The business has agreed its priorities for the coming year. Growth targets are set, new products are on the roadmap and operational improvements are expected. Has the planning team been equipped to support them?
A year-end review can reveal where new demands exceed existing capacity, where skills need development and where processes depend too heavily on individual effort. It also creates an opportunity to decide what support would make those priorities achievable.
Planning as a Service can form part of that response, with a scope shaped around the work the business needs to perform.
Start with what will change. A new market may require a different approach to demand planning. A product launch may increase uncertainty about inventory and capacity. An acquisition may bring additional systems, teams and planning practices into the organization.
For each priority, identify the decisions planning will need to support and the activities required to support them. Consider workload, expertise, technology and decision authority together.
An illustrative business adding a production site might need temporary planning capacity during the transition, specialist advice on shared processes and training for the people taking on new responsibilities. One intervention may not cover every need.
Look beyond whether the planning cycle was completed. Where did the team repeatedly struggle to produce a credible plan or resolve an issue? Which decisions took too long? What work was postponed because urgent requests took priority?
Discuss those patterns with planners and the functions they support. Separate capability gaps from problems such as unclear objectives, unreliable inputs or conflicting incentives.
This connects with our Planner of the Future article, “The Planner of the Future Needs More Than Technical Skills.” Development should reflect the judgment and collaboration the role requires, alongside system proficiency.
The review may also identify decisions that warrant a regular reassessment, providing a practical link to Continuous Decision Intelligence.
If technology access is limiting progress, software leasing or access through a service arrangement may be appropriate, subject to fit and agreed terms.
If delivery capacity is the issue, managed planning support could cover defined activities or extend to operating the planning function. Where consistency and ownership are missing across teams, COE development may help establish shared methods and governance.
Training, coaching and advisory can address more targeted needs, including scenario interpretation, process improvement or preparation for new responsibilities.
Decide whether each need is temporary, recurring or part of a longer-term capability you want to build internally. That distinction helps shape the scope and duration of support.
Choose a small number of priorities with named owners and a review point. Specify what the internal team will do, what a partner will provide and how the two will work together.
Define evidence of progress that fits the intervention. That might be a more reliable planning cycle, independent use of a new capability or better follow-through on agreed decisions. Record a baseline so the review can assess what changed.
The objective is to enter the year with a realistic view of what the team can deliver and a practical way to close the most consequential gaps.
neos by Argon & Co helps organizations assess their planning needs and shape flexible PaaS support across software access, managed planning, COE development, training and advisory.
