Operational planningI. Introduction Operational planning is setting procedures and processes at the lower level of the company in order to achieve the overall objective of the company. There are different factors for each company that influence the operational plan and how it is structured. The operational plan can also greatly influence the success of a company. There is a direct correlation between the operational plan and a company's strengths and weaknesses. The operational plan must also take into account the different opportunities open to the company, as well as current market trends and threats. All these factors are very evident in the way Wal-Mart has set up its operating plan.II. Factors Affecting Operational Planning There are many factors that go into Wal-Mart's daily operational planning. Wal-Mart's goal is to provide its customers with quality products at low prices. This objective is reflected in its operational plan. There are four key factors that influence Wal-Mart's operational plan and they are customer, finance, process and adaptability. The customer is the driving force of Wal-Mart. As its objective states, the customer is of primary importance to the company above all else. Finance is also very important. To provide quality items at a low cost, Wal-Mart must keep its overhead low and ensure that it actually pays less for the items it sells. Wal-Mart has many different processes that help it achieve its goals. Whether it is the process of motivating your employees or the process used to collect data on market trends. Finally, Wal-Mart's operating plan is adaptable. It must be in order to adapt to market changes, customer likes and dislikes, or change...... middle of paper ...... focuses on adaptability, customer, finances and various processes to improve the company. These factors lead to Wal-Mart's many strengths and few weaknesses. Because Wal-Mart's operating plan is so effective, the company is able to exploit opportunities and is aware of various threats and trends in the market it dominates.ReferencesT.S. Bateman & S. A. Snell. (2004). Management: the new competitive landscape (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill/Irwin. New York, NY.Wal-Mart and GE Consumer Finance plan to issue new credit card by Discover. 2005. Retrieved January 21, 2005, from http://www.walmartstores.com/wmstore/wmstores/Mainnews.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0416297765.1106457350@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadcmjgijhdmcfkfcfkjdgoodglh.0&pagetype =news&tem plate=NewsArticle.jsp&categoryOID= - 8300&contentOID=14432&catID=-8248&prevPage=NewsShelf.jsp&year=2005