Timeline Alignment Techniques

It often begins with a well-intentioned RevOps leader whose reverse capacity model unexpectedly sets the year's targets... 🤦♂️ Year after year, I see the same mistake across organizations: a failure to incorporate business reality and 'time-to-impact' considerations into planning. Many organizations' planning cycles are built around their respective fiscal years, not around actual business cycles, seasonality, segments, and time-to-impact. Too many companies operate under the assumption that the year is a 'ready-set-go' race starting on January 1st. The problem? This approach is completely disconnected from the business reality that time takes time. Deep, I know. 🤣 In the B2B SaaS world, especially in the enterprise segment, sales cycles can be llooonnnngggg. Ignoring these planning realities often leads to misaligned strategies, missed opportunities, and missed targets. This realization hits harder now, as for the first time in over a decade and a half, I'm not involved in the whirlwind of planning for the upcoming year. I'm not sure whether to have FOMO, or be seriously relieved. 😬 Here's my typical process to ensure pragmatic planning alignment: ✅ Align all teams around the significance of 'time-to-impact' in planning. ✅ Begin by critically reassessing current capacity models considering the historical sales cycle durations and lead conversion durations. ✅ Review data on actual win rates, deal velocity, lead-to-revenue durations, and conversion rates and velocity by segment and source. ✅ Conduct regular, deep discussions with revenue teams to weave their front-line insights into our strategic approach. ✅ Ensure lockstep relationships across the entire organization and especially with finance to coordinate the nuances of long sales cycles. ✅ Revise capacity models to reflect these time elements, anticipating required production to ensure targets are met in the required period of impact. In other words, we may need to build qualified pipeline 6-9 months in advance of the needed impact period. ✅ Continuously review and recalibrate strategies in response to actual performance data and market changes. ✅ Ensure transparent communication with all stakeholders about strategy changes and their reasons. ✅ Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of strategies, remaining open to further adjustments. ✅ Share our successes and learnings to foster an environment of continuous improvement and strategic alignment. Ultimately, move to a dynamic forecasting model across the organization, such as rolling quarterly planning, that adapts to changes in sales cycles, market conditions, and business cycles...And PLEASE, whatever you do, don't take that capacity model as an absolute truth. 👀 I'm curious to hear from others: How do you ensure your planning incorporates business realities and real 'time-to-impact' considerations? #opentohelp #2024planning #givingthanks

Scaling is less about what you do. And more about when you do it. Great CEOs run their business on cycles: planning, execution, reporting. Every team inside that business has its own rhythm. Aligning with those rhythms leads to open doors and quick decisions. If you don’t, you’ll be met with delays and “come back next quarter.” Apple is a masterclass in cycle alignment: → Predictable quarterly earnings reports → A product calendar the market expects → Supply chain, marketing, and retail all in sync When scaling with partners, you have three timing option: 1. Create a New Cycle • You set the tempo • Works when product–market conviction is high • Eg Launching a new industry conference that becomes the annual buying moment 2. Join Their Cycle • Slot into their quarterly reporting • Move with their annual budget planning • Eg Co-launching a partner integration just before their annual customer summit 3. Operate Outside the Cycle • Hard to be relevant from here • It’s where most partnerships stall The fastest way to build momentum? Map your partner’s cycles before you pitch. Finance = Quarterly reporting Marketing = Annual brand calendar Product = 6–18 month roadmaps Sales = Monthly & quarterly targets Leaders who master cycle alignment build partnerships that move faster, win earlier, and maintain relevance. Need to rethink your GTM? Create a timing advantage by aligning to your partner's rhythm. -------------------------------------- 📌 Want insights like this in your inbox? Join my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gZtdkx_U 🚀 Need to rethink your GTM? Join The Partnership Lab (Starts 1 September): https://lnkd.in/etQTiW6u ➕ Follow Phil Hayes-St Clair for more like this.

Estimating timelines and workloads is a challenging task for data analysts. Here's a structured approach to bring clarity to the unknown: 1. 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗜𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻: Start by breaking the project into smaller, manageable tasks. Think about data collection, cleaning, analysis and visualization. It's easier to estimate pieces than the whole puzzle.     2. 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲: Look back at similar projects you've tackled. Use these as benchmarks. No exact matches available? Break down the differences and adjust your estimates accordingly.     3. 𝗕𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘆: Always include a buffer time for unforeseen challenges (because they will come). A good rule of thumb? Add 20% more time to your initial estimate.     4. 𝗜𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸: Present your initial structure and timeline to the team or stakeholders early on. Their insights might highlight areas you've overlooked or suggest shortcuts you hadn’t considered.     5. 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁: As the project progresses, keep an eye on timelines versus actual progress. Be ready to adjust your estimates and communicate changes proactively.     6. 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: After project completion, reflect on the accuracy of your estimates. What went as planned? What didn’t? Documenting these learnings will refine your future estimates. Estimating is as much an art as it is a science. It requires understanding the scope, drawing on experience and anticipating the unexpected. Embrace this process and with each project, your forecasting will get better. How do you forecast the timelines for your data projects? ---------------- ♻️ Share if you find this post useful ➕ Follow for more daily insights on how to grow your career in the data field #dataanalytics #businessanalytics #projectmanagement #projecttimeline #estimation

What’s the #1 thing brands must prioritize to nail their first retail program? TIMELINES. It’s not just about deadlines—it’s about alignment. While the right branding assets, right price, display style, product assortment, and logistics are crucial, none of it matters if you can’t meet the retailer's Must-Arrive-By-Date (MABD). If your display isn’t ready on time, you might as well have not sold the program at all. Missing deadlines can result in chargebacks, markdowns, or lost opportunities for high-visibility placement, sales-driving promotions, and key shopper moments. Retailers plan their floors, promotions, and events months (sometimes year) in advance. Your brand’s ability to take advantage of key selling dates depends entirely on synchronizing with those timelines. Here’s what I always ask when kicking off a new program: 1️⃣ What retailer are we working with? Each has unique requirements and expectations, which drive many timeline factors depending on whether it's prepaid or collect shipping. 2️⃣ What is the MABD for the DC or stores? Late delivery can mean huge penalties; this should be your core date to work back from. ALso means you have less time to sell products on the floor. 3️⃣ What are the most significant lead times in your brand's process? Build this into your plan to ensure accurate timing for the retailer and partners. Maybe it is art approvals with a licensor, longer lead times due to production season, a financing round, or something completely different. Success starts with creating work-back timelines that align with retailer MABD dates and every critical step in the process. Start early, over-communicate, and know your timelines inside out to prepare your promotional program for success. What steps do you take to hit key retail dates? Share your strategies below! 👇 #Retail #Merchandising #Displays #Packaging #ShopperMarketing #TheRetailDude