roles in a business operations plan template show the activities that need to be done. It shows who is responsible for the different types of activities. They should be assigned to individuals based on their capabilities. Some employees might do their tasks better if they work collaboratively.
• Create the goals of the plan
  Without ignoring the goals of the company, create goals for the operating plan template. The manager needs to bring the whole team together to discuss the goals.
  The types of goals included might be wide. It is necessary to narrow them down to specific ones. They should be goals that can be achieved within the timeline of the plan.
• Determine the timelines to follow
  No operational plan outline that can run without time limits. If there are no time limitations, the probability of procrastination can be high.
  Every team needs to look ahead to a deadline. This is the time within which the plan must bring results. It should not be too long or too short but balanced.
• Create a budget for the planning process
  Budgeting prepares the team to begin resource allocation once the plan is complete. Many issues may impact budgeting in a business strategy. Managers need to know the finances available in the company. They need to know all the resources needed. Examples are computers, personnel, and software needs.
  Once they know the resources, the manager may determine the amount of money needed for each. This could be based on whether the resources are available or new ones are needed.
• Create a structure for reporting
  Reporting may involve things such as research, feedback, and KPIs. It may include communication and ways to keep the plan updated. There should not be obstacles that prevent the team from making reports.
  Whether they are reporting on successes or giving feedback, the flow should be smooth. It is important to let the document remain flexible. It makes it easier for the team to add or remove items as time progresses.

What are the advantages of using an operating plan template?

An operating plan template may serve different purposes in an organization. The main purpose is to divide tasks among teams to help an organization achieve specific goals. An organization that uses an operating plan template gets different advantages.

• Minimizes waste
  An operational plan outline can help an organization eliminate waste. Resource wastefulness can come due to loss of work time.
  It could be due to the use of wrong technologies. Some organizations experience waste due to hiring the wrong teams. A plan helps break down tasks based on skills. It identifies the right technologies and minimizes waste.
• Improves workflow
  Planning helps create a smooth workflow in the business.
  Improves understanding of business goals
  A planning template explains tasks and how they should be done. The teams understand them and focus on remaining productive.
• Planning for success
  Managers use the template to plan for success.

What an operational plan should include?

A business strategy may include many components but they must work for the good of the business. It should include summarized data on the plan and a description of the plan’s goals and timeframes. The plan should include a description of the company vision and how the plan integrates with it. 

The team needs to describe the mission of the document and the KPIs for measuring the achievements. The document contains a financial summary and a broken-down list of tasks. 

If any hiring is needed, the plan explains how it will be done. It shows the assumed risks and plans in place to prevent them. Here is a summary of what an operational plan template should have.

• Executive summary
• Mission and goals
• Metrics/KPIs
• Personnel needed
• Tasks
• Responsibilities
• Timelines
• Assumed risks
• Prevent plans
• Budget 
• Communication flow planning process

Operational Plan Examples

Ways to optimize a business strategy

A business strategy can be improved in different ways. The plan design teams need to set aside enough time to build its structure and fill it in. The strategy can be enhanced when managers involve the entire team. Make audits of the process and ensure the document is agile. 

Auditing may involve reviewing its performance from time to time. Check its ROI and generate analytics from different sources. Ensure every task is assigned to skilled personnel. 

Work with strict deadlines and use technology to improve the document. There are many different types of operational plan templates available online. Instead of creating from scratch, develop a plan from a pre-designed template. 

Choose the type of outline that fits your business from the many options available. The plan could be hindered by potential risks. Some of the risks might be unforeseen but their impact could be huge. Having a mitigation plan helps improve the expected results. Have a plan for continuous feedback to get ideas for optimizing the plan.