Businesses of all sizes have big plans.
Whether you own a company or lead a team, streamlining every effort involved makes reaching goals more manageable.
So where to turn?
Three words.
Strategic. Planning. Software.
Enterprise companies in a wide range of industries are turning to these strategy tools to unlock opportunities.
Learn more about them to see how one could fit into your business’s workflow and potentially become your brand’s next big growth opportunity.
Understanding Strategic Planning Software
Strategic planning software is any digital program that tracks your team’s progress, strategies, and objectives as you pursue specific goals.
The platform may incorporate presentations and spreadsheets in one easy-to-access account. You could also review the comprehensive data to see what isn’t going as planned and refine your strategies.
Collaboration becomes easier when everyone involved in an objective can access the shared resources.
If you’re among the 35% of small businesses in the U.S. trying to fill open jobs, then the right strategic planning software tool will help new hires quickly get up to speed!
Best Strategic Planning Software for Businesses
Numerous programs are available for company leaders who want to manage their teams more efficiently. Learn about the best enterprise planning software on the market to give your workplace the resources it needs to succeed. Consider these eight top options.
1 AchieveIt
Tracking strategic objectives is simple after integrating AchieveIt into your workflow.
The program is among the best strategic planning software for enterprise organizations because it’s user-friendly, easy to learn and has a reliable interface.
🏅 Why we love this strategic planning software: Users can customize each field in their projects according to the specific data their team needs to follow. If you have any questions, the enterprise planning software has robust customer service support.
⭐ Standout Features:
- ❇️ Centralized information: AchieveIt gives everyone the tools they need to track their progress while juggling tasks.
- ❇️ Shared dashboards: Team leaders can hold everyone accountable for their responsibilities more effortlessly with shared dashboards, making this one of the best enterprise strategic planning and execution software available.
- ❇️ Automated updates: You won’t even have to maintain the program manually, as it provides automated software updates while everyone focuses on their work.
G2 | Capterra | Software Advice |
Customer Review
“AchieveIt has allowed us to easily view a very complex strategic plan — namely, we have been able to link initiatives and view the plan in an easily digestible way.
When our leaders use AchieveIt — they are better able to see how their work fits into the larger plan, and this is an incentive!”
2 Planview
Discussion threads are one of the features that sets Planview apart from other planning software options.
You’ll keep all stakeholders up to date on your team’s progress in a centralized thread. Meanwhile, the people involved don’t have to waste time aggregating data because Planview automatically creates customizable charts tracking their efforts.
🏅 Why we love this strategic planning software: Deadline monitoring, reporting features and external integrations with systems like Outlook make Planview a competitive program. If your team can invest in the initial setup, the project portfolio management capabilities could manage the risks involved with working toward long-term goals.
⭐ Standout Features:
- ❇️ Discussion threads: People involved in the project on any level can check in via discussion threads, which reduces the odds of miscommunication through individual emails.
- ❇️ Customizable widgets: Project portfolios of various kinds are easy to manage with customizable widgets on each user’s dashboard.
- ❇️ Automated charting: Automated charting capabilities visualize large amounts of data without manually inputting information.
G2 | Capterra | TrustRadius |
“With Planview, our strategic partnership means we have a close day-to-day working relationship that extends far beyond a simple piece of software.
We love how quickly we can apply new models of working to our business processes, organization roles and responsibilities, and to our metrics.”
3 Planisware Enterprise
You might be interested in Planisware if your team wants to dig into extensive configuration options.
The program’s resource allocation and data recording capabilities make it a great choice for enterprise organizations managing large amounts of information.
🏅 Why we love this strategic planning software: Schedule deadlines, set budgets and delegate responsibilities within minutes. You can even run scenario simulations to anticipate risks long before your project gets off the ground. This capability is best for organizations that manage multiple portfolios.
⭐ Standout Features:
- ❇️ Updates and forecasts: Your team can safely experiment with strategies based on the latest project updates or forecasted industry challenges without endangering what you’re currently doing.
- ❇️ Thorough governance: End-to-end governance of professional portfolios means less information could get lost in communication between teams and departments.
- ❇️ Allocation and planning: Life management of specific projects is possible through the software’s features, like resource allocation and capacity planning.
G2 | Capterra | Software Advice |
“Excellent functionality in project, program, financial management; strong portfolio and resource management.”
4 Shibumi
Transforming your business takes time. Your efforts could become more manageable with software like Shibumi, which specializes in strategy execution.
New users quickly learn the program with its intuitive, simplified dashboards. Create presentations, track methodologies and use custom modules so everyone understands your efforts from beginning to end.
🏅 Why we love this strategic planning software: The program integrates with over 1,000 external software systems, so you may not even miss a beat when transferring your project data. Professional teams appreciate the clean design of the Shibumi dashboard, especially when combining information from other HR enterprise platforms. You won’t have to navigate complex folders to get the data you need when you need it.
⭐ Standout Features:
- ❇️ Project customization: The cutting-edge software manages strategic initiatives with enough customization to support the needs of CFOs, CTOs and more.
- ❇️ Efficient management: Shibumi can manage thousands of initiatives at once without slowing down.
- ❇️ Automated reporting: Automated stakeholder reporting saves hours of manual work, especially before meetings with integrated partners.
G2 | Capterra | Gartner |
“Shibumi has played a key role in supporting our ambitious transformation goals. Before deploying Shibumi, it often took us weeks to assemble each executive update, but we now have real-time access to critical strategic data.”
5 OnStrategy
The best strategic planning software for enterprise organizations makes any plan actionable. Teams who use OnStrategy report that its functionalities put long-term goals within reach.
Each user’s dashboard features the same KPI tracking abilities and customizable scorecards so everyone knows which efforts are staying on schedule.
🏅 Why we love this strategic planning software: OnStrategy provides a mobile app to keep everyone on task, no matter how they prefer to access the program. Team members use it to update timelines while in meetings, traveling for business or completing work from home. The app may also assist people by sending mobile notifications during periods involving major deadlines.
⭐ Standout Features:
- ❇️ Streamlined access: The easy-to-use app and desktop version allow remote employees to access from anywhere.
- ❇️ Notable expertise: The combination of consulting firm expertise and software programming makes OnStrategy the ultimate resource for designing and executing projects.
- ❇️ Effective whiteboards: Digital whiteboards with automatic saving capabilities consolidate ideas from every meeting without requiring a text-based program.
G2 | Capterra | Software Advice |
“I have been telling my peers about our offsite and how impressed I was with our facilitator and OnStrategy. Bringing OnStrategy in was probably the best thing I have done.”
6 North Highland 360
Start fresh with planning software like North Highland 360 (NH360) that creates business blueprints.
The system gathers everyone’s ideas, organizes them according to your priorities and makes visual layouts for even multi-year efforts.
The what-if scenario modeling is another key feature large organizations may benefit from, given how you can input proposed changes, get dynamic analysis and understand potential outcomes without altering the strategies you’ve already put into motion.
🏅 Why we love this strategic planning software: NH360 is an especially notable platform for teams primarily focused on financial goals. The program specializes in top-down governance in broad portfolios. Whether you coordinate internal finances for your organization or optimize revenue for new product lines, NH360 may provide the targeted asset management you need to pursue objectives more effectively.
⭐ Standout Features:
- ❇️ Strategy projection: The strategy projection features take the mystery out of potential changes in any team’s efforts.
- ❇️ Platform integration: Third-party platform integration is seamless and the support team is always on standby to help with any questions.
- ❇️ Timely reports: Real-time reports arrive in user inboxes on recurring schedules, so it’s easy to check on the progress of any project.
G2 | Gartner | Capterra |
N/A | N/A |
“Very talented and adept at quickly understanding the business problems as well as navigating the work culture.”
7 Rhythm Systems
Accountability is the key to success, which is why Rhythm Systems prioritizes it along with the platform’s other features. The system bridges the gap between setting goals and achieving results by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with strategy creation.
🏅 Why we love this strategic planning software: You can visualize your goals, set timelines by chosen dates and translate those objectives into actionable responsibilities for each team member with the optimized software. Rhythm even automates weekly meetings and the topics you’ll discuss during your conferences. Everyone with access to the program dashboard will get the same green to red indicators pointing to recent successes and areas for improvement.
⭐ Standout Features:
- ❇️ AI-supported software: The AI-supported software can generate documentation like annual plans so everyone’s workload is lighter and more targeted on less administrative tasks.
- ❇️ Regular reports: Weekly meeting reports minimize the extra work required to catch everyone up on recent progress when needed.
- ❇️ Helpful scorecards: Job scorecards break down each person’s project contributions to celebrate their strengths and encourage growth in the most needed areas.
G2 | Capterra | Software Advice |
“Rhythm helps you stay accountable to the strategic plan and then to execute. With Rhythm, we have achieved 140% growth 3 years in a row.”
8 Cascade Strategy
People seeking usability across all levels of an organization can look into Cascade Strategy for their next software upgrade.
The platform provides customizable dashboards that track which goals are on pace, what’s behind schedule, and which objectives are most at risk of failing. Both entry-level members of a department and executives can see everything they need to know regarding project resources and ongoing strategies.
🏅 Why we love this strategic planning software: The biggest advantage of Cascade’s platform is the company’s customer service strategies. There’s an AI strategy generator to inspire team members who are struggling to chart their path forward. You’ll get training webinars to catch everyone up to speed, work planning templates for your goals and videos demonstrating how to use each feature to your advantage.
⭐ Standout Features:
- ❇️ Easy integration: Cascade redefines user-friendly integration with numerous support systems built into each organization’s experience.
- ❇️ Accessible layout: The accessible layout makes spreadsheets and PowerPoints old-school tools, given how everyone can see the same information on their dashboard whenever meetings occur.
- ❇️ Personalized flow charts: Numerous flow chart settings personalize how each team visualizes their tasks and ongoing work.
G2 | Capterra | Software Advice |
“Our teams have ideas, objectives and actions but they are all different levels of maturity. We need a better way to bring alignment to what our operational teams are working on, and aligning it to our group strategic priorities. We were introduced to Cascade to give us a more holistic view of programs to monitor and measure.”
Advantages of Strategic Planning Software
Adding new software to your team’s workflow might seem like a big step, but your business could benefit in numerous ways. Discover the biggest advantages of enterprise software to see how it could transform your organization.
1. Better Decision-Making
Creating actionable plans is much easier when you’re not second-guessing everything.
Strategic planning programs can identify risks associated with your decisions and highlight growth opportunities. Your team members could feel more confident about the long-term success of your goals once the decision-making process has less doubt and more predictive data.
2. Improved Teamwork
An extensive goal might have multiple teams across departments working together.
Lapses in communication and fragmented software sharing can keep people from creating a seamless workflow. The best strategic planning software for enterprise organizations brings everyone together by aligning their objectives and sharing data in one accessible location.
Fostering a better teamwork environment may also improve employee productivity because they feel empowered by each other. Your team could accomplish more in less time if they’re clear on who handles which tasks and how those responsibilities are going.
3. Optimal Resource Use
Plans only come to fruition when effective resources support their development.
Enterprise organizations can make that happen by optimizing team workloads with new software. Strategic planning platforms visualize data, manage budgets and track timelines with automated features.
Every potential resource someone might need to succeed in their job will be within reach. Data export is a crucial part of this advantage. The best planning software programs make it easy to send any collaboration to users outside of the platform without hours of manual extraction.
The work you do shouldn’t remain locked within a software program. Modern platforms can generate, communicate and export necessary information with equal effectiveness.
4. Real-Time Tracking and Updates
Companies making enterprise planning software understand the value of time.
Programs that run in the background with automated functions save everyone’s efforts and streamline communication. Team members can track evolving data in real-time to make adjustments that better support their busy work schedules.
5. Challenges Involved With Strategic Planning Software
As much as your team might thrive while using the best enterprise strategic planning and execution software, there may be some initial challenges to overcome. Workplace leaders often encounter the same roadblocks, so prepare how your team will respond to them.
6. Undefined Goals and Targets
You might know what your organization needs to continue growing, but the goals along that path will keep your team moving forward.
If you can’t define what sets those objectives apart and the timeline for each milestone, strategic planning software won’t be as effective for your business. Define your targets and every step within your plan to get the most use out of your digital tools.
7. Insufficient Resources
Information is the greatest resource of any enterprise. Even the best plans may not succeed if you don’t have enough resources to gather, understand and effectively utilize data. Given how around 90% of businesses fail to achieve goals, insufficient methods may not be as uncommon as you might expect.
Planning software can track project timelines, influencing costs and the progress of each employee involved in a goal. Your selected program may even organize responsibilities by each person’s skills.
If you don’t have that information to put into the software, it won’t serve its full purpose. Reflecting on how you’re sourcing that data before implementing a new program could be necessary for your workflow update to succeed.
8. Communication Breakdowns
Although enterprise planning programs connect people to improve communication, it won’t work if those involved don’t know how to use the software.
Training is essential for the most user-friendly platforms, even on a minimal level. You may deal with more communication breakdowns than you’d prefer if your team members don’t know how to use your selected software’s capabilities.
How to Overcome Strategic Planning Challenges
Potential challenges don’t have to prevent your organization from using planning software. Work with team leaders to overcome them by utilizing customizable strategies tailored to your needs.
1. Get Specific With Your Goals
Your strategy planning tool will help you achieve personal, team, and company goals. So start by meeting with your team to outline these goals and establish a routine to check on your progress. There will be knowledge gaps when learning new software – that is inevitable.
Clear and specific goals will help every employee better stay on course and reach milestones. Managers might even see an impact on employee engagement since setting clear goals can decrease your team’s stress, preventing frustration from making it harder to learn your new software.
2. Reflect on Your Data
Consider the data informing your project. Your team may benefit from greater clarity before and during your software implementation. Review your objectives and gather market research to see if the information supports your goals.
Stakeholder conversations are also crucial in overcoming the challenge. They should be involved in the planning process, which is why so many software options have discussion thread features. Ask everyone for their input on your comprehensive plan and financial strategies. You may get the updated data you need to make your program’s results more accurate.
3. Review Team Skills and Train as Needed
Even the best enterprise planning software can require some training. You may choose a user-friendly interface designed for minimal downtime between introduction and usage, but it doesn’t guarantee that everyone will adapt to it easily. Reflect on your team’s technology and data recruitment skills.
Are they following through with their current responsibilities?
They may learn new planning software faster if they’re managing their tasks well and know what they’re responsible for communicating. If not, leadership teams should consider reserving time for training sessions to introduce everyone to each feature in your selected software program.
People Also Ask These Questions About Strategic Planning Software
Q: Why do organizations use strategic planning software?
- A: Enterprise organizations use strategic planning software to improve communication, boost team efficiency, make collaboration easier and reach goals with reduced failure rates. Once everyone’s retrieving and inputting information in the same place, issues like miscommunication are less likely to disrupt your team or companywide plans.
Q: What features should the software have?
- A: Your collaborative planning platform should have multiple features tailored to your team’s needs. Each available program offers something slightly different, so consider if your workplace would benefit most from things like:
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- User-friendly interface
- Goal setting
- Timetable tracking
- Performance dashboards
- Stakeholder communication threads
- Budgeting and financial forecasting
The best strategic planning software for enterprise organizations will always differ between teams. If you choose a platform with tools that support the efforts you’re taking to accomplish goals, you’ll know you’ve found the best solution for your workplace.
Q: How much does strategic planning software cost?
- A: Enterprise planning platforms come in a range of prices. Many companies provide tiered monthly or annual subscriptions based on the features you’d most like to access. Some also charge more if you add extra users to your virtual dashboard. Reach out to the strategic planning software companies that most interest you for a personalized quote to get more tailored information. They may arrange a free trial if that’s something they offer new customers.
Q: Can the software integrate with other business tools?
- A: Many strategic planning platforms can integrate with other business tools like Outlook, Slack and Microsoft Teams. The capability lessens the transitional workload for workplaces trying to move project-related efforts from one program to another. Once you have a list of planning software options you think might work well for your team, check if they integrate with what you already use to reduce the time it takes to move everything to your new software.
Q: Do strategic planning software programs protect your data?
- A: Providers take different measures to protect consumer data within strategic planning databases. They should be easy to locate on any company’s website. If you can’t get more information on their cybersecurity measures, contact a representative. Companies should be able to provide extensive details on the efforts they make for their clients, such as backups, data encryption and user access controls. They should also explain how they comply with data protection regulations, which a representative can comprehensively describe via phone or email.
