Strategy Formulation
Scenarios, Bottom-up or Team-Based

The Methods

In this chapter, the key members of the planning team meet early in the process to determine what strategic planning methods to use. Later, in the Meetings chapter, I provide detailed flow charts, agenda, and timelines for each method.

After reading the Concepts Chapter, you may be worried formulating strategy can get very complicated. Let's simplify things right now - choosing an approach equals setting up a team and getting them engaged.

The size of the team and participants depend on the degree of uncertainty: more uncertainty, less understanding of customer demand; less uncertainty, the better the team can forecast demand and match what you will supply.

There are three basic methods with different emphases on the degree of uncertainty and appropriate team makeup. Use this chapter to assess these methods' pros and cons of each method.

You identify scenarios with experts to identify future demand, or you can use the method anytime to structure "what if this happens" planning.

Bottom-up "entrepreneur" is my phrase for a small group of conspirators who advocate radically change processes to offer new products.

"Team-based Forecasting" is for those responsible for implementation, usually with top-down guidance.

As you implement your plan, scenarios or "bottom-up" methods merge into team-based forecasting when its time to prepare the budget.