Strategic Planning Report: Vista Company Strategic Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of strategic planning for Vista, a multinational organization based in the United Kingdom. It begins by explaining the core concepts of organizational vision, mission, strategy, and business plans, highlighting their interrelationships. The report then delves into the impact of external factors on organizations, including economic, political, and technological changes, and evaluates how stakeholder expectations influence strategic decisions. An in-depth analysis of Vista's mission and vision statements is provided, alongside an evaluation of their impact on the company's strategy. Furthermore, the report explores the importance of review in developing organizational strategy and business plans, evaluating tools used for review, and assessing Vista's current market position. The competitive strengths and weaknesses of Vista's current business strategy are analyzed, and various strategic options are presented, along with criteria for their evaluation. Finally, the report outlines the structure of a plan needed to deliver the chosen strategy, emphasizing stakeholder involvement and the dissemination process to ensure commitment, including the creation of monitoring systems. The report concludes with a constructed strategic plan for Vista.

Strategic Planning

Contents
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................3
Task 1.........................................................................................................................................................3
Explain organizational vision, mission, strategy and business plans and the relationships between them
.................................................................................................................................................................3
Explain how external factors affect organizations and how changes in the external environment affect
organizational strategy.............................................................................................................................4
Evaluate how stakeholder expectations influence organizations..............................................................5
Task 2.........................................................................................................................................................6
Analysis of the mission and vision statements of named organization....................................................6
Evaluate the impact of a named organization’s vision and mission on its strategy..................................7
Analyze how external influences affect organisational strategy in a named organization........................7
Task 3.........................................................................................................................................................7
Explain the importance of review in developing organisational strategy and business plan....................7
Evaluate the tools which can be used to review organizational strategy and business plan.....................8
Review the position of an organization in its current market using appropriate tools..............................9
Analyze the competitive strengths and weaknesses of an organization’s current business strategy and
business plans........................................................................................................................................10
Task 4.......................................................................................................................................................10
Strategy options for a chosen organization, using modelling tools........................................................10
Criteria for reviewing the potential strategy options..............................................................................12
Apply the criteria and evaluate the options for delivering the strategic direction of the organization you
have chosen...........................................................................................................................................13
Task 5.......................................................................................................................................................14
Explain the structure of a plan needed to deliver the strategy................................................................14
Explain how stakeholders are involved in the formulation of the plan..................................................15
Dissemination process to ensure stakeholders are informed and committed to the plan........................16
Create monitoring systems to ensure the successful implementation of a strategic plan........................17
Construct a strategic plan for the chosen organization...........................................................................17
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................................17
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................19

INTRODUCTION
Strategic Planning can be defined as the process wherein an organization defines its
strategy and makes effective decisions regarding allocating the available resources to implement
the strategy. Strategic Planning is important for any organization because it helps in identifying
ways to improve its overall performance (Abdel-Basset, Mohamed and Smarandache, 2018).
Apart from this, strategic planning also helps in formulating effective strategies so that the
company is able to attain its goals as well as objectives. A sense of direction is developed and the
overall operational efficiency of the company is increased. Organization chosen for this report is
Vista, which is a multinational organization based in the United Kingdom. The management of
the company has decided to review its vision, mission and strategic direction. The respective
report explains organizational vision, mission and strategy and business plans and relationships
between them. Apart from this, there is also an explanation about how different external factors
affect organizations and how changes in the external environment can affect their strategy. An
analysis of the mission and vision statements of the organization is also included. The report also
explains the importance of review in the development of organizational strategy as well as
business plans. Lastly, different strategy options that are available for the company and the
criteria for reviewing the potential strategy options is also included in the report.
Task 1
Explain organizational vision, mission, strategy and business plans and the relationships between
them
A vision statement describes the purpose of the company and what it wants to achieve. Having a
vision provides an organization with a sense of purpose and direction and the leaders of successful
companies share their vision with the different partners of the company including suppliers, employees as
well as customers. It is important that the board of directors within the company understand the
importance of defining an appropriate vision statement and this is because the vision statement forms the
base of everything that the company does (Ali, 2018). The main goal of any company is to generate
profits but in the long-term, they want to build a strong customer base wherein they serve like-minded
customers. On the other hand, organizational mission is the purpose of the existence of the company. The
mission statement provides insights about the types of products as well as services that are offered by the
company and its customers (What Is a Company Mission Statement and How Can You Create Your

Own?, 2020). Not only this, the mission statement also guides the company and contributes significantly
in shaping its culture. Lastly, a business plan can be defined as a formal written document that contains
the goals as well as objectives of the company along with the timeframe for achieving them.
A business plan is among the most important documents within an organization and can
help it in achieving its goals as well as objectives in an effective manner. The management is
able to set priorities and also manage change in an effective manner. there is a significant
relationship between the vision, mission statement of an organization as well as the business
plan. This is because the business plan outlines the mission and vision statement of the company
and sets direction for it to work on its goals in such a way that competitive advantage is gained.
The main purpose of the business plan is to help the managers of the company create an effective
strategy for its growth (Antipov and et.al., 2019). Also, it helps in determine the future financial
needs of the company so that the strategy is developed accordingly. it is difficult for any
organization to do everything at the same time. Therefore, a business plan allows the company to
set priorities and focus on one thing at a time. This way, it is able to complete the defined tasks
in an effective manner and within the decided time frame. Therefore, it can be said all the three
aspects are important for an organization to conduct its operations effectively and are interlinked
with each other.
Explain how external factors affect organizations and how changes in the external environment
affect organizational strategy
External factors can be defined as those factors or situations that are out of control of the
company and can affect the business strategies as well as decisions. there are a large number of
external factors that can affect the company either directly or indirectly and its ability to achieve
strategic objectives. Some examples of external factors that can affect organizations include
competitors, customers, changes in the economy, technological or environmental changes etc.
The stability as well as profitability of a company is largely dependent on the external factors. In
context to the respective organization, Vista, it is important to identify and assess the various
external factors. This is because they can impact the overall strategy as well as decision-making
process of the company to a great extent (Arend and et.al., 2017). The impact can either be
positive or negative and therefore, it is suggested that the company conducts an environmental
scan before developing and implementing any strategy. For example, any change in the inflation

rate or interest rates of the company can affect the company. Similarly, any political instability
can also affect the company to a great extent.
Changes in the external environment can take place at any time and therefore, it is
important for respective company to analyze the same. Various political factors can include the
government policy, policy stability and tax policy. Similarly, changes in the supply and demand
of products can also affect the company. In such situations, the company will have to review its
organizational so that the negative impact of the same can be reduced. The different factors in
the external factors in the external environment are uncontrollable. The impact of the external
factors can be observed in the objectives of the company, its operations, activities and results and
so on. Changes in the legal structure of the company can also impact the decisions that are made
by the management of the company (Bryson, 2018). Therefore, it is suggested that the companies
conduct an environment analysis so as to identify opportunities and develop effective strategies.
It can be said that there are different external factors that can affect the organizational strategy to
a great extent.
Evaluate how stakeholder expectations influence organizations
A stakeholder can be defined as a party that has an interest in the operations of a
company and can either get affected by it or affect its business. The main stakeholders of an
organization are its investors, employees, suppliers as well as customers. Stakeholders of a
company can either be internal or external to the company. The key stakeholders of the company
can provide it with all the important information regarding requirements that are important for a
project. The more a company involves its stakeholders in the decision-making process, more are
the chances that the risks associated with the project will decrease. Therefore, it is important to
identify different ways to keep the stakeholders of the company informed. Different stakeholders
possess different levels of power and interest in the business operations of the company (David,
David and David, 2017). This means that their expectations from the company also vary from
each other. For example, the owners of the business expect it to be profitable and be able to serve
the needs as well as preferences of the customers in an effective manner. Similarly, the
customers expect the company to offer products that are high in quality at affordable rates. If the
respective company, Vista is unable to manage and fulfil the expectations of its stakeholders, it
will affect the overall operations of the company.

The impact of stakeholder desires and expectations on organizations is inescapable and
ubiquitous. Businesses exist to meet the expectancies of 1 particular stakeholder within the sense
that companies are installation and operated to produce profit for his or her owners and traders.
Businesses additionally need to don't forget the needs and expectancies of different stakeholders
because of their ability to help and restrict their operations. For instance, a business have to be
considerate of its host groups due to the fact that improves its recognition and strengthens its
market presence. On the opposite hand, if the enterprise chooses to ignore its host communities,
that dismiss will become a black mark on its reputation and can bring about other sanctions if
family members grow to be terrible sufficient. The simplest stakeholders that businesses can
ignore are the ones with little hobby and have an impact on their operations (Diaz-Barriga-
Fernandez and et.al., 2017). Therefore, these are the different ways in which the expectations of
the customers can affect a company’s operations to a great extent. And it is important to identify
their needs and expectations and thus, fulfil them in an effective manner so as to gain their trust
and loyalty.
Task 2
Analysis of the mission and vision statements of named organization
The mission of the respective company, Vista is to be the partner of choice for
technology support services for any trading company within the United Kingdom. Apart from
this, the company is also focused on delivering its commitments to all of its customers by
building trust with them. The company is governed by its three core values, namely, customer
centricity, innovation as well as partnership. Customers are the main focus of the company and
the firm makes sure that the needs of the customers are fulfilled. Also, all employees within the
company are encouraged to share new and innovative ideas (Feng, Govindan and Li, 2017). This
is helpful in developing effective strategies and making informed decisions. Apart from this, the
vision statement of the firm is to stand out from its competitors and gain a competitive edge in
the market.
Both vision as well as mission statements are important for any organization. This is
because they guide the company to achieve its goals and objectives in an effective manner. also,
having a vision provides the company with purpose as well as direction. The leaders and
managers within the respective company, Vista, are committed towards achieving the goals of

the company. Hence, they encourage their team members to work in a productive manner so that
the customers are able to receive the best quality services. The company has set a vision to define
it short-term as well as long-term goals. With the help of its vision and mission statement, the
company is able to track its progress as well as position in the market against customers. The
vision of the respective company defines its core business, values as well as long-term goals.
Because of this, the employees have a clarity about their respective roles and responsibilities.
Mission statements are an incredibly important navigational device while you are
considering the destiny of your employer (George, Walker and Monster, 2019). By figuring out
the purpose of your work, you could better recognize the dreams your corporation should be
committed to carrying out. A challenge declaration defines what line of business a corporation is
in, and why it exists or what causes it serves. Every agency has to have a specific declaration of
causes that gets people enthusiastic about what the corporation does and motivates them to turn
out to be a part of the enterprise. Therefore, it can be said that the company should review its
vision as this will help it in achieving a competitive advantage.
Evaluate the impact of a named organization’s vision and mission on its strategy
The mission as well as vision statement of a company can significantly impact its overall
strategy. The vision is what the company wants to achieve and the mission is how will the
company achieve it. The respective company, Vista has vision and mission statements that are
aligned with the strategy. This helps the company in conducting its business operations in an
efficient manner. it can be said that the vision and mission of the company have a positive impact
over its strategy as it is able to stand out against competitors in the market.
Analyze how external influences affect organisational strategy in a named organization
The financial system, politics, competition, customers, and even the climate are all
uncontrollable elements that may influence a corporation's performance. There are different
types of external factors that can affect the strategy of the company (Hamurcu and Eren, 2020).
For instance, in context to Vista, political instability within the country or any changes in the
interest rates as well as inflation rates can influence its organizational strategy. The company
would then have to change the same based on the situation. It can be said that the impact can
either be positive or negative and this depends on the degree of the change in the external
influences.

Task 3
Explain the importance of review in developing organisational strategy and business plan
An organizational strategy can be defined as a plan that specifies the way in which a
business will allocate its resources in order to carry out its business operations such as marketing,
production, inventory etc. It can be said that the organizational strategy is an important
component for the company because it helps in prioritizing tasks and also, sets direction for the
company. On the other hand, organizational review can be defined as the process of collecting,
organizing, analyzing as well as interpreting relevant information so as to strengthen the
organization. The primary purpose of carrying out an organizational review is to enhance the
success of the company and help it in identifying potential risks (Hanlon, 2018). A strategic
review is conducted within organizations from time to time and can be defined as the process of
identifying valuable opportunities that are value-creating. Review is important because it
significantly contributes to the overall development of organizational strategy as well as business
plan. this is because the management of the company is able to gain insights about changes in the
market as well as the preferences of the customers.
By conducting a review, the organization can focus on its short-term and long-term goals
more effectively and work towards achieving the same. A business plan comprises of the vision,
mission and strategies of an organization and therefore, with the help of review process, it can
make sure that the resources are allocated in an effective manner. As a result, the overall
performance of the company is improved and it is able to stand out in the market and gain a
competitive advantage as well (Harris-Lovett, Lienert and Sedlak, 2019). Relevant and useful
information can be analyzed so that the strategies that are developed are in line with the goals of
the company. Also, once the business plan is reviewed, it is important to review the same from
time to time so that any opportunities as well as risks that can influence the company and its
strategy can be identified. Not only this, the company is able to identify its strengths as well as
weaknesses and thus, attain the goals more effectively. a review should be conducted from time
to time depending on the need of the company. Therefore, it can be said that review is very
important for the development of an effective business plan as well as organizational strategy.

Evaluate the tools which can be used to review organizational strategy and business plan
As discussed, both organizational strategy as well as a business plan are important for the
overall growth of a company. By developing an organizational strategy, a company is able to
establish priorities and set direction for the business. There are different tools that can be used in
order to review the business plan and organizational strategy. PESTEL analysis is a widely used
tool that allows the management of a company to identify changes in the external environmental
factors that can influence the overall strategy of the company. The company is able to identify
the potential opportunities as well as threats that can affect the company (Hu and et.al., 2018).
Apart from this, SWOT is another useful tool that is most commonly used in organizations to
review their strategies as well as respective business plans. SWOT analysis is a system wherein
the management team identifies the internal and outside elements so as to have an effect on the
business enterprise's destiny performance. It allows us to discover of what's taking place
internally and externally, so that you can plan and manage your commercial enterprise within the
best and efficient manner. SWOT evaluation is a simple, but powerful, framework for leveraging
the company's strengths, enhancing weaknesses, minimizing threats, and taking the best possible
advantage of opportunities.
Value chain analysis is a way to visually examine a organization's enterprise sports to see
how the enterprise can create a competitive advantage for itself. Value chain evaluation helps a
company is familiar with how it provides value to something and sooner or later how it is able to
promote its product or service for greater than the cost of adding the fee, thereby generating a
profit margin. In different words, if they are run effectively the price obtained have to exceed the
costs of walking them, i.e., Clients ought to return to the organization and transact freely and
willingly. Michael Porter advanced the Five Forces Model in 1980. Michael Porter's Five Forces
is a powerful competitive analysis device to decide the fundamental competitive have an effect
on in a marketplace. It is a widely used version in business that refers back to the 5 essential
elements that drive a company's competitive role within an industry (Kaiser, 2018). The Four
Corners Analysis, advanced Michael Porter, is a version nicely designed to help agency
strategists investigate a competitor's reason and targets, and the strengths it's far using to acquire
them. It is a useful method to evaluate competitors and generate insights regarding probably
competitor method adjustments and decide competitor reaction to environmental changes and

industry shifts. Therefore, these are some tools that can be used for reviewing organizational
strategy as well as business plan in an effective manner.
Review the position of an organization in its current market using appropriate tools
There are different tools that can be used for reviewing the position of the organization in
its current market. These tools help in identifying the opportunities as well as threats to develop
effective strategies. Porter’s Five Forces model is explained below to review the position of the
company in its current market.
New Entrants – This is a moderate force because in order to enter the market and set up
a successful business, the amount of investment required will be high.
Suppliers – There are a large number of suppliers that can offer the required material to
the company at affordable rates (Kemp, 2018). This is a weak force because the company can
always shift to another supplier.
Buyers – This is a strong force because buyers expect the company to provide high
quality products and services at affordable rates. If the company fails to do so, it will lose its
customers to the competitors.
Substitutes – This is a moderate force because the cost of providing substitute products
and services is large.
Industry Rivalry – If the rivalry among competitors continues to exist, the overall
performance of the company can get affected.
Therefore, it can be said that the position of the company Vista, in its current market is
strong and it can gain a competitive advantage by implementing effective strategies.
Analyze the competitive strengths and weaknesses of an organization’s current business strategy
and business plans
The current business plan of the company is to gain a competitive advantage and stand
out in the market. The strength of the same is that the company has reviewed its performance and
it also undertakes research to identify any errors in the plan. as a result, the company is able to
develop strategies that are effective and can help it in overcoming the threats. But there are also

some weaknesses of the current business strategy of the company (Kerzner, 2019). This is that
the strategy is not in line with the goals as well as objectives of the company.
Task 4
Strategy options for a chosen organization, using modelling tools
Strategy is one of the most important components within a company that guides it to
attain its goals as well as objectives in an effective manner. it is important for any organization to
identify and analyze the different strategy options available. An effective strategy can help a
company to gain a competitive advantage in the market and also, enhance overall performance.
PEST analysis is a model that the respective company, Vista can implement to analyze the
different strategy options.
Political Factors – In order to refine its mission and vision, the company has to review
the various political factors. This is because any political instability in the country can affect the
overall strategy.
Economic Factors – There are also different economic factors such as inflation rates,
interest rates etc. that can affect the strategy of the company (Kharazishvili, Grishnova and
Kamińska, 2019). Therefore, it is important for it to analyze the same before choosing a
particular strategy to attain its goals and objectives.
Social Factors – There are also various social factors that can affect the strategy of the
company. These can include economic status of the customers, their educational levels, income
level etc.
Technological Factors – Advancements in technology have impacted the different
industries to a great extent. Therefore, the company can consider implementing latest technology
as one of the strategies to make the refined vision and mission statement clear to the employees.
Therefore, it can be said that by implementing effective tools, the company will be able
to select the most appropriate strategy. Initially, the Singapore Team will work virtually wherein
all the team members will be encouraged to share their ideas and thoughts. This will help in
gathering as many ideas so that the new vision and mission statements of the company are in
sync with the goals and objectives of the firm. Since the Board wishes to involve staff at various

levels and for this, the company has established a series of teams (McLean, 2018). The teams
will review the strategy and feedback their respective work to the board. Implementing latest
technology is one of the strategies that will help the respective company in managing its different
teams before the face-to-face meeting. By implementing the PEST framework, the company will
be able to identify the factors that are currently affecting it or can possibly act as threats. The
strategy of the company should also take into account the needs as well as preferences of the
customers. As a result, the overall position of the company will improve in the market and it will
be able to gain the loyalty as well as trust of its customers.
Criteria for reviewing the potential strategy options
While reviewing the potential strategy options, a company must review five qualitative
areas. Also, it is important to establish a mechanism for monitoring and control to achieve
strategic objectives (Nadikattu, 2020). Once the most appropriate strategy has been selected by
the company, it is important to review the same. The five major criteria reviewing options are
explained below –
Feasibility Studies – Prior to the development of new products and services, pilot testing
is a good way of assessing the preferences of the customers. This is an effective way as it helps
in saving cost as well as time, rather than launching products or services that are of no use for the
customers. While undertaking the feasibility studies, the local trends across global markets,
culture and purchasing power of the customers should also be taken into consideration.
Consistency – The different strategic options should be consistent and help the
organization to achieve its goals and objectives (Ojha, Patel and Sridharan, 2020). If any option
is not consistent, it can be eliminated. In case all options are not consistent, then they should be
reviewed effectively or it should be made sure that the mission, vision and goals of the company
are achievable.
Business Risk – All of the different strategic options carry some amount of risk.
Therefore, it is important to review them. Different ways of minimizing the risks should also be
included.