Final Strategic Plan and Presentation

Strategic Plan, Part III: Balanced Scorecard

Shannon D. James

BUS/475

November 18, 2013

Gregory Kosicki

Strategic Plan, Part III: Balanced Scorecard

Balance scorecard is essential for developing a healthy business growing place. This is a vital key for defining the goals and targets of a company as well as the vision, mission, and the SWOTT Analysis. A Balanced Scorecard is, “A set of four measures directly linked to a company’s strategy: financial performance, customer knowledge, internal business processes, and learning and growth” (Pearce and Robinson, 2009, p. 202). This term paper will relate Sweet Creations values, mission, vision and SWOTT Analysis with the four perspectives of the scorecard (financial performance, customer knowledge, internal business process, and learning and growth).

Financial Perspective/Shareholder Value

A strong and well defined vision and mission statement will facilitate the company to achieve its target. The objectives of Sweet Creations should be implemented as a daily routine so as to increase the performance of the company. The first and foremost responsibility of a company is to seek its customer satisfaction, benefit utilization, increased net revenues, and also to achieve financial stability. To evaluate the financial stability of a company, one should calculate the Operating cost, Earnings per share, growth revenue and return on interest and capital. “If we succeed how we will look to our stakeholders” (BSI, 2009, 5).

Customer Value Perspective

The customers determine the success of the company. The ups and downs in the market share of the company as well as the delivery of services and products relates to the customer satisfaction. The more the customer satisfied and engage with the company, the more will be the increase in the brand image in the market, but there must be consistency in the value and quality of the product. It is the responsibly of Sweet Creations to generate awareness in the public and should also offer benefits to them, time to time. “To achieve our mission, how must we appear to our customers” (BSI, 2009, p. 5).

The company should organize survey, time to time, so that to have an idea of the customer’s taste. For this the company has to monitor their brand value in the market constantly. On of the most important tool of obtaining more and more customers engage with the company, the holders of the company should introduce new products at a very low price and also offers some rewards for the regular customers. A way to gather the attention of the customers is to introduce reward programs before them; this will look very attractive to them. If the company and employees performance reviews by the customers are in the favor that means the company is strong enough to hold its position in the market. Just in case, if the customer reviews are poor regarding the service and the performances of the employees, this will lead a company to a huge downfall.

Process/Internal Operations Perspective

Strategic planning is very effective to give a sweeterie to customers. It should be done in accordance with the customer’s need and satisfaction. To improve the business efficiencies, market value as well as the current position; one should has an effective strategic management to overcome all the resistances. The most important thing is to define the purpose or intention of the strategy because this will lead a company smoothly toward its goals. The goals highlight the vision and mission statement of the company. “To satisfy our customers, at which processes must we excel” (BSI, 2009, p. 5).

For the satisfactory outcome of the company the strategic objectives and goals should be monitored on a daily. The company should set its objective, and the path to be followed while keeping in minds the values and interest of the customers. There should be a tool or set of measurements, which may be used to measure the targets, public interest, brand value in the market and budget in hand. In strategic planning, surveys must be done, time to time, so that it will be helpful for the company to have an idea that ‘what are the market needs’? And ‘what is already available in abundant in the market’? Survey techniques should be used to know about the ground realities and choice and need of the customer. Sweet Creations is constantly taking initiatives to improve the services and products so as to increase their customer circle.

Learning and Growth Perspective

Learning and growth process is considered as the most important aspect in Balance Scorecard, because this perspective focuses on the growth and prosperity of the company as well as the learning of internal and external public. “Learning” in accordance with Sweet Creations means to learn about the attitudes of the internal employees and external customers. This technique of Balance Scorecard, help the company to maintain its position in the market and also bring technological changes. “To achieve our mission, how must our organization learn and improve” (BSI, 2009, p. 5). The strategic planning should focus on employee training to have competent employees who constantly develop their skills and ultimately provide benefits to the company.

For Sweet Creations, the strategic objective should bring some improvements in the company. The improvements will be in the form of new technology in the company, constantly recruitment of the deserving candidates but retaining of the highly skilled workers, increasing the organization’s trust and customer circle. The organization needs to develop a strategy to provide more benefits to the customers e.g. online purchasing and billing, constantly introducing new products and services and also introducing attractive packages and offers like purchase and pay later.

The success of the company depends on its vision and mission statement. The best way to attain the targets and goals of the company is to have a strategic plan which, can effortlessly explains and deliver the objectives of the company. The achievements and goals of the company should be measured. The well-balanced business should have to develop the Balance Scorecard, which is the most significant technique to achieve all targets. It is impossible that if one Balance Scorecard technique is fit for a business will also suitable for another business. The Balance Scorecard’s four perspectives defined herein are: Financial perspective, Customer perspective, internal process, and Learning and Growth. With each perspective, we will define the strategic objectives, performance measures, targets, and initiatives.

Balanced Score Card

Shareholder Value/Financial Perspective

Strategic Objectives

•Benefit utilization and decrease in per unit cost

•Financial stability should be achieved

•Market share should be increased

•Production cost of store should be minimized

•Net revenues should be increased

•Operating cash flow should be increased with respect to previous year

Performance Measures

•Per share earnings

•Return on interest and capital

•Increased operating cost

•Revenue growth

Targets

•6 – 8% market share increase over the next two years

•30% profit margin

Initiatives

•Should acquire a strong Competitor

Customer Perspective

Strategic Objectives

•Community support should be expanded

•Quality products should be delivered

•Constantly improving brand image in market

•Value services should be delivered

•Focus on public interest

•Market share should have increased

Performance Measures

•Awareness of brand in public

•Research should be on regular basis

•Market share should be increased

Targets

•30% increased of customers for the next five years

•100% customer satisfaction

Initiatives

•Special benefit and rewards program

•Brand should be expanded to other cities

Internal Process Perspective

Strategic Objectives

•Marketing of store and product should be improved

•Additional services should be acquired

•Investment infrastructure should be made

•Business process and efficiencies should be improved

Performance Measures

•Internal employee and External Customer satisfaction

•Profits from New Programs

•Redundancies on products and services should be decreased

Targets

•20% reduction in customer returns over the next four years

•100% satisfaction of customers

•30% increase of customer circle

Initiatives

•Marketing campaign

•Card purchasing program should be expanded

Learning and Growth Perspective

Strategic Objectives

•Technology should be improved

•Increase in employee’s retention

•Constant recruitment but retain highly skilled workers

•Organizational trust and teamwork should be improved

Performance Measures

•Customer satisfaction should be achieved

•The employee turnover rate should be decreased

•Proper survey, monitoring and training

•learning from outcomes and experiences

Targets

•100% participation of all employees

Initiatives

•Analysis of Staffing Optimization

•Online Billing Upgrade

•Service Training

Reference

Balanced Scorecard Institute (2009) Balanced Scorecard Basics. Retrieved July 31, 2011 from URL: http://www.balancedscorecard.org/BSCResources/AbouttheBalancedScorecard/tabid/55/Default.aspx

Pearce, J. A. II, and Robinson, R. B. (2009). Strategic management: Formulation, implementation, and control (11th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.