Planning involves deciding in advance for future events. It is a forward-looking process that organizations use to bring certainty to present activities and have confidence in forecasting future events. Some key features of planning include that it is goal-oriented, forward-looking, and provides choices for how an organization can carry out activities in the most effective way. Planning is also considered the primary function of management, as organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling are done after planning. Additionally, planning is a continuous, pervasive, and dynamic process that can change based on internal or external factors affecting an organization.