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Part One
Introduction
The five Ps of operations
strategy formulation
Implementation
A large number of authors, writing about all forms of strategy, have discussed the importance
of effective implementation. This reflects an acceptance that no matter how sophisticated the
intellectual and analytical underpinnings of a strategy, it remains only a document until it
has been implemented. Ken Platts of Cambridge University has written about the nature of
the operations strategy formulation process. His generic description of the process is referred
to as the five Ps.
1 Purpose. As with any form of project management, the more clarity that exists around the
ultimate goal, the more likely it is that the goal will be achieved. In this context, a shared
understanding of the motivation, boundaries and context for developing the operations
strategy is crucial.
2 Point of entry. Linked with the above point, any analysis, formulation and implementation
process is potentially politically sensitive and the support that the process has from within
the hierarchy of the organization is central to the implementation success.
3 Process. Any formulation process must be explicit. It is important that the managers who
are engaged in putting operations strategies together actively think about the process in
which they are participating.
4 Project management. There is a cost associated with any strategy process. Indeed one of the
reasons why operations have traditionally not had explicit strategies relates to the difficulty
of releasing sufficient managerial time. The basic disciplines of project management
such as resource and time planning, controls, communication mechanisms, reviews and
so on, should be in place.
5 Participation. Intimately linked with the above points, the selection of staff to participate
in the implementation process is also critical. So, for instance, the use of external consultants
can provide additional specialist expertise, the use of line managers (and indeed
staff ) can provide ‘real-world’ experience and the inclusion of cross-functional managers
(and suppliers etc.) can help to integrate the finished strategy.
Critical commentary
The argument has been put forward that strategy does not lend itself to a simple
‘stage model’ analysis that guides managers in a step-by-step manner through to the
eventual ‘answer’ that is a final strategy. Therefore, the models put forward by consultants
and academics are of very limited value. In reality, strategies (even those that are made
deliberately, as opposed to those that simply ‘emerge’) are the result of very complex
organizational forces. Even descriptive models such as the five Ps described above can
do little more than sensitize managers to some of the key issues that they should be
taking into account when devising strategies. In fact, it is argued that articulating the
‘content’ of operation strategy that is more useful than adhering to some over-simplistic
description of a strategy process.