According to the Oxford Dictionary, planning or plan has many different definitions, but the one that is closely related to collaboration are 1. Method or procedure for doing something; design, 2 intention, and 3 aim at; intend (1). In general, it is all about looking ahead into the future. In order to plan ahead, particularly in a business environment, collaboration is almost essential.
Planning is important because it helps to maintain and create a plan for the future. For this to be achieved, a thought process through collaborative meetings needs to take place. During these meetings, discussions could focus on creating or defining a plan, and should include preparation of various scenarios through forecasting and what to do when one of these scenarios comes into being. This collaborative planning is essential for the success of a business, because without planning for various and different scenarios, a business will fail.
Not one person should organise a plan as a plan is too big for one person to achieve. It is important to have many ideas so all can have a say in preparing for the future and all we have ideas when various scenarios occur.
During these collaborative meetings, they should outline realistic expectations and should include short, medium and long term plans (2)
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While planning a plan through meetings is seen as vital within a business, but businesses do business with other businesses, and this is called Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment or CPFR for short. CPFR is used to help and enhance collaboration between businesses through the sharing of information to enhance the supply chain. Information on customer demands and planning for changing in them and helps to update any necessary changes.
A CPFR model helps to maintain focus through a basic framework of information, goods, and services. These models usually consists of three or more rings where the centre is the customer or client and the middle ring is the main company providing the service and the outside ring provides the service for the company where we go and visit. These outside rings can have arrows in a circular pattern to indicate the many collaboration arrangements like business plans, forecasting and orders.
While one may see that the CPFR plan only related to the retail or manufacturing industry, this plan can be changed to reflect the architectural industry. The inner ring will be the customer, the middle ring is the company that provides the service for that customer and the outside ring is all the builders, engineers, and any other consultants that help with the entire design and construction of a particular building (3).
The CPFR plan I see as a necessity in today business community because working with other businesses is a guaranteed to occur with the hiring of professional consultants is seen as important for the successful of a building. By having a plan between one or more businesses, they all have a focus on the job at hand running from the start of the design to completion when the clients move in and should include everything throughout the life of a design.
This plan helps with all communication and the flow of this information needs to be gathered and spread amongst all companies involved. Without a rigid plan, anything can happen (i.e. Chinese Whispers) and miscommunication will occur between all involved. This will lead to problems and the collapse and ultimate stop to a design.
Finally, a business plan and CPFR plan helps all to focus and plan for any scenarios that may arise in the future, because without it, everything will fail and a lot of money will be lost.
Planning is important because it helps to maintain and create a plan for the future. For this to be achieved, a thought process through collaborative meetings needs to take place. During these meetings, discussions could focus on creating or defining a plan, and should include preparation of various scenarios through forecasting and what to do when one of these scenarios comes into being. This collaborative planning is essential for the success of a business, because without planning for various and different scenarios, a business will fail.
Not one person should organise a plan as a plan is too big for one person to achieve. It is important to have many ideas so all can have a say in preparing for the future and all we have ideas when various scenarios occur.
During these collaborative meetings, they should outline realistic expectations and should include short, medium and long term plans (2)
.While planning a plan through meetings is seen as vital within a business, but businesses do business with other businesses, and this is called Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment or CPFR for short. CPFR is used to help and enhance collaboration between businesses through the sharing of information to enhance the supply chain. Information on customer demands and planning for changing in them and helps to update any necessary changes.
A CPFR model helps to maintain focus through a basic framework of information, goods, and services. These models usually consists of three or more rings where the centre is the customer or client and the middle ring is the main company providing the service and the outside ring provides the service for the company where we go and visit. These outside rings can have arrows in a circular pattern to indicate the many collaboration arrangements like business plans, forecasting and orders.
While one may see that the CPFR plan only related to the retail or manufacturing industry, this plan can be changed to reflect the architectural industry. The inner ring will be the customer, the middle ring is the company that provides the service for that customer and the outside ring is all the builders, engineers, and any other consultants that help with the entire design and construction of a particular building (3).
The CPFR plan I see as a necessity in today business community because working with other businesses is a guaranteed to occur with the hiring of professional consultants is seen as important for the successful of a building. By having a plan between one or more businesses, they all have a focus on the job at hand running from the start of the design to completion when the clients move in and should include everything throughout the life of a design.
This plan helps with all communication and the flow of this information needs to be gathered and spread amongst all companies involved. Without a rigid plan, anything can happen (i.e. Chinese Whispers) and miscommunication will occur between all involved. This will lead to problems and the collapse and ultimate stop to a design.
Finally, a business plan and CPFR plan helps all to focus and plan for any scenarios that may arise in the future, because without it, everything will fail and a lot of money will be lost.
References
1. Edited by Bruce Moore, The Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary – Fourth Edition, 1996, Oxford University Press.
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