Types of Plans

There are two basic types of plans: standing-use plans and single-use plans. Some are aimed at solving problems that occur on a regular basis, whereas oth­ers are prepared to deal with one-time emergencies.

Standing-use plans:

Standing-use plans guide regular activity of an organization. The plans may be in the form of procedure guidelines, calendars, report cycles, doc­uments, or other tools that can guide and direct the business routine. Any classifica­tion of plan-strategic, tactical, operational, and even contingency (if contingencies occur regularly)–could be considered standing-use plans if they guide daily, weekly, or frequent routines. Anyone involved in the actions should be able to review the plan, whether it is in the form of a procedure, policy statement, or other schedule.

Single-use plans:

A single-use plan may cover an activity such as a technology transition, a physical move to a temporary location during a renovation, installation of complex machinery or system wide software, or any singular action that re­quires concentrated planning. Single-use plans are expected to guide the single activity in a smooth and efficient manner. All parties to the action should be aware of the plan. Each affected group or organizational division should also have a role in developing the details of the plan.