Activity Based Planning: Explained

As the CFO of a company, my role is to ensure that the business is financially stable and growing. This involves making important decisions, such as how to allocate resources for marketing. One of the most effective tools I've used is activity-based planning.

Activity-based planning is a strategic management tool that helps businesses allocate resources to the activities that will have the most impact on their goals. This method is particularly helpful in marketing, where it can be challenging to measure the impact of different strategies.

How Activity-Based Planning Works

Activity-based planning involves breaking down high-level goals into specific activities. For example, if we want to increase our sales by 20%, we might identify the following activities:

• Launch a social media ad campaign
• Create a promotional offer that incentivizes customers to make a purchase
• Attend a trade show and network with potential customers

Each activity is then assigned a cost and expected return. This allows us to prioritize our resources and focus on the activities that will have the most significant impact on our goals.

The Benefits of Activity-Based Planning

Activity-based planning offers several benefits for businesses. First, it allows us to be more strategic with our resources. Rather than spreading our budget across multiple marketing channels, we can focus on the activities that are most likely to drive results.

Second, activity-based planning makes it easier to measure the effectiveness of our marketing activities. By assigning a cost and expected return to each activity, we can track our progress and adjust our strategy accordingly.

Finally, activity-based planning encourages collaboration between teams. By breaking down goals into specific activities, we can identify areas where different departments can work together to achieve our objectives. This leads to a more efficient use of resources and a more cohesive company culture.

Getting Started with Activity-Based Planning

To get started with activity-based planning, there are a few steps to follow:

1. Identify your high-level goals.
2. Break down those goals into specific activities.
3. Assign a cost and expected return to each activity.
4. Prioritize your activities based on expected return and available resources.
5. Track your progress and adjust your strategy as needed.

It's important to note that activity-based planning is an ongoing process. As your business evolves, your goals and activities will likely change. It's essential to regularly review and update your plan to ensure that you're allocating your resources in the most effective way.

Final Thoughts

Activity-based planning is a powerful tool that can help businesses make more informed marketing decisions, allocate resources more effectively, and track their progress more accurately. As the CFO of a company, I've seen firsthand how this method can drive growth and success. If you're looking for a way to improve your marketing strategy, it's definitely worth giving activity-based planning a try.