Planning involves deciding in advance what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and who will do it. It creates a blueprint for future actions. Planning is goal-oriented, forward-looking, and involves choosing between alternatives. It is a primary, continuous, intellectual process that is all-pervasive throughout management levels. Planning aims for efficiency and is directed towards achieving objectives economically.

1. UNIT-II
PLANNING

2. MEANING
Planning is deciding in advance
what to do
How to do
When to do
Who is to do it.
It is the blue print of future course of action

3. DEFINITION
Planning is an ability to visualise a future process and its results
J.P.Barger
Planning is the function that determines in advance what should be done. It
consist of selecting the enterprise objectives, policies, programmes, procedures
and other means of achieving these objectives.
Halmann

4. Characterisitics/Features/Nature
Planning is Goal Oriented
It is a means towards the accomplishment of objectives
Goals may be implicit or explicit but well defined goals are essential for
efficient planning

5. Planning is a Primary Function
Base or foundation of the management process
Preceding function of organising, staffing, directing and controlling

6. Planning is All-Pervasive
Spread throughout all levels (top, Middle and Bottom) and areas of management
and operation
Top level (Long-term plan (For the whole organisation)
Middle (Departmental and Functional Plan)
Lower Level (operational and short term plan)

7. Planning is an Intellectual or Rational Process
Mental exercise -involves imagination, foresight and sound judgement
Based upon the collection of facts
Vision based upon facts and experience

8. Planning is a continuous process
On-going and dynamic exercise -Never ending process
Old plans has been revised and new plans has to be prepared

9. Planning is Forward-Looking
Done with an eye on the future.
Forecasting( Assessing the uncertain future and making provisions) is the
essence of planning
No plan can be prepared without knowledge of future events.

10. Planning involves Choice
Planning is essentially decision making or choosing among alternative courses of
action.
If there is only one way of doing something-No need for making plan

11. Planning is an Integrated Process
Planning is a structured process and different plans constitutes a hierarchy.
Different plans are interdependent and interrelated
Every lower-level plans serves as a means towards the end of higher plans.

12. Planning is Directed towards efficiency
Efficiency of plans is measured by how much they contribute to the objectives
Achieve the objectives economically and efficiently.

13. Thank you