Real Business Cases in Strategic Planning: A Simplified Methodology for Achieving Your Organization's Data-Driven Goals

This book shows how systematic strategic planning (SSP) can be used on real-world projects for professionals at any skill level. It illustrates how this systematic methodology and its analysis tools―using workshop and brainstorming approaches―can be easily understood and universally applied to any type of business. Rather than explaining the methodology and its tools, the author succinctly shows how to use the simplified version of his methodology for developing strategic plans. But, perhaps more importantly, the reader is shown how to identify which circumstances require the use of particular tools and also how to target them directly to achieve effective results. The SSP methodology and the use of a workshop approach, real-world strategic planning projects, and working forms are presented to guide the reader through preparing the strategic plan for existing or future business.

The first part of the book provides an overall framework and briefly describes some of the sections of the systematic pattern of strategic planning. In addition, it explains the use of a workshop approach for strategic planning based on SSP principles. The second part details case studies of strategic planning projects from real-world organizations across a variety of industries. Most of the organizations used both the simplified version of the SSP methodology and the techniques, while others benefited strictly from customizing the SSP methodology.

Hakan Butuner received his B.Sc. in industrial engineering from Middle East Technical University; MBA from Bilkent University; and Ph.D. in engineering management from the University of Missouri-Rolla. He has been active both in professional and academic life for several years. Additionally, as an entrepreneur, he has acted as the affiliate of several US consulting companies’ industrial management and engineering consulting and training field; and has also built various international franchising businesses. During the same periods, he has lectured in the business schools and/or industrial engineering departments of well-known universities.

Currently, he is acting as an Associate Professor Dr. in TED University, in addition to running of IMECO (Industrial Management and Engineering Consulting – which is an affiliate of well-known US consulting companies.) Additionally, he is the Founder-President of the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers – a Turkish professional chapter; and the Board Member of the Institute of High-Performance Planners.

During his long career path, as an industrial engineering and management professional, consultant, academician, and trainer, he has completed and participated in above 100 professional industrial engineering and management projects (especially in Strategic Planning, Facilities Design, Operations Improvement, Process Reengineering) and developed and deployed many training programs and workshops to over 200 corporations and universities with several million dollars-worth of result-based solutions.

In addition, as a Planning-by-Design based developer of Systematic Strategic Planning (SSP) and Results-Based Systematic Operations Improvement (SIP) methodologies, he has several cited books (sixteen) and papers (especially in Planning by Design, Operations Management, and Improvement, Supply Chain Management, and Strategic Planning areas) published by the world-wide known publication houses (such as Taylor & Francis, SAGE) and journals.