Fact Based Decisions

SaaS Imagineering

Ric Ratkowski — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:04:09 +0000

I was recently reading an article about SaaS and on premises software, which pointed out the pros and cons of each, mentioning a lack of configuration options with SaaS. I think that may have been a good argument for some SaaS applications five years ago, but when I think about the applications we use and [...]

The Future of Planning – Challenges with Integrated Business Planning

Ric Ratkowski — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:29:11 +0000

Since late June I have been writing about integrated business planning. On July 25th I introduced the key components of an integrated business planning process and then in subsequent posts I walked through each of the components and also talked about best practices. In this final post around integrated business planning I will highlight situations/challenges [...]

The Future of Planning – “Moneyball” and Measuring the Right Business Metrics

Ric Ratkowski — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:13:29 +0000

I saw the movie “Moneyball” starring Brad Pitt (http://www.moneyball-movie.com/), within the first fifteen minutes I was seeing significant parallels between that story and the story of business management/business planning. Early on in the movie, a group of scouts and managers for the Oakland A’s baseball team are sitting around a conference table trying to figure [...]

The Future of Planning – Do you have what is needed to succeed in today’s challenging business climate?

Ric Ratkowski — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:05:10 +0000

I recently read a blog by Sandy Richardson, titled “Is the Balanced Scorecard Out of Date?” and found it very interesting, I felt that it was dead on point so I wanted to share it (click here to go to that blog). As part of Sandy’s analysis she highlights the criteria needed “to succeed in [...]

The Future of Planning – Integrated Business Planning driven by Strategic Planning

Ric Ratkowski — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:31:34 +0000

This week’s post is on Strategic Planning. This is the last component of the four key components of integrated business planning. Like project planning from the previous post, strategic planning focuses on the “grow” and “transform” business functions. As a way of background, for the past 25 years I have worked within companies, as well [...]

The Future of Planning – Integrated Business Planning Driven by Project Planning

Ric Ratkowski — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:31:34 +0000

Last week, we discussed financial planning and how it fits into the overall framework of integrated business planning. This week’s post focuses on project planning. Let’s first take a look at the three functions of managing a business: Running the day to day operations of the business; Transforming the business based on to the new [...]

The Future of Planning – Integrated Business Planning driven by Financial Models

Ric Ratkowski — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:40:55 +0000

Last week we discussed the operational planning process within an organization, and this week’s post picks up where it left off. We’ll focus on monetizing the operational plan as well as adding other financial items to create a baseline financial plan. These additional financial drivers and costs include things like facilities expense, selling and administrative [...]

The Future of Planning – Integrated Business Planning driven by Operational Models

Ric Ratkowski — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:16:51 +0000

Prior posts have identified key characteristics of Integrated Business Planning which include a review of high level goals, definition, structure, implementation approach, and best practices. However, the posts have danced around what is the heart and soul of integrated planning, the models that support: Bottom up, discrete operational plans that align the operational departments, financial [...]

The Future of Business Planning – Top Best Practices for Integrated Business Planning Part Two

Ric Ratkowski — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 21:34:28 +0000

Organizations that want to be in top form need integrated business planning. In my last post , I gave five key best practices to creating a company-wide integrated method for business planning. This second part continues on the top 10 practices, starting with number six. Let me know what you think and how you’ve gone [...]

The Future of Business Planning – Top Best Practices for Integrated Business Planning

Ric Ratkowski — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:39:07 +0000

As we dig deeper into Integrated Business Planning, it is important to focus on some key best practices common to organizations that have created a company-wide integrated method for business planning. This two-part post will cover the top 10 practices that will help evolve an organization’s planning process independent of how holistic or siloed its [...]