By Hayley Parker, director and founder of OPS-BOX 

We've all been there - we start each new year with a fresh plan and vision for our business. But unless the same attention is given to turning the vision into a realistic and actionable plan, it will be consigned to the shelf, along with the last of the Xmas chocolates.

We see it time and time again - writes Hayley Parker, director and founder of OPS-BOX.

Good plans are developed, but often you don't see those plans turned into reality. 

Why? Because time and effort hasn't been spent on implementing them. The vision & goals are clear, but action hasn't been taken in the business to support the delivery. The result - the business doesn't achieve the success it had hoped for.

So, as you think about your road map for 2022 - remember, creating a great business plan is just the start, it's what you do with it that matters.

One of the ways that businesses can effectively implement their plan is by having a Business Operating Model (BOM) that's fit for purpose for their business.

Put simply, a BOM (quite a good abbreviation!) means having the following six things aligned to the plan and working effectively:

• Organisational structure - The "Who" - having the right skills & experience in your business to deliver your plan, allong with clear roles & responsibilities and reporting lines.

• Policies and processes - The "How" - having the policies and processes in place to support the business achieving the plan.

• Governance - The "Rules" - having a framework that your business operates in & being clear on your business rules.

• Monitoring and evaluation - The "Checking progress" - having clear measures to track and monitor business and employee performance.

• Tools and technology - The "Systems" - having the right tools in your business that help it to operate effectively.

• Culture - The "Hearts & Minds" - how colleagues in your business think and feel - what motivates them to deliver the business goals. Including communication and engagement.

To bring this alive, if you have a goal to increase revenues by 50 per cent over three years you need to do something different in order to achieve it. That means, looking at each component of your BOM & refining it to support you delivering that goal.

Having the right BOM in place gives you the vehicle that will take you on that journey to success. But you need to service it and make adaptions so it can sustain the journey and get you there.

At OPS-BOX we support businesses to execute business plans. If you would like some help to ensure you realise your goals for 2022, call us on 07759 407064 or 07432 557966, or email enquiries@ops-boxgroup.com.