The complete and efficient guide to achieving success in operational and technological strategies in projects

The business journey is filled with challenges and the creative operation appears to lead companies towards success.

The creative operation is more than a strategy, it is the art of aligning resources, talent, and innovation to overcome obstacles.

In the search for success, the creative operation acts as a compass, guiding the company through the daily challenges of the market. The ability to anticipate moves, just like in a game of chess, sets visionary leaders apart.

Achieving success can be a long journey, as can achieving goals, and when the team is prepared to deal with adversities and challenges, the results are incredible. The creative operation not only responds to the challenges of the present, but also shapes a solid future for the company.

In short, the magnificent journey of the creative operation is not just a journey, it’s a saga in which every strategy, innovation, and effort converge to push the company beyond its limits. By following this path, success becomes not just a destination, but an ongoing and inspiring achievement.

We have strategic planning, where leaders chart the routes for the future. Then, tactical planning, where departments come into action, and finally, operational planning, where magic happens in the daily lives of your crew. Everything works like a perfect choreography, where everyone dances to the same beat!

Strategic planning

Strategic planning is the method for defining your organization’s best goals, what actions will be used to achieve them, and what resources you can count on.

It is the starting point for investing in innovation, organizational culture, and actions that act as responses to an environment of constant change in the market.

The definition of strategic planning may vary, but it is comprised of three essential elements, such as:

1. The determination of a clear objective
2. The identification of the actions necessary to achieve it
3. The appropriate allocation of resources for the effective execution of planned initiatives

With the market constantly growing and innovating, taking a strategic approach is essential.

Tactical planning

Tactical planning will be responsible for distributing activities by departments and sectors, in order to optimize resources and guide the activities of a team or department, in line with the organization’s overall strategy.

By determining tactical objectives, organizations are able to guide their teams toward specific and measurable results in key areas.

We can analyze in more detail the examples of tactical objectives mentioned:

Customer response time:
Establish 1 day of response, which determines an effective objective to improve customer service. The clear definition of the deadline (1 day) provides measurable metrics for evaluating performance.

Employee development:

Implement development programs, so that employees are able to complete at least one specialization in their areas of expertise in three years, which ends up reflecting a commitment to professional growth. An aligned and qualified team is able to keep up with market demands. Setting the three-year deadline provides sufficient time to plan and implement development programs.

In tactical planning, the 5w2h methodology is used, which is an administrative checklist that assists with issues of deadlines, activities, and functions to be assumed in tactical planning.

It aims to plan, organize, and control activities efficiently. The terms 5W refer to five questions in English:

What, Why, Where, When, Who, while the 2H represent two complements in English How, How much.

How does tactical planning work in the company?

To be able to meet the company’s alignment, tactical planning will define:

Goals

Processes

Deadlines

Tools and resources

They are one of the main elements that must complete a tactical plan. Let’s look at the functions of each element in more detail.

Goals:

If the organization’s objective is to increase the volume of clients in less time, it is the role of tactical planning to define short-term to medium-term goals that make it possible to achieve this objective.

There is a more practical way, which is to use the Smart method to define goals.

The methods applied are 5 and follow these criteria:

Specific - The goal must be specific

Measurable - Must be measurable

Attainable - Must be attainable

Realist - Must be realistic

Time-bound - Must have a limited time

Processes:

The tactical plan acts as a bridge between organizational strategy and operational execution. In the example of a sales funnel, so that sellers can better understand the customer journey and have more agility in negotiations.

Let’s explore this example, with a brief explanation of the construction of the Sales Funnel:

• Tactical objective: to improve negotiation efficiency and understand the customer journey.
• Tactical action: Develop a sales funnel that maps the stages that customers go through, from first contact to conversion
• Operational process: Detail the phases of the funnel, define qualification criteria at each stage, and establish guidelines for the transition of leads between stages.
• Operational training: Empower sellers to understand and effectively apply the sales funnel. This may involve training in qualification techniques, sales approaches at each stage of the funnel, and the use of associated tools.
• Evaluation and continuous improvement: Implement metrics to monitor funnel performance, analyze results, and make adjustments as necessary.

When the sales funnel is well structured, it not only provides a framework for the sales team, but also defines a clear method for achieving the strategic objective of improving efficiency and understanding of the customer journey.

Operational planning

Operational planning is a plan with shorter plans, expected to be implemented in 3 to 6 months.

In this method, the processes and systems envisaged to achieve the strategic objectives would already be specified.

He is responsible for transforming strategic goals and objectives into reduced and executable tasks.

Operational planning focuses on internal business processes and the management of available resources, which include financial and human aspects, among others.

The concepts used in operational planning are:

Focus: In operational planning, it is done by a department. It is well segmented and each area will contribute to that year’s strategic planning.

Time: The strategy is focused on 3 to 5 years of planning.

Leadership: Occupied by department managers.

Hone your skills in creative operations

If you are looking for improvement, efficiency, delivery improvements and expanding your agency, the efficient management of creative operations becomes a key part.

These operations will play a fundamental and prominent role, which will boost creative initiatives, providing flexibility and efficiency in the different opportunities of the creative scene.

As your agency grows, the focus on creative operations also evolves. Let’s explore the benefits of managing creative operations and share best practices that will transform the way your agency handles these critical operations.

What are Creative Operations?

The heart of an agency works beyond the help of the specialists responsible for the service, strategy, creation and production sectors, so that things can flow, it is necessary to establish methods and workflows.

These processes, which encompass both generic approaches and those aimed at specific clients or demands, are the essential foundations of creative operations.

Creative operations constitute the operational bases that enable the creation and implementation of processes and procedures adapted to the diverse contexts of creative agencies, clients, brands, demands and opportunities. They serve as fundamental support to boost creative initiatives.

An effective solution for Creative Operations must cover from the beginning of the work to planning, execution, approval, and delivery, in addition to managing the resulting creative content, products, and digital assets.

This solution is suitable for storing, consulting, reusing, and adapting these assets according to different uses and opportunities.

How to implement?

For agencies with up to 10 employees, it is advisable to develop a single flexible creative operation capable of meeting most client demands. This will provide operational efficiency and adaptability, allowing the team to collaborate synergistically on various initiatives, maximizing available resources.

The flexibility of this approach is especially valuable in leaner settings, where agility and the ability to handle a wide range of demands are essential for success.

When necessary, outsource specialized work until you accumulate sufficient volume and recurrence to hire new professionals and create specific operations.

Discover how Wikimee, how to transform your creative operations!

Boost your creativity with Wikimee! Talk to our team and discover how together we can transform your creative operations. Improve your organization’s work processes and achieve excellent results! Let’s together boost your success!