Strategy Plan: template, content, and example
A strategy plan should be used, not archived. Here is a template with eight sections, a concrete example of strategic goals with owner and KPI, and six steps to a plan that management actually steers by.
Published · Updated · 8 min read
In short
- Eight sections: starting point, analysis, direction, themes, goals, KPIs, projects, and cadence.
- Six to ten pages — analyses belong in appendices.
- Each goal must have a baseline, target level, deadline, owner, and KPI.
- Also write down what you are not focusing on during the period.
What is a strategy plan?
A strategy plan is the document that brings together your choices: where the company is headed, what you are focusing on, what you are not doing, and how you will measure success. It is concise — typically 6-10 pages — because it is meant to be used, not archived.
The most important difference between a strategy plan and a business plan is their purpose. The business plan explains the business to the bank or investor. The strategy plan directs the efforts of management and employees for the next two to three years.
A strategy plan is only complete when each goal has an owner, a KPI, and a deadline — and when there is a fixed cadence for follow-up. Without this, the plan is merely a statement of intent.
Template: the eight sections of a strategy plan
Use the order as a table of contents. Keep each section to a maximum of one page.
1. Starting Point
Where we stand today: revenue, earnings, customers, capacity, and the three most important challenges.
2. Analysis in brief
The conclusions from SWOT, PESTEL, and competitor analysis — not the analyses themselves.
Examples: Max. five points, formulated as consequences for us.
3. Mission, Vision, and Values
Why we exist, where we want to be, and how we work.
4. Strategic Themes
Three to five areas of focus that together constitute the strategy.
Examples: E.g., “specialization in the food industry”, “service as a growth engine”, “digital operations”.
5. Strategic Goals
Five to eight goals with baseline, target level, deadline, and named owner.
6. KPIs
One to three KPIs per goal, with frequency and data source.
7. Projects and Milestones
The initiatives that move the goals, with owner, milestones, and resources.
8. Follow-up and Cadence
Who meets when, with what agenda, and how decisions are documented.
Example of a section with strategic goals
Theme: Service as a growth engine
Goal 1 Share of customers with service agreement: 34% -> 60% by 31.12.2027
KPI: Share of active service agreements (monthly, ERP)
Owner: Head of Service
Project: Service Agreement 2.0 (packages, prices, sales material)
Goal 2 Complaint rate: 3.2% -> below 1.5% by 30.06.2027
KPI: Complaints per 100 orders (monthly, case system)
Owner: Head of Production
Project: Quality check upon dispatchNote the pattern: theme → goal with baseline and deadline → KPI with source → owner → project. If any of these links are missing, the goal cannot be followed up on.
How to write the plan in six steps
1. Gather the foundation
Figures for the last three years, customer portfolio, capacity, and the conclusions from the analyses.
2. Decide the direction with management
Mission, vision, and three to five themes. Also decide what you will not focus on.
3. Formulate the goals
Five to eight goals with baseline, level, deadline, and owner. Use the SMART model as a quality check.
4. Choose KPIs and data sources
One to three per goal, and only figures you can actually update monthly or quarterly.
5. Prioritize projects
A maximum of three to five projects running at a time. The rest on a waiting list with justification.
6. Set the cadence in the calendar
Quarterly strategy review and an annual cycle where the strategy is updated before the budget.
Five reasons why the strategy plan is not used
- It's too long. 40 pages are read once and never again.
- Analyses take up more space than choices and goals.
- It doesn't state what you're not doing — so everything can continue as before.
- Goals without a baseline, owner, or deadline, so status can never be determined.
- No fixed cadence: the plan sits in a file instead of on the agenda.
Strategy plan in document vs. in Plandura
| Area | Word and spreadsheet | Plandura |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Own template every time. | Fixed flow from direction to themes, goals, KPIs, and projects. |
| Status | Only known when someone manually compiles it. | Calculated continuously per goal based on KPIs and projects. |
| Decisions | Scattered in meeting minutes. | Logged on the goal, so the history can be read. |
| Board of Directors | A new slide deck before each meeting. | Reporting is pulled from the current status. |
Frequently asked questions
What should a strategy plan contain?
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Starting point, analysis conclusions, mission and vision, three to five strategic themes, five to eight strategic goals with baseline, owner and deadline, KPIs per goal, projects with milestones, and a fixed cadence for follow-up.
How long should a strategy plan be?
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Six to ten pages for an SME. Longer plans are not used in daily operations. Analyses can be included as appendices, while the plan itself contains the choices, goals, and follow-up.
What is the difference between a strategy plan and a business plan?
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The business plan explains the business model and finances to external parties such as a bank or investor. The strategy plan is an internal tool: it describes direction, priorities, goals, and follow-up for the next two to three years.
How many years should a strategy plan cover?
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Two to three years for most SMEs, with annual updates and quarterly follow-ups. Longer horizons become imprecise, shorter ones make it difficult to achieve structural changes.
Who should write the strategy plan?
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Management owns the content, typically with the CEO responsible for compiling it. The board challenges and approves the direction, and the middle managers who will execute should be involved in formulating goals and projects.
Related guides
These guides are closely connected to strategy plan and are natural next steps in your strategy work.
- Strategy process for SMEs in 6 stepsFrom analysis to an agreed strategy — without a six-month project.
- SMART goals you can follow up onGoals with baseline, owner, KPI and deadline.
- Mission, vision and valuesThe direction that makes strategic choices easier to make.
- Annual cycle for strategy workQuarterly deliverables leadership and the board can maintain.
More strategy guides
Analysis and environment
Goals, KPIs and performance
Strategy process and planning
Build the plan in one place
Create a free account and keep direction, goals, KPIs, projects, and reviews collected — so the plan has a status instead of a file location.