You built the strategy — here’s why it’s not working (and how to fix it)

Even the best workforce plans fall apart without a system to keep them aligned. Here’s how to make yours execution ready.

Building a strategic workforce plan is no small feat — but for many organizations, executing on it is where things fall apart.

Teams invest significant effort to align across HR, finance, and the business. They set targets, model demand, understand supply, and identify gaps. From there, they begin to explore scenarios — how to close those gaps through hiring, mobility, or workforce shifts. But the problem isn’t building the plan. It’s the handoff.

What happens after approval 

Here’s the reality at most organizations when it comes to the handoff.

The strategy is aligned. The plan is sound. But once it’s approved, it moves into decks and presentations with no system to carry it forward. So teams do what they can. They shift to spreadsheets, trying to track roles, timing, and shifting needs.

But day-to-day decisions move faster than the file. Roles are paused. Start dates shift. Priorities change. And soon, the plan no longer reflects reality.

The regrettable result of this is that talent acquisition, finance, and business leaders operate from different assumptions. The original strategy fades. A new one begins to form. And the cycle starts over before the last one ever fully took hold. 

The role of operational workforce planning

This is where operational workforce planning (OWP) comes in.

Strategic workforce planning defines where you’re going, but without a system to carry that strategy forward, it quickly falls out of sync with the business. OWP is that engine. It’s not a one-time event. It’s a continuous capability that keeps the plan aligned with real-world change. OWP enables organizations to:

• Start with the annual workforce plan, grounded in long-range strategy 

• Track position-level actuals against plan across business functions

• Adjust plans in real time as conditions shift

• Reforecast based on timing, cost, and workforce capacity

• Keep talent acquisition focused on what’s truly needed now, not last quarter 

It’s not just about modeling tradeoffs — it’s about maintaining a live, decision-ready plan that reflects the current state of the business and where it’s heading.

The operational foundation strategy needs

Without a strong operational layer, strategic intent rarely holds. Workforce plans lose relevance. Decisions happen in silos. Budgets drift from reality.

But when organizations can plan, adjust, and execute in one connected environment — without rebuilding the model every time something changes — they move faster. They respond with more confidence. And they stay aligned. 

This is the standard we’re moving toward

Workforce planning isn’t just headcount or approvals. It’s a cross-functional system that connects strategy to action. Anaplan turns it into a continuous, execution-ready capability. Our Operational Workforce Planning application gives your HR, finance, talent acquisition, and business leaders the foundation to turn strategy into execution and keep it there.

With built-in best practices, flexible scenario modeling, and real-time data, the application helps you:

• Align top-down strategy with bottom-up execution at the position level 

• Streamline the creation and approval of positions and requisitions

• Monitor workforce activity and cost against plan

• Reforecast quickly as timing, turnover, and business conditions evolve

• Visualize your organization’s structure, open roles, and hiring needs 

• Integrate seamlessly with ATS, HCM, and ERP systems

It’s everything you need to maintain an active, connected workforce plan and keep your organization ready for whatever comes next.