Ventana Research Launches Benchmark Research on Long Range Planning

SAN RAMON, CA, October 31, 2012 (Press-News.org) Ventana Research is conducting new benchmark research to explore how organizations perform long-range planning, the challenges they face and their plans to address those challenges. One objective of the research is to identify best practices used in effective long range planning. The research will document how companies currently perform long range planning, their plans to improve and what their needs may be in the future.

Sound strategic- and long-range planning is important to the competitive success of corporations. Some organizations take a meticulous, detailed approach to such planning, others are less formal while some make no formal plans at all. Companies use a variety of methods and metrics in creating plans and evaluating progress. The scale of "long range" planning is different depending on the industry. Some long-range planning is mainly "top-down" and financially-oriented. Other types of long-range plans are bottom-up and operationally focused. In short, companies plan for the long-term in many different ways.

Information technology plays an important role in long range planning. Companies use it to automate the process of creating long range plans and assessing performance to those plans. Some organizations have dedicated planning software and sophisticated analytical tools to help them model the future. Others create relatively simple plans on spreadsheets.

"There's a need for independent research that benchmarks the long range planning processes companies use," observed Robert Kugel, Ventana Research's Senior Vice President and research director who heads the company's financial performance management practice. "Although there are differences in how companies can and should plan, there are also important common elements that combine to make these efforts most effective. The research is designed to lay out the range of approaches as well as identify best practices."

To learn more about the Long Range Planning Benchmark and participate in the research, please visit: www.ventanaresearch.com/LRP. This research is being sponsored by Planview to help further the education on long range planning in the market.

Ventana Research, a leading business technology research and advisory services firm, provides qualified research participants with a financial incentive, complimentary report and presentation of the research findings as well as access to a free educational webinar on key findings from the benchmark research.

About Ventana Research
Ventana Research is the most authoritative and respected benchmark business technology research and advisory services firm. We provide insight and expert guidance on mainstream and disruptive technologies through a unique set of research-based offerings including benchmark research and technology evaluation assessments, education workshops and our research and advisory services, Ventana On-Demand. Our unparalleled understanding of the role of technology in optimizing business processes and performance and our best practices guidance are rooted in our rigorous research-based benchmarking of people, processes, information and technology across business and IT functions in every industry. This benchmark research plus our market coverage and in-depth knowledge of hundreds of technology providers means we can deliver education and expertise to our clients to increase the value they derive from technology investments while reducing time, cost and risk.

Ventana Research provides the most comprehensive analyst and research coverage in the industry; business and IT professionals worldwide are members of our community and benefit from Ventana Research's insights, as do highly regarded media and association partners around the globe. Our views and analyses are distributed daily through blogs and social media channels including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+.

To learn how Ventana Research advances the maturity of organizations' use of information and technology through benchmark research, education and advisory services, visit www.ventanaresearch.com.