Seven Things to Bear in Mind for Your Pharmacy Strategy
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Here you can read what seven points you urgently need to bear in mind when implementing a strategy for your pharmacy and why there’s no need to reinvent the wheel along the way.
1. Define a clear approach in advance and stick to it!
This allows every member of the team to know at all times what is currently happening in the process and what will happen in the next steps.
2. Establish a binding schedule for the planning!
You need to plan your material requirements in such a way that the planning tasks can be completed within a realistic time frame and without any negative effects on day-to-day business.
3. Employ popular and tried-and-tested strategic planning tools!
Thousands of companies have already got to grips with this strategic planning and the most successful methods are widely discussed in the available literature. There is no need to try and reinvent the wheel.
4. Don’t think too small!
You are already making minor changes to your operational workflows and the way you communicate with customers on a frequent basis. With the strategic planning, we want to implement a greater and perhaps even very ambitious plan. On the other hand, you also shouldn’t think too big. Don’t try to keep up with big brands and concerns.
5. Allow creativity and innovation at every stage of the planning process!
Your strategy should be future-proof. Don’t question what has been achieved so far but set the course for a helpful change in direction and demarcation of competition and tradition.
6. Ensure that the identified measures are also implemented!
There is nothing more frustrating than strategic work that ends up in a drawer. Above all, you should set the wheels in motion immediately for ideas that can be implemented quickly and without difficulties. These “low hanging fruits” have a signaling effect. Your staff see that you are taking the project seriously. In addition, it is generally often possible to identify immediate results, which, in turn, motivate staff to keep working on the plan.
7. Appoint the right employees for the planning and implementation tasks!
Each employee has certain skills that are helpful in the planning and, above all, in the implementation of strategic measures. Assign the tasks accordingly. But avoid overloading members of the team to different extents with project tasks.
Source: Ralf Ziegenbein: Das Arbeitsbuch für Apotheken-Optimierer. Strategien entwickeln für die Apotheke der Zukunft. Stuttgart 2019.
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