• An action plan involves specific activities or events which will lead to the accomplishment of an objective.
• An action plan may be developed using a problem-solving approach to determine the appropriate course of action.
• An action plan should be formatted to include an objective, action steps, accountability, a schedule, estimated resources, and feedback mechanisms.

An action plan can be developed through one or more of the following:

• Specific activities or events, not necessarily interrelated, which will lead to the accomplishment of the objective. For example, an objective related to the addition of a new type of freight or trailer (straight truck, van, flatbed, heavy-haul) might include separate activities related to advertising, special promotions to new customers, establishment of routes, securing financing, and any other activities that may have an impact on the effective introduction of this new shipping method. Presumably, the successful carrying out of each of the activities, either independently or in combination with others, will lead to the successful accomplishment of the objective.
• An analytical or problem-solving approach, incorporating a series of interconnected events. Through this process, the problems to be overcome or the circumstances to be changed are first clearly identified; these are then analyzed to determine appropriate courses of action, which are implemented sequentially, leading to the eventual accomplishment of the objective. For example, an objective of adding more equipment could start with the identification of principal competitors and the equipment they use. Then specific, detailed plans can be initiated to either exceed the service of the competitor or expand on what is offered to the customer, leading eventually to the accomplishment of the objective; adding more equipment.
• A series of smaller or shorter-term objectives that break the larger objective down into smaller pieces that can be more reasonably accomplished. A common example of this plan is the quarterly or monthly revenue figures required to achieve an annual revenue objective. These could also be broken down by region, truck, freight type, or a variety of other indicators that might be worth tracking.

What is the format of an action plan?

An action plan format is designed to identify the key factors that need to be included in the plan. It should therefore be flexible enough so that it can be modified to meet the information needs of the manager or department using it. The purpose of using a set format to prepare an action plan is to provide the visibility needed to get the job done in the most effective and efficient manner. An action plan should not inhibit this process. The following is a list of headings that should be included in an action plan format, and an explanation of each:

• Objective: The specific operational objective for which the action plan is being prepared.
• Action Steps: The five to ten major actions or events required to achieve the objective.
• Accountability: The specific individuals (or departments) that will be held accountable for ensuring that the action step is carried out. This should be listed as Primary which represents the individual or department that has ultimate accountability for completion of the step and Others which represents anyone else with a key role to play in that particular step.
• Schedule: This shows the total time frame that the action step need to be carried out within. This should be further identified with a start date and a complete date.
• Resources: The total estimated costs for completing each of the action steps. This should not only include all actual costs for equipment, materials, systems, and supplies, but also employee time (in hours, weeks, months, etc.) needed to complete each action. Time is separate from dollars in order to provide data for scheduling and staffing needs.
• Feedback mechanisms: This refers to the specific methods that are available (or need to be developed) for providing the information required to track progress within each step. Feedback mechanisms can be simple or as involved as the development of an information system to provide a report.

Completion of a list that follows this format will help ensure that key factors in the plan have not been overlooked.

Operational objectives have been clearly established as the focal point of any operational plan. They define the results desired in specific, measurable terms. In planning a trip, the first thing to determine is the destination and the date or time of desired arrival. However, several other key decisions must be made if that trip is to be successful. These include routes to be followed, necessary fuel and rest stops, vehicle size, weight, and configuration, permits, weather, construction, etc.

While these come almost as second nature to the seasoned driver, failure to give serious attention to even one of the key factors could result in an unsatisfactory or even disastrous trip. Drawing on this analogy, objectives are defined as the destination, while action plans describe how to get there.