Strategic Planning

« Enabling sustainable growth through the identification, development and deployment of adequate strategic options, top down and bottom up »

Strategic planning can be carried out in a top-down or bottom-up manner. They are complementary methods, one more strategic and often more ambitious, the other more pragmatic and often more realistic. It is therefore generally beneficial to carry out both types of strategic planning, sequentially or in parallel. Combining them allows for a more complete analysis of the organisation's strategic context, real-time feedback from both employees and customers, better exploitation of collective intelligence and increased team commitment. In short, the combination of the two methods provides a balanced and comprehensive approach to strategic decision-making.

Top-down strategic planning aims to ensure that the organisation has a clear and well-defined strategic direction. It starts with the definition of the organisation's purpose, values, mission and vision, from which its positioning results. On this basis, the strategic pillars (the framework), the growth objectives, the strategic levers (the means/tactics) and finally the resulting action plans are determined. This approach is usually applied centrally, under the responsibility of the management team. It lays the foundation for effective management and execution at all levels and provides the organisation with structure and stability.

Bottom-up strategic planning starts with an analysis of the current situation, the market, its players, the requirements and the trends. From these elements the key success factors (positioning, competencies, resources and means, etc.), the roadmap, the objectives and finally the required strategic actions are determined. This method is usually applied in a decentralised way, for example at commercial unit level. In addition to ideally complementing top-down strategic planning, it strengthens employee commitment and accountability, encourages innovation and creativity, improves operational efficiency and supports employee development and retention.