Operational Plan for Apple Inc

This operational plan for Apple Inc includes business background, operational objectives, key performance indicators, physical resource requirements, HR resources required, financial projections, scheduling of tasks, communication plan, implementation of the plan, and more.

OPERATIONAL PLAN FOR APPLE INC
INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION
NAME
DATE

PART A –OPERATIONAL PLAN
BUSINESS BACKGROUND
Apple is a multinational technology company founded by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve
Wozniak in 1976. The Company has its headquarters based in California and has its stores in
Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, France, Netherlands,
Germany, Sweden, China, Taiwan, Brazil, Turkey, etc. Its main products include electric
Vehicles, Apple Tv, Apple watch, software, iPad, iPhone, iPod and Mac Personal computers. Its
first product was Apple I designed and built singlehandedly by Steve Wozniak (O'grady, 2009).
OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES
 Increase market share
 Offer reliable products and services to clients
 Production of most innovative products
 Consistent product differentiation
 Reduce total waste by 75%
 Increase recycling
 Reduce energy usage per production unit
 Increase Company Revenue
 Improve employee retention
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
 Cost reduction
 Monthly Sales growth
 Customer retention rate
 Monthly website traffic
 Revenue Improvement

 Increased customer satisfaction
Strategies
Direct Observation
Reporting
Questionnaires
RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN SUPPORT OF THE PLAN
In the recent years, the demand for innovative technological products has been on the rise. The
preference of customers has shifted towards products that are up to date regarding technology.
The middle age population has been found to have a more affinity for smart phones especially
the latest versions (Hotelling et al.,2017) The consciousness on environmental sustainability has
also seen a shift towards the preference of electric vehicles by people across all ages. The needs
of the market regarding customer’s demands for outstanding smart phones and vehicles that are
environmentally friendly have been on the rise. Apple’s Inc. Operational Plan is therefore
focused on among other key targets, meeting customer related needs and remaining at the top in
terms of technological development and innovation.
PHYSICAL RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS AND THE CALCULATIONS
Facility Unit cost Total cost
2 Modern Research and
Development plants in
Australia and Germany
$150000 $300000
10 Additional stores in Africa
and Asia
$15000 $150000
HR RESOURCES REQUIRED
RESOURCES Cost per year Total cost Employment Type
4 Lead researchers $ 1300 $ 5200 Fulltime
3 Market Analysts $ 1000 $ 3000 Fulltime

3 IT Experts $ 1200 $ 3600 Fulltime
4 Assistant Market
researchers
$ 900 $ 3600 Fulltime
10 store Managers $ 1250 $ 12500 Fulltime
10 Store Supervisors $ 800 $ 8000 Fulltime
100 Store operators $ 300 $ 30000 Fulltime
Recruitment of new staff
Internal recruiting
Internal Sourcing is the process of filling vacancies with employees from within an organization
(Khanka,2015). These positions can be newly created or vacated .This will be the most preferred
method for IT Experts, Market Analysts and Lead researchers due to the fact that it does require
much training.
Recruitment Agencies
Recruitment agencies will be used to source for people to fill other positions. The preference of
recruitment agencies is because they will link the company with the best candidates in the
technology industry.
Induction strategy
All employees joining the company will be required to go through a one week induction process
about the company’s and industrial policies and procedures (Bratton,2012). The process will be
carried out by seasoned employees of the company and selected industrial players.
FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Revenues $189600
0
$200420
0
$211680
0
$227704
1
$240080
1
Cost of Sales $112010
0
$121812
7
$126791
0
$129930
2
$130270
1
Gross Profits $775900 $786073 $848890 $977739 $109810

0
Advertisemen
t
40000 40000 40000 60000 60000
Telephone [phone] 3000 3000
Designing 25000
Recruitment 15000 5000
Traveling 1700 1700 1700
Permit 4500
Utilities 4000 4200 4100 3900 4050
Licenses and
fees
600 610 625 625 650
Insurance 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000
Maintenance 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000
Miscellaneou
s
1700 1730 1765 1800 1820
Total
operating
expenses
$97500 $53190 $53190 $76325 $71520
Cash flow 678400 732883 795700 901414 1026580
Balance b/d 678400 732883 795700 901414
Balance c/d 678400 732883 795700 901414 1026580
SCHEDULING OF TASKS
Identification of stakeholders
The first task will involve identification of stakeholders to facilitate their engagement throughout
the various stages of the operational plan. Stakeholder engagement will continue throughout the
phase of the project
Securing consents and permits

After stakeholders have been identified, the next task will involve securing non-legal consents
and legal permits required to implement the plan. This will be carried out sooner after
stakeholders have been identified.
Explaining the plan to the project team and resolving identified risks
The third step will involve explaining the contents of the plan to the involved parties and
resolving any identified risks.
Risk identification and development of mitigation strategies
Potential risks to the operation plan will then be identified alongside the possible mitigation
strategies.
Operational plan monitoring
The final task for the plan will involve monitoring of the plan to facilitate the success of the
operation plan.
Communication Plan
Key Message Stakeholde
r
Communicatio
n
Channel of
communicatio
n
Time Person
responsibl
e
Status
The new
operational
plan has been
found to be
the most
effective in
improving
market share
and
profitability
Company’
s CEO
Written
evidence in
support of the
operational
plan
Mail followed
by a Face to
face
engagement
End of
Decembe
r
James Not yet
commence
d
Senior
vice
A
demonstration
Meeting Start of
January
Lucy Not yet
commence

Presidents explaining the
new operation
plan to the
vice presidents
d
Design
and Chief
operating
Officer
An
engagement
regarding the
legal and
technical
requirements
of the new
plan
Operational
Plan steering
committee
Meeting End of
January
After one
week
James
James and
Lucy
Not yet
commence
d
Not yet
Commence
d
All
Employees
involved in
the operation
plan will
receive formal
training on its
implementatio
n
Apple Inc.
Employees
A Training
plan with clear
dates and
timelines
Email End of
February
James Not yet
Commence
d
General
Counsel
A Training
plan with clear
dates and
timelines
Meeting End
February
James and
Lucy
Not yet
commence
d
PART B- IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN
1. Performance monitoring and review

Performance monitoring is the process of ensuring that a particular undertaking is being carried
out as per the pre established goals and objectives in a bid to ensure that the undertaking is not
deviating but progressing towards these goals and objectives. Performance monitoring is
intended to improve performance and achieve results with its main goal being improving present
and future management of outcome, output and impact of an undertaking. On the other hand
performance review entails evaluation and documentation of the performances of different
personnel involved in an undertaking (Harvard Business School,2009).
There are numerous advantages associated with the process of performance monitoring and
review .The processes involves working together of the management and members of the project
team working together to monitor and evaluate the performance of individual employees or an
undertaking which in return improves the effectiveness of individual employees (Delpo, 2015).
It is an important consideration because it ensures that various predetermined goals and
objectives are met within time and budgetary estimates. I would use it in the Apple Inc. operation
plan to facilitate the realization of operational objectives.
2. Budget tracking and performance
A budget refers to the amount of money needed to successfully implement a given project. Each
undertaking has a given budgetary estimate upon which all the activities are supposed to be
carried. For an operational plan to be considered successful, it must be carried out within the
established budget. Budget tracking entails comparing the cost of what has been accomplished in
a particular period to what was budgeted for the same period at the start of a project in order to
establish if a project is progressing well or poorly (Rathore, 2016).
Budget tracking and performance has several benefits. It can be used to measure the progress of
a given undertaking, prevent any crisis that is bound to arise in a situation where the budget for
an operational plan runs out before the plan is implemented. It is an important consideration in
implementation because it can be used to eliminate stress associated with worrying about the
unknown by the implementation team and management and act as a signifier that goals are
actually being met (Solanki, 2009). I would carry out budget tracking and performance in regular
intervals so that any deviation is identified and corrected early.
3. Mentoring and Coaching staff

Mentoring and coaching entails guiding and helping less experienced staff by more
knowledgeable or experienced personnel in order to help them establish the right direction and
able to develop solutions to the various issues that they may encounter while carrying out tasks
assigned to them. The processes are intended to help solve performance problems or improve the
capabilities of employees by managers. The two are an important consideration in
implementation because Mentoring helps in transferring tactic knowledge from managers to
employee’s helps organizations to retain valued employees and transforming them into assets for
an organization. On the other hand coaching helps staff to overcome performance related
problems, improve their overall productivity and help in creating a positive culture in an
organization (Nieto,2014). I would use coaching and mentoring to instill necessary skills and
capabilities required to successfully carry out the operation plan.
4. Processes for managing under -performing staff and those who continue to perform
below expectations
Different employees process different capabilities which are witnessed in their respective
performances. While it is not possible to completely avoid coming across with underperforming
employees at the work place there are various strategies available for managers for dealing with
them. The process of managing underperforming employees entails identify employees
performing below expectations, rolling out training programs to improve their competencies to
improve their performance abilities, redeploying them or terminating their employment contracts
id they are found to be redundant (Bratton,2012). The process is important for several reasons; it
helps in maintaining increased efficiency and employee productivity, determines the appropriate
compensation package for each employee and can be used to create healthy and productive
outcomes for an organization.
The successful implementation of the operation plan is solely dependent on the ability of the
project team to perform exceptionally in their various assigned tasks .In a situation where
members of the implementation team perform below expectations the operation plan is likely to

suffer a big blow. It will therefore be important to ensure that members of the implementation
team remain steadfast in their operation by managing underperforming employees (Khanka,
2015). I would use this process to identify members of staff whose performance is below
expectation so that they can be trained to ensure that their operation gains momentum.
5. Risk management and contingency planning
A risk is any unforeseen event caused by internal or external vulnerabilities and whose
occurrence can lead to damage, loss or injury. Risk management entails putting in place
strategies to prevent the occurrence of such risks or mitigate them upon occurrence. Contingency
refers to a future circumstance or event whose occurrence is possible but not predictable with
certainty. Contingency planning entails planning for a future circumstance or event by
facilitating immediate follow up by both employees and the management (Hopkin,2010). The
processes are important to ensure that future unfavorable occurrences do not have a major
setback on an undertaking.
The process is important for implementation in that it ensures that the possible risks and
circumstances that are likely to affect the implementation of the plan are identified in advance
alongside their remedial strategies. I would use it in the context of the plan by identifying the
possible risks and undesirable events, analyzing each of them individually, evaluating and
ranking them in the order of urgency and impact and establish treatment and monitoring
strategies for the risks and contingencies (Fragnière & Sullivan, 2007).
6. options for varying the operation plan
Employee turnover
Scenario Employees leaving the organization before the plan is implemented fully
Response Strategy Provide minimum number of employees required for each task
Implementation
plan
Assign vacant roles to employees from within the organization
Redistribute the roles of the vacant position among the remaining members
of the implementation team.
Seek the services of implementation experts from outside the organization

Operational
support plan
Task a member of the management with the responsibility
Preparedness plan Identify necessary external agencies
Identify potential employees from within the organization
Budget $10,000
Staff performance Issues
Scenario Some or all members of the project team performing below expectations
Response Strategy Improving staff performance to minimum allowed level
Implementation
plan
Train staff members to improve their skills and competencies
Relinquish staff with serious underperforming cases of their roles
Seek the services of employee performance experts from outside the
organization
Operational
support plan
Task an experienced member of the management with the responsibility
Preparedness plan Identify required performance standards
Identify available staff performance experts from outside the organization.
Budget $10,000
7. Actions you would take to minimise the impact on your operational plan.
In the event that a member of the implementation team gives a four week notice, there are a
number of actions that I would take .I would first have a one on one conversation with the
member of the team to establish which roles have been completed and which have not been
completed from the roles assigned to them to establish where the incoming employee is supposed
to pick from. , I would then prepare role description detailing the roles and responsibilities of the
employee who will take over from the incumbent and then contact the recruitment and selection
officers to identify a suitable replacement option within a period of maximum three weeks to
facilitate the transition (Dessler & Phillips,2008).

PART C –IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE THE SYSTEMS YOU WILL PUT IN PLACE TO
MONITOR AND CONTROL THE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AS OUTLINED IN THE
PLAN
Areas where monitoring is needed
Budget Monitoring
The plan is set to be completed within a specified budget failure to which it will be deemed to
have failed. Budget monitoring will therefore be very important to ensure that all the activities
included in the plan are carried out within the budget.
Time Monitoring
Another important factor in the success of the plan will be its completion time .The plan is
supposed to be implemented within a period of one year. At any other timeline the
implementation of the plan will be considered unsuccessful.
1. Specific measures to monitor for each of the areas in (1)
Measures to monitor time
Weekly review
This will be an effective strategy for identification of most important tasks for the plan that need
to be completed. I will use this technique to ensure that the most important tasks for each week
are completed going forward (Kerzner & Learning, 2013).This will ensure that any possible
delays that are likely to be encountered in the implementation of the operation plan are
minimized
The use of time blocking technique

This technique works through the principle of dedicating several hours to a single task until
when it is completed (Pasian, 2015). I will implement this technique by blocking time on the
calendar for each task stated in the plan. While creating schedules for different tasks, I will also
leave allowances for any unavoidable interruptions
Measures to monitor Budget
Expert judgment,
Expert judgment is a process that involves the use of the knowledge and experience of specialist
to estimate the cost of a given plan (Heldman & Mangano, 2011). I will seek the input of various
experts including members of the implementation team, the management or experts from outside
the organization to ensure that the budget for implementing the plan is based on views from
experts
Bottom-up estimation
This process involves including the members from the implementation team in the process of
estimating a budget. I will work together with members of the implementation team to develop
an estimate for each task that will be involved in the plan to ensure that the most appropriate
budget is arrived at (Heldman & Mangano, 2011).
2. Forms of monitoring finances that you will be used for the plan
Balance sheets
Balance sheet will be used to ascertain the financial position of the business at various times in
the course of the implementation of the plan ( Khan & Jain, 2007). It will indicate what the
company owns and what it owes.
Profit and loss statement
The income statement will be used as a snapshot to show the profitability of the company during
different periods to determine whether the company was profitable or not during the specified
periods. These will be used to evaluate the current state of the company so that any necessary
changes can be made ( Khan & Jain, 2007).

3. Monitoring financial information and what needs to be looked at when reviewing
this information.
I will monitor financial information of the company by reviewing its financial statements
including balance sheets, statement of stakeholder’s equity, statement of cash flows and the
income statements. I will need to watch out if the information from these statements indicates
a positive or negative financial standing of the company (Vinter & Pierce,2007).
4. Tools to be used to compare what is happening with what should be happening
Creation of a to-do list
A to do list shows activities which should be carried out in a given undertaking .This tool will be
used through writing down of daily activities of what should be covered for the operational plan
so that it is possible to compare current results with anticipated results.
5. Actions to be taken when it is found out that actual performance is not
Meeting the planned performance
 Replacing non performing members of the project team with more experienced members
from within or outside the organization.
 Rolling out training programs for the members of the project team to make them more
effective.
 Motivating members of the project team by working with them in the various decisions
regarding the operational plan so that they can feel to be included in the process.
6. Flow Chart on Variations implementations
Rolling out training programs for members of the project team
Motivating Members of the implementation team by involving them in decision making
Replacing non performing members with more experienced members from within or outside
the organization

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