Plan quality requirements. A simple planning system for those who are tired of time management, goals and to-do lists

20.09.2019

Source: Bizmanualz company. This is a company based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. The organization is a member of American organization(American Society for Quality, - ed.), which aims to promote modern in the world.

Quality planning is the preparation of a plan according to which you will “correctly”, in your understanding, manufacture products (provide services). Think of quality plans as a way to plan for a great product (or great service) that will impress your customer. Ah, an excellent order from an excellent client...

Quality planning: all your best practices for making a quality product

In the quality plan, you collect your best practices in product manufacturing. Perfection is not the result of chance. Great quality doesn't happen without planning. Making a plan requires careful thought, planning, and thoughtful execution. Every detail is important as you move towards excellence. If you imagine all this in, then you need to strive for that very virtual ideal "" and get closer to it as close as possible.

Formation of production experience

When we talk about “thoughtful approach,” we mean this: you need to think about everything, not just one thing. All product requirements, resource requirements, manufacturing steps need to be considered and weighed against all the risks that may arise. You also need to step back a little and answer the question: is your experience subordinated to an attempt to fully satisfy your consumer.

Planning based on production experience

Planning means, in essence, creating a control mechanism that guarantees the release of excellent products. , from the preparation of procedures, work instructions, forms and metrics, measuring equipment, from "dashboards" - this wonderful mechanism is made up of everything. The measures we just listed form a detailed flow of information that provides day-to-day management with information that can be used to reasonably judge whether the company is moving towards the excellence that you have set your sights on.

Realization of experience through control over work

It is necessary to develop the discipline to consistently follow the controls in order to . This is indispensable if you want the organization to operate in accordance with the governing mechanisms that you have developed to satisfy your customers. For most people, this is the most difficult aspect in relation to quality plans. Have you considered everything that can go wrong in the plan. Probably no. To answer this question you have internal audits, corrective actions, root cause analysis. Everything to make us as dynamic and mobile as the modern world itself.

Planning procedures and policies

I think no one will argue with the fact that in order to produce a great product, you must first determine the sequence of production steps or the sequence of service delivery, if we are talking about a great service. Process diagrams are usually used to represent in graphical form all the necessary steps. Order approval in the sales department, purchase of raw materials, obtaining resources for production, each individual manufacturing procedure: sawing, soldering, assembling, painting, inspection control, delivery - all this can be distinguished as separate stages. The profit process map we have attached here as an example contains five simple steps for a supplier. Sales managers accept the order, the goods are processed in the warehouse and shipped to the consumer, the accounting department prepares invoices for payment, monitors the transfer of money to the bank. This is where the cycle ends.

Once each step is defined, we can now analyze the requirements, decide what could potentially go wrong in the process. Then you can start building those controls and safety nets to make sure your employees are doing everything right. Only then is it time to start preparing policies and procedures.

Examples of Common Mistakes

The sales team may end up accepting a contract and launching it too late, start the cycle wrong, fail to refine product requirements, fail to meet upsell or cross-sell objectives.
The warehouse may get the wrong parts, damaged goods, only part of the parts under the contract, the part may not arrive on time.
Shipping agents may pack the item incorrectly, may damage it in transit, misclassify the item and thus send it to the buyer in the wrong way.
The accounting department can send payments to the wrong account.
The financial manager may not transfer the payment on time.

Add to this that there is always room for fraud, waste, theft and other forms of cost to be taken into account as well.

Writing policies and procedures

After the first steps in structuring and designing work experience, it is much easier to reflect in procedures and policies how the experience will be applied and how it helps to meet customer needs. Procedure templates also simplify the task, since most processes are very similar in in general terms, although they contain cardinal differences in details.

Using Policies and Procedures

For most people, applying policies and procedures is the hard part of the job. For your governance mechanisms, procedures and practices to materialize into real work companies, you need to have the authority to monitor compliance by employees with everything necessary. Special software It helps to know for sure that people are using up-to-date versions of documents and truly adhere to procedures in operations.

In ISO 8402 quality planning defined as activities that establish quality objectives and requirements and apply the elements of a quality system. The note further notes that quality planning covers:

 product quality planning (including the establishment of quality requirements and quality assessment);

 planning of management activities (including the preparation of a quality system);

 preparation of a quality program and development of provisions for quality improvement.

Quality planning - this is activities that are carried out based on the quality policy, the requirements of customers and sales markets, and establish goals and requirements for quality by developing plans to improve the quality of products, improve the level of technology and metrology, plans for personnel training and improve the quality system with the establishment of quantitative criteria for subsequent evaluation of the implementation of the plans.

Planning can be carried out at two levels:

1st level- strategic planning, which outlines the main areas of work in the field of quality for the future. The quality strategy is part of the overall strategy of the enterprise and can be set out together with the quality policy.

2nd level- current quality planning, including, as a rule, plans for the coming year:

 a plan to phase out obsolete products;

 a plan for the modernization of manufactured products with an increase in their quality;

 plan for the development and mastering of new products

 plan for scientific research.

Plans of the 2nd level are developed by research and design departments. Plan for the introduction of advanced technologies (plan for technical re-equipment) and a plan for checking equipment for accuracy - technological department; information technology implementation plan - computer center. A plan for internal audits of the quality system, a plan for certification of products and a quality system, plans for quality control of products by customers, a standardization plan, plans for improving the metrological support of production are developed by the quality service.

In general, the planning function should answer three questions:

 where we are now;

 Where do we want to go?

 How are we going to do it.

Before approval, related plans should be reviewed jointly to link the timing and quantitative indicators of the planned activities.

For the convenience of monitoring the implementation of plans and presenting them to customers and auditors, all of the above plans can be combined and issued in the form of an annual order for the enterprise. In the introductory part of the order, the results of the work on quality over the past year are summed up and tasks for the next year are set.

4.4. Organization of work on quality

To organize any work, it is necessary to form a structure, determine for each unit and a specific executor of duties, provide methodological documents for their implementation and provide for the necessary links between units for the smooth functioning of the entire structure. Therefore, under organization works we will understand building a structure (statics) and ensuring its functioning (dynamics) by performing managerial functions. By analogy with the human body: structure is anatomy, and its functioning is human physiology.

When organizing quality work (creating a quality system), the same principles are used as in management science. At the same time, a “horizontal” division of labor according to specialization is carried out, when subdivisions are entrusted with the performance of their functions in terms of quality, and a “vertical” division of labor is the delegation of powers and responsibilities of managers at different levels to manage the work of subdivisions to perform their functions.

The organization of work on quality includes the following main stages.

Development of a quality system, i.e. determination of the structures included in the quality system, their functions and methods of work. At the same time, to create a quality system that meets the current level, the recommendations of the international standards JSO 9000, elements of total quality management and the experience of specific industries and individual enterprises are used.

Stage implementation of the quality system, during which internal checks of the system are carried out and, as a rule, the system is finalized based on the results of checks.

Scheduled internal system checks are carried out to maintain its effective functioning and improvement in changing conditions.

The final step can be considered quality system certification for compliance with ISO 9000 standards. Obtaining a certificate from a reputable independent body significantly strengthens the company's position in the sales markets, as it gives customers additional confidence in the company's ability to consistently provide the required level of quality through the implementation of the system. After certification of the quality system within, as a rule, 3 years (with a frequency of six months or a year), the certification body will conduct inspections of the functioning of the quality system in order to confirm the issued certificate.

When organizing quality work, it is important to pay attention to the fact that at all stages production process all the necessary resources for the effective functioning of the quality system were provided:

 high-quality materials, modern equipment;

 tools and means of measurement;

 trained and motivated staff;

 necessary methodical documentation.

The creation and certification of a quality system, ensuring the effective functioning of the system and its further improvement are the main content of the organization of work on quality management at the enterprise

One of the important components of the company's success is high-quality planning and sales forecasting. A correctly calculated forecast allows you to conduct business more efficiently, and above all, control and optimize costs. In addition, if we are talking about products, this allows you to create optimal (rather than overestimated or underestimated) stocks of products in the warehouse. Therefore, if you have opened your own business and have not yet worked on sales forecasts, it is time to do it. To do this, you can invite qualified specialists who already have experience in high-quality and accurate planning. If you want to get by on your own, this article will help you make effective sales forecast calculations. And this, in turn, will provide you with numerous benefits as a business owner.

To begin with, we note that forecasts can be long-term (for 1, 3, 5 or more years), short-term and medium-term (week, month, quarter). Forecasts for longer periods are usually less accurate (although not always). This is understandable, because more factors can adjust the expected results in one direction or another over a long period of time. However, it is quite realistic to make accurate forecasts of your company's activity for any period of time.

An accurate forecast is a forecast that has a deviation from the actual sales volumes within 10% up or down. For example, you predicted that over a period of 3 months you will sell products in the amount of 1000 pieces. At the end of the period, you received a result of 900, or 1100 pieces. or any number in that range. Such a forecast can be considered accurate and of high quality. If the deviations are significant (instead of the predicted figure of 1000 units, the result is 500 units), this indicates an incorrect, overestimated forecast, or force majeure circumstances that led to a sharp drop in sales.

How to build an accurate forecast? This work consists of several stages:

Record the exact results of activities for previous periods of time(for example, monthly sales of your products for last year). If your product is new and has no sales history, you will have to wait 2-3 months to receive information about the first sales. Without this, attempts to build an accurate forecast based only on assumptions will be in vain.

Calculate seasonal factors. Create a graph that would show the volume of sales over a certain period of time. To do this, take as a basis, for example, one of the months and compare with the sales volumes in the following months. I note that there are goods and services, the demand for which has minor, sometimes subtle seasonal fluctuations. However, in areas such as tourism services or food sales, seasonal fluctuations are very significant. It is clear that if your company sells tour packages to Crimean holiday homes, and in March you sold, say, 100 tickets, then plan sales several times higher for June. And for July-August, the forecast should be even higher. In the field of food, the issue of accurate sales forecasting is more acute, because products have a shelf life during which they need to be sold. Therefore, calculate the seasonality coefficients for each planned segment and write them down.

Example: You are in the soft drink business. At the beginning of May, you should calculate the sales forecast for July. You have sales data for each month of the previous year, specifically April (5,000 units) and July (12,000 units) of last year, as well as April of this year (7,000 units). In order to determine the seasonality factor, you need to get the ratio of sales for July last year to the number of sales in April of the same year. The resulting figure (seasonal factor) must be multiplied by the data on the number of sales for April of this year. As a result, we get a sales forecast for July, weighted by the seasonality factor: 12,000/5,000 = 2.4. 7,000 * 2, 4 = 16,800 units - forecast for July. If other factors that affect sales remain unchanged, this forecast will be fairly accurate.

Calculate the price elasticity of demand for your product. Think back to a basic economics course from your student days. Determine how demand has changed since the price of your product changed. If the demand for your product is highly elastic (that is, it fell noticeably when prices rose), try to avoid a significant increase in the cost of production for your consumers in the future, and never raise prices earlier than your competitors.

Example: The data shows that for a 1% increase in price, the demand for your product falls by 2.5%. You plan to increase the price by 10% in June, which will lead to a 25% drop in demand. Last year in the same period, the price remained unchanged. April sales amounted to 400 units, the seasonality factor was 3.0. We calculate the forecast for July: 400*3*(100%-25%)=900 units.

Consider capacity growth(or the opening of new stores, points of sale of products). If you are expanding production, entering new markets, be sure to take this into account in the forecast.

Example: earlier you supplied products only in your city. Starting next month, you will start cooperation with intermediaries from other cities and open 5 additional points of sale. On the this moment 10 points of sale sell 2,000 pieces of products per month. Thus, the expected sales of 15 outlets will result in about 3,000 units.

Calculate the influence coefficient external factors (primarily the general economic situation in the state and competitors). To calculate this ratio, you must carefully monitor your market and keep an eye out for new players. Very often, companies do not take into account the innovations of competitors, their activities in the market. And as a result, they get lower rates than originally expected. How to calculate the coefficient of external factors? To do this, you need to have a sales history for a long period (at least 2 years, preferably more). Calculate the sales forecast for last year according to the data of the year before last (taking into account the coefficients of seasonality and elasticity). Compare forecast with real numbers. From the difference that came out, calculate the force majeure circumstances. The rest is an indicator of the influence of external factors.

Example: you have seasonality and demand elasticity coefficients for your products. Suppose the total sales of the year before last amounted to 10,000 units, the total sales last year amounted to 14,000 units. taking into account the coefficient of elasticity, the forecast for the last year should have been 9,000 units. However, the increase in sales volumes allowed to double sales volumes. (doubled the staff of the sales department and opened 2 more points of sale in addition to the two existing ones, as it was before). This increases the forecast to 18,000 units. Therefore, the actual deviation was 4,000 pieces. of which 2,000 pcs. was not sold due to unforeseen circumstances - force majeure (problems with raw material suppliers for 2 months). The deviation associated with the influence of external factors amounted to 2,000 pieces (18,000 - 14,000 - 2,000). The coefficient of influence will be as follows: 1-(2,000 influence of external factors / 18,000 forecast -2,000 force majeure) = 0, 875

Introduce the sales forecast to each employee from the sales (sales) department. Please note that these figures are based on exact calculations, taking into account all factors. This is another important detail, because employees will know what figures are expected of them and that these figures are not fictitious, but are fully justified by real calculations.

Creation accurate forecasts sales will allow you to use available resources more efficiently, reduce costs, and will also contribute to an in-depth study of the industry in which you operate.

One of the main tools for implementing the provisions of MS ISO 9000 is quality planning. In accordance with the concept of integrated quality management, long-term planning is carried out on the basis of a program-target approach to quality assurance processes. Theoretically, this is due to the understanding of the complexity of the planning object, which is the quality of products, and the influence that is exerted by numerous, different in direction, external and internal influences. Shadrin A.D. Quality management. - M.: Track. 2006. - S. 212.

The advantage of the program-target approach lies in the fact that on its basis it is possible to combine available resources and use them most effectively to solve the set strategic and tactical tasks. At correct application this approach provides flexibility, dynamism and adaptability of the quality system, creates conditions under which responsibility for the implementation of tasks defined by management increases, facilitates the work of the enterprise administration.

The application of the program-target approach involves: Nikitin V.A. Quality management based on ISO 9000-2000 standards. - St. Petersburg: Peter. 2004. - S. 96.

the presence of a problem and the definition of a goal;

formation of a goal-realizing program;

creation of a mechanism for the implementation of the program.

Determining the goal, that is, the intended or desired result of the activity, is considered one of the most difficult and crucial moments in the implementation of the program-target approach. This is because goals must be specific, realistic, and manageable.

A separate analysis deserves the interpretation of the content of the concept of "program", the relationship between the plan and the program. In theory and practice, various definitions are given and the “plan-program” relationship is interpreted differently. In some cases, the program is considered as a pre-planning document, which is the basis for planning; in another, the program is a means of implementing the planned tasks included in the plan. But, the program should be considered as a method of planning. In this case, the program is a set of activities, specified in terms of timing and executors, aimed at achieving the goals set and provided with the necessary, predetermined, financial, material and labor resources.

tasks to improve the technical level and quality of the most important products;

planned tasks of the enterprise to improve the quality of products;

measures that ensure the implementation of the tasks of the program.

The structure of such a program reflects the approach to it as a planning document containing tasks related to the timing, resources and performers to improve product quality, as well as a set of measures to ensure their implementation. Such an approach does not, in principle, contradict the term adopted in IS 8402, according to which a “quality program” is a document that regulates specific quality measures, the allocation of resources and the sequence of actions related to a specific product, service, contract or project. However, if in domestic practice the main emphasis was previously placed on the implementation of established or accepted tasks to improve quality, then in foreign practice quality planning, first of all, is the planning of resources necessary to implement alternative options related to meeting consumer requirements. Therefore, the difference in quality planning strategies was quite obvious.

In the leading firms of the USA and countries Western Europe are gradually moving away from rigid methods of quality improvement planning and focusing on interconnection various kinds activities to ensure quality, taking into account the requirements of consumers.

At the same time, the search for ways to improve the efficiency of quality planning is carried out in the following areas: delimitation of strategic and operational functions of quality management and their separate financing; the use of multivariate planning, i.e. development of a number of situational plans in order to quickly adapt to existing internal and external conditions.

Obviously, with the development of commodity-money relations and the market mechanism inherent in them, the planning strategy for modern Russian enterprises is undergoing fundamental changes, focusing not on administratively planned indicators, but on the requirements of a particular consumer. For this reason, the approach to developing quality improvement programs and plans is also changing.

Therefore, consider the basic structure of the modern program "Quality".

The "Quality" program should occupy a key position in creating an organic relationship of the general management system, enshrined in MS ISO 9004, ISO 9004. Guidelines for the general construction and management of the quality management system in the enterprise. with quality assurance models for specific products in accordance with MS ISO 9001-9003.

Based on this, the program "Quality" should be two-level.

The first level program is a purely internal document of the enterprise, which should contain strategic measures. These activities are designed to implement the company's policy in the field of quality, ensuring a systematic and systematic improvement in product quality, its competitiveness in foreign and domestic markets. This program is aimed primarily at ensuring the competitiveness of the enterprise.

The content of the first level program is formed on the basis of reports on marketing research and recommendations on the conjuncture of the external and domestic product markets, which determine the profile of the enterprise and the main production volumes, its capabilities for the development and development of fundamentally new types of products, the modernization of products, the expansion of modifications, types and types of products.

The development of the first level program includes the following steps:

analysis of marketing research materials;

expert evaluation of the conclusions of leading experts on marketing research materials;

choice of directions for the formation of the program;

determination of responsible executors from among the heads of the enterprise for each direction (subprogram);

development of measures for the implementation of selected areas (subprograms);

discussing and agreeing on the proposed activities, taking into account the timing and resources required for their implementation;

preparation of the final version of the program and its approval.

Given the long-term nature of the activities that are included in the subprograms, especially in terms of self-financing, there is a risk of making wrong decisions, which can lead to significant financial and other losses. Therefore, at the stage of developing a subprogram and the program as a whole, it is necessary to use special methods to assess potential risk.

When developing subroutines, it is advisable to use network planning methods. The developed network schedules must be approved together with the program and serve to control its implementation.

It is advisable to form a set of measures for each subprogram at separate stages of the quality loop ( life cycle products).

When developing a Competitiveness program in accordance with the principle of assignment of responsibility set out in the ISO 9000 series of standards, a functional approach based on a matrix of functions should be used. This allows at any stage of the development and implementation of the program to clearly establish the responsibility of the heads of the enterprise and its structural divisions for the implementation of specific activities.

The second level program should be developed to achieve the goals and objectives of a technical nature, in particular, to ensure the quality of products under the concluded contracts for manufactured products. Nikitin V.A. Quality management based on ISO 9000-2000 standards. - St. Petersburg: Peter. 2004. - S. 102. It is advisable to call it the "Product Quality Assurance Program". The activities included in this program should be aimed at reducing production costs by reducing scrap, consumption material resources and etc.

A distinctive feature of this program is that it is developed for a specific product or group of products of the same purpose, supplied to one customer (or several customers if the technical requirements for products are identical, due to the conditions of use). This program can be presented to the consumer at the conclusion of the contract to demonstrate the manufacturer's efforts to ensure the stability of product quality and, at his request, be attached to the contract.

The program should include, if necessary, measures to improve technology and quality control methods, metrological support production, for the supervision of the quality of manufacturing products, as well as schedules for periodic monitoring of compliance with technological discipline, certification of test equipment, testing equipment for technological accuracy, revision of technical documentation. In some cases, programs may be developed to certain types activities related to product quality assurance: for example, programs for the introduction of statistical methods of control, the organization of quality groups, etc. In every specific case these issues are decided by the management of the enterprise.

The development of a quality assurance program may be carried out to meet the specific requirements of the customer, stipulated in the contract. In this case, the program is an addition to the Quality Manual. Such a program may cover those elements of the current quality system that need to be modified or supplemented to solve the problems stipulated by the consumer in the contract, as well as special procedures that satisfy the special requirements of the contract (for example, special tests of a product or individual components). The development of such a program requires a detailed study by specialists (designers, technologists, metrologists, QCD employees) of the requirements of the contract, which will determine the suitability of existing quality assurance procedures, the need to modify them or introduce new procedures.

To achieve the objectives, it is important to ensure the ongoing coordination of quality planning activities, which should be carried out by the quality department or other structural subdivision, which is part of the quality service and subordinate to the deputy head of the enterprise for quality.

If you start to thoroughly understand what factors influence a person’s life, in general, then you can find a great many of them. Any area of a person's life and each sphere of his activity, of course, has a number of peculiarities inherent in them, and sometimes what is applicable to one is completely inapplicable to another. But despite this, there are some fundamental principles, which are effective in absolutely everything. One of these principles, or more precisely, laws that can be considered guarantors of success in any field, is the ability to plan and prioritize. Why this is so important, we will find out in the presented time management training lesson.

After studying this material, you will learn about what business planning is, and what are its features, why it is necessary and important to make lists of work, personal and household chores on a daily basis. In addition, we will look at a few effective methods and planning principles, some of which are designed for every day, and some have a more promising focus - for a week, month, year, and even several years. This course of our online training will be useful for people of all ages and professions, and it will be possible to apply the information received to achieve your goals from the first day.

What is planning. Types of planning. Prioritization

The planning process

Planning is the process of optimal allocation of resources necessary to achieve the goals and objectives, as well as a set of processes that are associated with their setting and implementation. Planning is an integral part of time management (time management) and, with skillful application, greatly increases its effectiveness.

In its simplest and most formal interpretation, planning is characterized by the following steps:

Stage of setting goals (tasks)
The stage of drawing up a plan to achieve the intended
Variant design stage
The stage of identifying the required resources, as well as their sources
Stage of determining executives and briefing
The stage of fixing the results of planning in physical form(plan, project, map, etc.)

Types of planning

Planning, as already noted, is applicable to absolutely any sphere of life, but, depending on this, it can have its own characteristics, which, in turn, is expressed in forms that are different in its form and content.

The types of planning differ:

By necessity

Directive planning - implies the obligatory execution of the tasks set, always has a specific addressee and is characterized by increased detail. As an example, we can name the setting of tasks related to solving issues of state / national importance, work at enterprises, etc.
Indicative planning is the opposite of the first: it does not imply mandatory and precise execution, it has a more advisory and guiding character. This type planning is widespread in the system of macroeconomic development of various states.

Timeframe for achieving goals

Short-term (current) planning - calculated for a period of up to 1 year and may consist of plans for a day, week, month, quarter, six months. The most common type of planning. It is used both by ordinary people in the process of everyday life, and by leaders of various organizations.
Medium-term planning - calculated for a period of 1 to 5 years. This form of planning is common in activities public institutions, firms and enterprises, but is often used by strategically minded people. In some cases, it can be combined with current planning, which in combination is rolling planning.
Long-term (prospective) planning - is calculated, as a rule, for several (5, 10, 20) years ahead. Most often, this type of planning is used in large enterprises in order to fulfill tasks of a social, economic, scientific and technological nature, etc.

Strategic planning is mostly long-term. With the help of it, the main directions in the activities of organizations are determined: expanding activities, creating new directions, stimulating the workflow, studying the market and its segments, studying demand, characteristics of the target audience, etc. Widespread in the activities of organizations.
Tactical planning - most often is the same - long-term. Its main goal is to create the necessary conditions for the realization of the opportunities found through the application strategic planning. As a rule, tactical planning is used in planning the economic, social, and production development of an organization. Widespread in the activities of organizations.
Operational-calendar planning is the final stage of strategic and tactical planning. It serves mainly to implement the process of achieving the set results. With the help of it, all indicators are specified, and the work of the organization is organized directly. Operational scheduling involves determining the time to complete the tasks, preparing the implementation of the process, keeping records, monitoring and analyzing the process. Widespread in the activities of organizations.
Business planning - serves to assess the feasibility, relevance and effectiveness of planned activities. Drawing up a business plan takes place very carefully, taking into account all kinds of indicators, opportunities, proposals, etc. It is common in the activities of organizations and the work of businessmen.

In addition to the considered types of planning, which take into account the primary aspects, there are also those taking into account the secondary ones. They, in turn, differ:

By degree of coverage

General planning - covers all the details of the context.
Partial planning - covers some details of the context.

By planning objects

Target planning - involves the definition of the required goals to achieve.
Fund planning - involves planning the means necessary to achieve the result (finance, information, personnel, equipment, etc.).
Program planning - involves the development of programs necessary to achieve the result.
Action planning - involves determining the actions necessary to achieve the result.

By depth

Aggregate planning - occurs taking into account common parameters.
Detailed planning - takes into account all the details and features.

Coordinating plans over time

Sequential planning - implies a long process, which consists of several smaller stages.
Simultaneous planning - implies a one-time short stage.

Accounting for data changes

Rigid planning - implies the obligatory observance of the specified parameters.
Flexible planning - implies the possibility of non-compliance with the set parameters and the emergence of new ones.

in order

Orderly planning - involves the sequential execution of plans, one after the other.
Rolling planning - implies the extension of the plan for the next period after its completion in the current period.
Extraordinary planning - implies the implementation of the plan as the need arises.

Prioritization

Prioritization is the process of setting priorities - an indicator of the predominance of the importance of one or another item of the plan over the rest. Prioritization is important because among a large number different nuances and features, there are both those that are of the least importance and have a minimal impact on the process of achieving the goal, and those that play a dominant role in this process. The ability to prioritize can be called another indicator of the effectiveness and efficiency of any planning process, because. emphasis on the most significant points The plan is often decisive in the question of whether the goal will be achieved or not.

As you can see, planning as a process is characterized by a considerable number of different nuances. Any of the types can be used separately, and maybe in combination with others. The main thing when choosing is to take into account all the features of your activity. But no matter how many types of planning exist, no matter how much we consider them, no matter how many examples we give, all this will have no value if we do not understand why we need to plan anything at all, what advantages it has how will it help us in life? These are the questions we will try to answer in the next section.

What is planning for?

Considering that our trainings are devoted to methods of increasing personal productivity, here and further in the lesson we will consider planning in relation to the activity of a person, and not organizations, firms, enterprises, etc.

Planning is the factor that largely determines not only whether a person will achieve what he wants, but also what he will achieve in general. The fact is that the planning process itself does not have a single and narrowly focused effect, but affects in a complex way, affecting many personal indicators of a person, the direction of his actions and the way of life in general. Below we list just a few positive aspects of planning and the benefits that it provides.

Specification of the goal

As soon as a person begins to plan his activities, his thinking is activated, creativity is activated, and brain activity increases. You can want something and “as if” imagine it, while thinking that you know exactly what you want. But as soon as you sit down to draw up a plan and begin to think it through carefully, your goal begins to transform from an abstract into a concrete one. Gradually, you begin to imagine it in detail, take into account its features, somehow vary it. There is a saying that says that a ship that does not know where it is going will never reach its destination. So is a person - if he does not know what exactly he wants, he will never achieve it. Planning makes it possible to understand and realize what you really want and find a specific goal.

A clear plan of action

Even knowing what we want, we may never achieve it if we do not know what we need to get it. Our goals may be mega-global, good and wonderful, but they will remain just a picture of what we want to have and what to do. This state of affairs is corrected with the help of planning. First, it allows you to determine the specific steps that need to be taken in order to achieve the desired result. Secondly, it helps to determine the resources needed for this and their sources. Thirdly, it provides an opportunity to set a time frame. This way, by making a precise plan, you will know what you need to do to implement it, who or what to involve in this, and, most importantly, when you want to do it. Planning significantly speeds up the process of achieving the goal, because. represents practical guide to action.

Action, not thoughts about action

Until we have a plan to implement what we want, we are in constant thinking about this topic. We think about how much we want this, how good it would be if we had it, reflect on how it is lacking now, maybe even imagine ourselves in the process of action. But there is one BUT - apart from thinking, we do nothing else. And this indicates that, most likely, this will all end. It is important to understand that when you start planning, you are already doing the first and most big step on the way to the realization of the plan. This alone is already moving you forward substantially. And then a chain reaction begins: after drawing up a plan, you begin to perform specific actions, the first item is followed by the second, the second is followed by the third, and so on. If you manage to instill in yourself the habit of planning even the smallest things, you will immediately notice how your desires begin to become a reality. Here you can apply another saying: "Water does not flow under a lying stone." Move off the dead center - start to act. Planning creates the energy potential necessary to achieve the goal.

Ability to maneuver

Without knowing exactly what needs to be done in order to achieve the set results, we can neither determine nor coordinate our actions. We can roughly imagine what we need to do, but acting without a plan, we risk reaching a dead end or even further moving away from the goal. When you have a plan and begin to act, you can, so to speak, manage the entire process online: it doesn’t work out this way, try it differently, one thing doesn’t work, think about what you can replace it with. Having a clear plan will allow you to maneuver along the way, vary various methods and ways. As a result, you will have a comprehensive plan that will take into account all sorts of nuances and options for the development of events. The ability to plan is the ability to be flexible and ready for any situation.

High success rate

And, perhaps, the most important advantage of planning is, if not a 100% guarantee, but still a huge probability of success. How many people we see who want very little, but, having no plan, achieve nothing! And, in contrast to them, there are a huge number of examples of people who have fantastic goals that, it would seem, are unattainable, despite everything they achieve them and even more. What distinguishes the first from the second is the ability to plan and prioritize. Define your goals, start making a plan - after a while you will see that you have reached the goal, and thousands of onlookers without a plan have remained in their places. Planning will put you in the lead in any field!

Surely, now it has become much clearer to you why you need to plan and think through all your steps. Planning is done by businessmen and entrepreneurs, heads of huge corporations, creative people, writers, actors and show business stars, in general, all those who are commonly called successful people. Planning is a part of the life and work of any person who wants to increase their productivity and achieve serious results. It is for this reason that, in addition to sitting down at the table, taking a pen and a piece of paper, and starting to plan something, today there are specially developed planning methods that have proven their effectiveness more than once. We will give a brief overview of the most popular of them in the next section.

Planning Methods

ABC planning

Prerequisite this method there is experience that clearly shows that the ratio of important and unimportant cases in percentages is always approximately the same. Any tasks, based on their importance in relation to the achievement of the set results, should be allocated using ABC letter values. It follows from this that the tasks with the greatest importance and significance (A) should be performed first, and then all the others (B, C). You need to plan your time using this technique, taking into account the importance of the tasks, and not the efforts required to complete them.

The ABC technique is based on three basic rules:

Category A - the most important cases. They make up about 15% of everything you do, but they bring about 65% of the results.
Category B - important things. They make up about 20% of all your cases and bring about 20% of the results.
Category C - matters of the least importance. They make up about 65% of everything you do, but also bring about 15% of the results.

You can learn more about this technique here.

Eisenhower principle

This technique was proposed at one time by the American General Dwight David Eisenhower. It is an excellent additional meter for making the most important decisions quickly. This principle implies prioritization according to the criteria of importance and urgency.

All your affairs you must divide into four main categories and perform in order of priority:

Category A - the most urgent and important cases.
Category B - urgent but not important cases. It is important to be able to separate them by the criterion of importance from the first category, otherwise you can spend time on their implementation, leaving the really important things for later.
Category C - not urgent, but important matters. Here you need to take into account the urgency factor: due to the fact that these cases are not urgent, they are often shelved, after which they become urgent, which is not very good. Therefore, their implementation should not be neglected in any case. Such cases, among other things, can be delegated - to entrust their implementation to someone else.
Category D - non-urgent and non-important matters. Often, a person is most concerned with such matters and spends on their implementation most time. Learn to accurately identify cases in this category. They need to be done last, when the previous ones are completed.

You can learn more about the Eisenhower Method here.

Pareto Rule

This rule is sometimes referred to as the 80/20 principle. It was formulated by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. Its main premise is that the smallest part of the actions brings the greatest part of the results, and vice versa.

Visually, this rule looks like this:

20% action = 80% result
80% of actions = 20 results
20% of people own 80% of all capital
80% of people own 20% of all capital
20% of customers generate 80% of revenue
80% of customers bring 20% of revenue
Etc.

Apply this rule to your daily activities, and you will see that 80% of everything you do in a day is only 20% of the result you need, and 20% of well-planned actions bring you closer to your cherished goal by 80%. Based on this, remember that you need to start the day with just a few, but the most difficult, important and urgent things, and only after that, take on the implementation of light and no less important, but present in a much larger volume. It is very convenient to apply the Pareto rule in combination with the ABC method or the Eisenhower principle.

You can read more about the 80/20 principle.

Timing

The term "timekeeping" refers to a method designed to study the elapsed time. It is carried out by fixing and measuring the actions taken. The main goals of timekeeping are to determine what time is spent on, identify time wasters, find time reserves, and develop a sense of time.

Keeping timekeeping is quite simple: experts advise recording all your actions with an accuracy of 5 minutes for 2-3 weeks. Visually, it looks something like this:

8:00-8:30 - woke up, stretched, washed
8:30-9:00 - drank tea, turned on the computer, checked the mail
9:00-9:30 - went to social network
9:30 - 10:00 - prepared documents for work
Etc.

Entries can be supplemented with comments and additional parameters. There are several ways to keep track:

On paper - in a notebook, notebook, notebook
Using gadget - mobile phone, e-book, tablet
Using a voice recorder
Using special software on a computer
Online - Special Internet Applications
Gantt chart (see below)

Based on the data obtained through the timing, you can identify important features in the distribution of your time and correct them. Read more about timing.

Gantt Chart

The Gantt chart is a bar chart method developed by American management specialist Henry Gant. It is used to illustrate plans and schedules for various projects. The diagram consists of bars that are oriented along the time axis, and each of them displays a separate task that is part of the project. The vertical axis is a list of tasks. In addition, various indicators can be marked on the chart - percentages, pointers, timestamps, etc.

Using the Gantt chart, you can visually track the progress of the project and the effectiveness of the actions performed. But, in any case, this method will have to be supplemented by others, because. the diagram is not synchronized with dates, does not display the resources spent and the nature of the actions performed. It is best to use it for small projects. The chart itself is often included in various project management applications as an add-on.

SMART technology

The SMART goal setting technique is recognized as one of the best in the world. It has its origins in NLP and we discussed it in detail in one of our lessons. Here we present only short description this technique.

The word "SMART" itself is an abbreviation formed from the first letters of five words that define the criteria for goals. Let's consider them in a little more detail.

Specific - the goal must be specific, i.e. when setting it up, you must definitely clearly imagine the result you want to achieve. For example, "I want to become a specialist in anthropology."
Measurable - the goal must be measurable, i.e. you must represent the desired result in quantitative terms. For example, "by 2015 I want to earn 50 thousand rubles a month."
Attainable - the goal must be achievable, i.e. you must take into account the characteristics of your personality: abilities, predisposition, talent, etc. For example, if you have trouble with mathematics and you absolutely do not understand this science, it is better not to set yourself the goal of becoming an outstanding mathematician.
Relevant - the goal should be related to your other tasks. For example, the achievement of a medium-term goal should implicitly include the achievement of several short-term goals.
Time-bounded - the goal must be defined in time and have a clearly established time frame. For example, "I want to lose weight from 95 to 80 kg in six months by such and such a month."

Together, this will allow you to determine the necessary actions to achieve the desired result, take into account the maximum number of factors and constantly track your progress. Read more about the SMART technique written.

List of goals and objectives

Most simple technique, with which you can plan time and affairs. This is just a list of things to do. Such lists are very convenient in that they do not require any additional resources, such as a PC, mobile applications or the use of complex diagrams, but also allow you to visually display everything that you need to do and control this process.

Making a list of goals and tasks is very simple: you can simply write down on a piece of paper everything that you need to do and when, and upon completion, simply cross out the completed items. And you can complicate it a little: make a table in which there will be columns: “task”, “priority”, “due date”, “completion mark”.

All of these techniques can be used singly or in combination. Try all the options - for sure, after a while you will select the most convenient and suitable for yourself, and maybe even make some of your own based on them.

In order to make it easier for you when planning your affairs and time, in conclusion of the lesson, we would like to present to your attention some very effective principles that you can use in your daily life.

Planning principles

Try all the planning techniques discussed and choose the most suitable for you. Use it daily and in all cases.
Don't try to remember everything - keep notes. As the saying goes, "The dullest pencil is better than the sharpest memory."
If you have a lot of things to do, do not try to have time to do everything. Take the time to identify the most important and priority, and proceed to implement them. Finish the rest later.
At the end of one week, make a plan of action for the next. Do the same at the end of each day.
Get in the habit of carrying a notebook and a pen or voice recorder with you to record interesting thoughts that come to you.
Start a “success journal” in which you will record all your successes, no matter how small, every day. This will keep you constantly motivated and remind you that you are on the right track.
Learn to say no. This ability will save you from wasting time, striving for unnecessary goals and communicating with unnecessary people.
Always think before you do anything. Weigh all the pros and cons. Try not to make rash actions and actions.
Whenever you are in the process of something, remember yourself, be aware of what you are doing in this moment. If you feel that you are not moving forward, quit this activity.
Take a critical look at yourself: identify your bad habits time-consuming things that you like to do, but that do not move you towards the goal. Then gradually and one by one replace these habits and deeds with new ones - effective ones.
Determine your main priorities in life and live according to them. So you can always be focused on the main thing, and will not waste time.
Do not perform unnecessary unnecessary actions, do not do other people's business. You must move forward on your own, but do not allow yourself to be used as a tool to achieve other people's goals if you yourself do not enjoy it.
Regularly and systematically allocate time for self-improvement: reading books, watching educational and motivational videos, practicing your skills, etc.
Do not stop there - having achieved one goal, set another, more serious one. So you can always be in good shape, you will have an incentive and motivation.

The application of all the above recommendations will allow you to be successful in any field and achieve goals in as soon as possible. The most important thing is the constant work on oneself and the application in practice of the acquired skills. In order for everything you have learned in this lesson to begin to bear fruit, you need to start planning your further activities. Start with any way, practice, hone a new skill and make it a habit. Of course, it is impossible to plan everything in our life, but a lot is possible.

Additional interesting materials related to planning and efficiency, you can find on our resource 4brain:

Test your knowledge

If you want to test your knowledge on the topic of this lesson, you can take a short test consisting of several questions. Only 1 option can be correct for each question. After you select one of the options, the system automatically proceeds to the next question. The points you receive are affected by the correctness of your answers and the time spent on passing. Please note that the questions are different each time, and the options are shuffled.