1.7 Organizational planning tools

Introduction

• Organizational planning: process of identifying an organization’s immediate and long-term objectives, and formulating and monitoring specific strategies to achieve them; it also involves employee and resource allocation to allow for the effective completion of projects.

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• Project: specific and temporary activity with a start and end date, clear goals, defined responsibilities and a budget.

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• Project management: using modern management techniques to plan, carry out and complete a project from start to finish in order to achieve preset targets of quality, time and cost.

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• Fishbone diagram: visual identification of many potential causes of a problem.

  

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• Decision tree: diagram that sets out the options connected a with a decision and the outcomes and economic returns that may result.

  

  • Expected value: likely financial result of an outcome obtained by multiplying the probability of an event occurring by the forecast economic return if it does occur.

  

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• Force-field analysis: analytical process used to map the opposing forces within an environment (such as a business) where change is taking place.

  

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• Gantt chart: visual representation of a project schedule in which a series of horizontal lines shows the amount of work planned in certain periods of time.

  

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