# Operational Plan Template: Free Guide & Examples

> Operational plan template to turn strategy into action. Get step-by-step guidance, plus free Asana templates for annual planning and business reviews.

Source: https://asana.com/templates/operational-plan.md

- [Create your template](https://app.asana.com/-/product_templates)

- [Custom fields](/features/project-management/custom-fields)

- [Projects](/features/project-management/projects)

- [Rules](/features/workflow-automation/rules)

- [Forms](/features/workflow-automation/forms)

- [Zoom](/apps/zoom)

- [Google Workspace](/google-workspace)

- [Microsoft Teams](/apps/microsoft)

templates

Strategic planning

Operational plan

Learn how Asana’s operations team uses standardized processes to streamline strategic planning—no matter how many stakeholders are involved.

Strategic planning

Cross-team planning

Meeting agendas

## Operational plan template

Turn strategy into action with a free operational plan template. Learn key components, follow step-by-step guidance, and customize your plan for your team.

### Create templates with Asana

- [Sign up](/create-account)

#### Summary

An operational plan template helps your team put strategy into action in a consistent way. In this guide, you'll learn what operational planning is, what to include in your plan, and how to build one step by step. You can also check out free templates in Asana to make annual planning and business reviews easier.Operational planning involves many teams working together. It can create real change, but it also requires a lot of coordination. To make it work, you need to bring together nearly every team in the company, such as executives, finance, product, legal, and human resources.

Templates help by giving everyone a shared plan, so you don't need endless conversations to get started. At Asana, we use set workflows to make our operational planning smoother, from annual planning to business meetings.

This guide explains what operational planning is, the main parts every plan should have, and how to build one step by step. We'll also show the benefits of using a digital template and share examples from our team at Asana.

## What is operational planning?

Operational planning turns your company's strategy into actions, timelines, and responsibilities that teams can follow each day. Unlike project management, which focuses on a single project, operational planning sets the direction for the whole company and helps everyone stay aligned.

**For example, operational planning involves:**
- Managing reporting cadences for business key performance indicators ([KPIs](/resources/key-performance-indicator-kpi))
- Organizing monthly and quarterly business reviews
- [Annual planning](/resources/annual-planning-tips)
- Project management for strategic initiatives
- [Read: Learn how to do operational planning the right way (1)](https://asana.com/fr/resources/operational-planning)

## What is an operational plan template?

An operational plan template is a pre-made workflow for essential operational planning processes, such as annual planning or quarterly business reviews. The template lays out each step of the process so stakeholders know exactly how to collaborate. For example, if you build an [annual planning template](/templates/annual-planning), you no longer have to start from scratch for each new planning cycle.

### Operational planning vs. strategic planning

People often confuse operational planning with strategic planning, but they are different. A strategic plan sets your organization's long-term vision, typically for 3 to 5 years. An operational plan explains how teams will perform daily work to achieve those goals.

A strategic plan defines long-term direction over a three- to five-year horizon and focuses on company-wide goals. An operational plan turns that direction into action, with quarterly or annual timelines that outline who does what and when at the team level. For example, a strategic plan may target expansion into a new market, while the operational plan covers hiring a regional team, setting a launch timeline, and allocating budget.

Both plans work together, but your operational plan is where [strategy turns into action](/resources/strategy-implementation).

### Key components of an operational plan

A good operational plan gives your team clear direction. While every organization is unique, most strong plans include these main parts:
- **Goals and objectives:** The specific goals your plan is designed to achieve, tied directly back to your broader strategic plan.
- **Timeline and milestones:** A clear schedule for when each phase of work should be completed, with milestones to track progress.
- **Budget and resources:** The financial and material resources required to carry out the plan, including staffing needs, tools, and third-party costs.
- [Roles and responsibilities](/resources/roles-and-responsibilities)**:** Clear ownership for every task and workstream so nothing falls through the cracks.
- **Action steps:** Each goal is broken down into specific tasks and activities your teams will complete.
- **Key performance indicators:** The metrics you'll use to measure progress and identify where to course-correct.
- **Risks and contingencies:** Potential blockers that could slow your team down, along with a plan to address them.

Adding all these elements ensures your plan can be put into action, rather than just sitting unused in a folder.

## How to create an operational plan

Creating an operational plan can be simple. Here are steps to help you turn your strategy into a clear plan you can use:
- **Start with your strategic goals.** Review your organization's [strategic plan](/uses/strategic-planning) and identify the goals your operational plan needs to support. This ensures your day-to-day work is always connected to the bigger picture.
- **Define the scope.** Clarify which teams, time periods, and priorities your plan will cover. An annual operational plan will look different from a quarterly one, so set boundaries early.
- **List key activities and tasks.** Break each goal into specific activities. Be as concrete as possible so teams understand exactly what needs to happen.
- **Assign ownership.** For every activity, identify a clear owner. Accountability is what turns plans into progress.
- **Set timelines and milestones.** Build a realistic schedule with deadlines for each task and milestones to mark major checkpoints. This keeps your team focused and on track.
- **Allocate resources and budget.** Determine what resources each activity requires, including people, tools, and funding. Make sure your plan is realistic, given your [available capacity](/templates/capacity-planning).
- **Define your KPIs.** Choose the [key performance indicators](/templates/kpi-key-performance-indicators) you'll track to measure success. Decide how and when you'll review them.
- **Share and communicate your plan.** An operational plan only works if people can see it. Share it with all relevant stakeholders and establish regular check-ins to review progress and adjust as needed.

Using a work management tool like Asana makes it easier to manage each of these steps in one place, so your plan stays visible and up to date as work progresses.

## Why use a digital operations plan template?

Since operational planning involves many people, it's easy to run into problems like confusing email threads, too many meetings, and lost details. Tools like email and Google Docs can sometimes make things even more confusing.

A [work management platform](/uses/work-management) solves these problems by centralizing your planning process in one place, giving everyone a single source of truth for communicating, sharing updates, and planning in real time.

**Here's what you can do with a digital operations plan template:**
- Create a single system of record for operational planning work.
- Centralize stakeholder conversations in one place to prevent information loss.
- Share [status reports](https://help.asana.com/s/article/project-progress-and-status-updates?language=en_US) with stakeholders without scheduling extra meetings.
- View [project reports](/features/goals-reporting/reporting-dashboards) and graphs to quickly understand how initiatives are performing.
- [Automate](/features/workflow-automation) operations workflows so teams can spend less time coordinating work and more time on high-impact initiatives.
- Easily update project schedules, tasks, and owners as circumstances change.
- Use [forms](/features/workflow-automation/forms) to standardize how teams share information.
- Switch between project views to visualize operations workflows in different ways, including [task lists](https://help.asana.com/s/article/list-view?language=en_US), [Gantt charts](/features/project-management/project-views), [calendars](https://help.asana.com/s/article/calendar-view?language=en_US), or [Kanban boards](https://help.asana.com/s/article/board-view?language=en_US).

## Types of operational planning templates

When making operational planning templates, it's best to focus on one use case at a time. Below, we share two examples we use at Asana, along with the main parts of each.

### 1. Annual planning template

Annual planning involves many teams working together, with company goals and team plans advancing simultaneously. At Asana, our planning team uses predefined workflows to streamline the process and consolidate everything into a single plan. Here's how we do it.
- **Define each annual planning phase.** At Asana, we break the annual planning process into phases, each with a specific goal and time frame. When building your template, create a section at the top to define each annual planning phase, including its goal and the time it occurs.
- **Create sections for each department or team.** Organize each team's tasks into a single section, so they can easily see what they're responsible for accomplishing during the annual planning cycle.
- **Use custom tags to add additional information.** At Asana, we use [custom tags](https://help.asana.com/s/article/custom-fields?language=en_US) to view important details about each task. For example, we use tags to identify which team is responsible, which planning workstream the task falls under, whether it's a concrete deliverable or a decision to be made, and whether a meeting is required.
- **Identify key milestones in your plan.** Create [milestones](https://help.asana.com/s/?language=en_US) to identify important checkpoints throughout the annual planning process. This helps teams understand what they're working toward and how it fits into the overall planning roadmap.

Once you've created your annual plan, share and track it with [Goals](/features/goals-reporting/goals), an organization-wide tool that helps your entire company set, monitor, and communicate about goals.

### 2. Business planning meeting template

Business leaders need to stay aligned. One way to keep executives on the same page is by hosting regular business planning meetings, where leaders can share updates, align on [action items](/resources/action-items), and create plans.

At Asana, we use a set workflow to make business planning meetings run smoothly and use time well. Presenters get enough notice to prepare, and attendees can focus on the most important topics. Here's how we do it.
- **Create a single source of truth for meeting planning and follow-up.** Centralize planning tasks in one place, so stakeholders can easily see what's coming up and who's responsible for each presentation. Create a single task for each agenda item, and then when the meeting is over, [add that same task to other projects](https://help.asana.com/s/article/multi-home-tasks-to-avoid-information-silos?language=en_US) (like meeting notes or action items) without duplicating work.
- **Use sections to organize information.** Make tasks easier to find by grouping them into sections such as upcoming topics, new topic submissions, and meeting agendas.
- **Submit new discussion topics with forms.** Create a topic request [form](/features/workflow-automation/forms) to standardize how new agenda items are added. Forms ensure you have all the information you need to plan agenda topics, like a brief description of the agenda item, goals for the discussion, the facilitator, and the time required.
- **Create custom tags to see key information at a glance.** Add custom tags to get a quick view of each task's category and status. For example, use custom tags to identify whether agenda items are set or still open.

## Recommended features and integrations

As you build out your operational planning templates, customize your team's workflows with these features and app integrations.

### Integrated features
- [Custom fields](https://help.asana.com/s/article/custom-fields?language=en_US). Tag, sort, and filter work by any information you need to track, from priority and status to email or phone number. Share custom fields across tasks and projects to ensure consistency across your organization.
- [Adding tasks to multiple projects](https://help.asana.com/s/article/multi-home-tasks-to-avoid-information-silos?language=en_US). Track and manage tasks across multiple projects to reduce duplicative work and increase cross-team visibility. Your team can see tasks in context and view who's working on what, all in one place.
- [Automation](/features/workflow-automation). Set up Rules based on triggers and actions ("when X happens, do Y") to automatically assign work, adjust due dates, notify stakeholders, and more. From ad hoc automations to entire workflows, Rules gives your team time back for strategic work.
- [Forms](/features/workflow-automation/forms). Standardize how work gets kicked off by intaking requests through a Form, which automatically creates a new task in your Asana project. Use branching logic to tailor questions, so you always gather the right information without treating each request as an ad hoc process.

### Recommended apps
- [Zoom](/apps/zoom). Prepare for meetings, create tasks during calls, and automatically pull transcripts and recordings into Asana when the meeting ends. The integration keeps action items, agendas, and context connected in one place.
- [Google Workplace](/apps/google-drive). Attach files directly to tasks in Asana using the Google Workspace file picker, built into the Asana task pane. Easily attach any My Drive file with just a few clicks.
- [Microsoft Teams](/apps/microsoft). Search for and share the information you need without leaving Teams. Easily connect your Teams conversations to actionable items in Asana, and create, assign, and view tasks during a Teams Meeting without needing to switch to your browser.

## Start building your operational plan

A good operational plan turns your company's strategy into clear daily work for your teams. When you set goals, assign owners, set timelines, and track progress in one place, every team can move faster and stay on the same page.

Ready to put your operational plan into action? [Get started](/create-account) with a free operational plan template in Asana and bring your team's strategy to life.

## FAQs about operational plan templates

#### Who is responsible for creating an operational plan?

Operational plans are typically created by operations managers, department heads, or senior leaders, with input from finance, human resources, and team leads. The key is to have one clear owner driving the process while collaborating with the right stakeholders.

#### How often should you update an operational plan?

At a minimum, review and update your operational plan every quarter. Fast-moving teams may benefit from monthly check-ins to adjust timelines, reallocate resources, or respond to shifting priorities.

#### What other operational planning templates can I use to streamline workflows for my business?

With Asana you can create and customize templates to fit any business operations use case, including:
- Business plan template
- Operations project plan template
- All company meeting template
- Startup checklist template
- Business continuity plan template
- Team goals and objectives planning template

#### Can a project management platform help my business achieve strategic goals faster?

Yes. According to an independent report, Asana cuts project completion time by up to 50%, freeing your team to focus on high-impact work like driving revenue and reaching strategic goals.

#### What's the best way to monitor all operational workflows in one place?

With Asana Portfolios, you can see a high-level view of all operational planning initiatives, including project status, progress, and owners. If an initiative is off track, it's easy to click in, identify the blocker, and create an [action plan](/resources/action-plan) to get things back on track.

### Contingency plan

Using a contingency plan template will help you create well-developed strategies to help you protect your business from potential risk. Learn how Asana can help.

- [Create your template](/templates/contingency-plan)

### SIPOC diagram

Use your SIPOC template to ensure that the processes outlined in your SIPOC diagrams are consistent and up to your standards.

- [Create your template](/templates/sipoc-diagram)

### Program roadmap

Create a program roadmap template and know the exact structure of each program, how they operate, and their future plans—company-wide.

- [Create your template](/templates/program-roadmap)

### Action plan template

Taking action has never been easier. Learn how to create a reusable action plan template in Asana to take the guesswork out of strategic planning.

- [Create your template](/templates/action-plan)

### Punch list

Creating a digital punch list template can help streamline the final bits of a project for your team. Here’s how to create one.

- [Create your template](/templates/punch-list)

### Go-to-market strategy

Simplify your GTM strategy with a go-to-market strategy template that aligns teams and keeps work on track. Learn how in Asana.

- [Create your template](/templates/gtm-strategy)

### Product roadmap

What if you could create, share, and update your product roadmap in one place? Everyone could see you’re tackling the right priorities. Start planning your product roadmap with this template.

- [Create your template](/templates/product-roadmap)

### PEST analysis

A PEST analysis template helps compile info on the external environment affecting your business. Learn how to prevent risk with a PEST analysis template.

- [Create your template](/templates/pest-analysis)

### Project reporting

Stay on top of your project’s performance. Keep everyone on the same page about what’s been completed and where your project is headed.

- [Create your template](/templates/project-reporting)

### Nonprofit business plan

Success doesn’t just happen—it’s planned. Stay focused on your most crucial work with a custom nonprofit business plan template.

- [Create your template](/templates/nonprofit-business-plan)

### Strategic planning

When you’re launching a new product, team, or even a new business, strategic planning templates keep you laser-focused and on task.

- [Create your template](/templates/strategic-planning)

### Project closure

Endings are important. Create a project closure template to help your team tie up loose ends and finish their projects with confidence.

- [Create your template](/templates/project-closure)

### Annual planning

Set clear goals and streamline your planning process—so every level of your company is aligned on what’s important.

- [Create your template](/templates/annual-planning)

### Competitive analysis template

The more you know about your competitors, the better your strategy will be. Competitive analysis templates use a data-driven approach to see exactly how your business, products, and features compare to your competition.

- [Create your template](/templates/competitive-analysis)

### Crisis management plan

Does your team know what to do during a crisis? Using a crisis management plan template can help keep all your employees on the same page.

- [Create your template](/templates/crisis-management-plan)

### OKRs (Objectives and key results)

Learn how to create an OKR template in Asana so you can standardize the goal-setting process for everyone.

- [Create your template](/templates/okr-objectives-key-results)

### Marketing strategy

A marketing strategy template is a useful tool that helps your marketing team achieve their goals. Learn how to create your marketing strategy with Asana.

- [Create your template](/templates/marketing-strategy)

### Cost benefit analysis template

Digital cost benefit analysis templates are a useful framework to see if a new project or idea is viable. Learn how to create your own in a few simple steps, with Asana.

- [Create your template](/templates/cost-benefit-analysis)

### Requirements traceability matrix

A requirements traceability matrix template is a tool to help organize project requirements in a concise manner. Learn how to create one for your team.

- [Create your template](/templates/requirements-traceability-matrix)

### Goal setting

This goal setting template helps you move faster! Set goals, share them with your team, and keep everything on track.

- [Create your template](/templates/goal-setting)

### Business plan

A business plan is the first step to start your business and secure financing. Use our business plan template so you don’t have to start from scratch.

- [Create your template](/templates/business-plan)

### Business model canvas

Bring your business model to life with a dynamic business model canvas template. Easy to edit, share, and evolve with your team.

- [Create your template](/templates/business-model-canvas)

### Gap analysis

Pinpoint gaps, uncover root causes, assign tasks, and take action fast. This customizable gap analysis template flexes to fit your team’s needs.

- [Create your template](/templates/gap-analysis)

### Strategic roadmap template

Use this strategy roadmap template to structure your goals, manage dependencies, and better organize your strategic planning process.

- [Create your template](/templates/strategic-roadmap)

### Policy and procedure plan template

Manage every step of policy creation with this policy and procedure plan template: drafts, reviews, approvals, and updates.

- [Create your template](/templates/policy-and-procedure-plan)

### KPI (Key performance indicators)

Use this KPI template to define key performance indicators, track metrics, and report results without digging through spreadsheets.

- [Create your template](/templates/kpi-key-performance-indicators)

### SEO strategy template

Use this SEO strategy template to plan goals, keywords, content, and reporting in one place. Improve rankings and grow organic traffic faster.

- [Create your template](/templates/seo-strategy)

### Website audit template

Use our website audit template to organize technical SEO, content quality, and site optimizations. Build better reports and increase conversions faster.

- [Create your template](/templates/website-audit)

### 5-year plan

Set goals, assign tasks, and track milestones with a 5-year plan template designed to guide your next big move.

- [Create your template](/templates/5-year-plan)

### Social media reporting

This free and customizable social media reporting template saves time, reports faster, and drives smarter decisions across all your social platforms.

- [Create your template](/templates/social-media-reporting)

### Persona creation

Identify your ideal customers with a smart persona template that maps demographics, pain points, and goals to create a comprehensive profile.

- [Create your template](/templates/persona)