Business Planning Checklist

Essential Business Planning Tasks for Administrators

Foundation Setup

☐ Understanding the Business Planning Module Familiarize yourself with the comprehensive partner relationship management capabilities including business plan creation, objective tracking, target account management, and Quarterly Business Review (QBR) processes. Understand edition requirements (Elite, Advanced, Unlimited) and the annual planning framework with status progression from Draft Outline through Completed.

☐ Configuring the Business Planning Module Activate the Business Planning module and configure email notification settings for partner collaboration. Set up email templates for Draft business plan notifications and establish the foundational communication workflow that supports vendor-partner collaboration throughout the annual planning cycle.

Business Plan Creation and Management

☐ Creating Business Plans Master the comprehensive business plan creation process including required fields (Name, Plan Start Date, Owner, Partner Account, Primary Partner User, Status) and optional sections (Plan Details, QBRs, Partner Profile, Target Account Planning, SWOT Analysis). Understand annual planning structure and automatic end date calculation.

☐ Editing Business Plans Configure business plan editing capabilities for different user types, understanding that partners can edit plan information but cannot modify objectives. Master the distinction between editing basic business plan information versus creating and managing objectives and target accounts.

Advanced Business Planning Features

☐ Managing Business Plan ObjectivesCreate and configure business plan objectives with appropriate types (Course Completion, Deal Registration, Qualified Deal Registration, Number of Deals, Number of Qualified Deals, Custom), set quarterly targets and actual values, assign objective weights (1-100), and understand automatic calculation features for non-custom objective types.

☐ Target Account Management Configure target account assignment and management within business plans to focus partnership efforts on specific accounts and opportunities. Understand how target account planning integrates with overall business plan strategy and partner collaboration.

Critical Implementation Considerations

Security and Access Control

• User Type Permissions: Administrators and channel managers have full access; partners can edit business plans but not objectives
• Status-Based Access: Partners can only view/edit business plans with Draft, In Progress, and Completed status (not Draft Outline)
• Channel Manager Assignment: Must be designated employee security roles with appropriate Business Plan permissions
• Account-Based Security: Business plans are associated with specific partner accounts for proper data filtering

Integration Points

• CRM Integration: Business plans integrate with Account and Contact records for partner association and data filtering
• Social Collaboration: Built-in collaboration tools support vendor-partner communication throughout planning process
• Email Notifications: Automated notifications when business plans move from Draft Outline to Draft status
• Multi-Currency Support: Currency tracking at business plan level with automatic inheritance for objectives

Workflow Management

• Status Progression: Draft Outline (internal) → Draft (partner review) → In Progress (active execution) → Completed (annual closure)
• Quarterly Tracking: Objectives are attributed to quarters based on Created On date with quarterly target/actual tracking
• QBR Integration: Built-in support for Quarterly Business Review meetings and scheduling
• Performance Calculation: Automatic calculation and refresh capabilities for objective tracking and plan attainment

Best Practices Summary

Planning Phase

• Design business plan templates that support your partner engagement strategy
• Plan QBR schedules and meeting cadences before creating business plans
• Establish clear objective types and weighting strategies for consistent plan evaluation
• Coordinate with CRM administrators for proper Account and Contact record management

Implementation Phase

• Start with Draft Outline status for internal preparation before partner engagement
• Use comprehensive business plan sections (SWOT, Partner Profile, Target Accounts) for thorough planning
• Test email notification workflows and template effectiveness
• Validate partner access and editing capabilities before full deployment

Ongoing Management

• Regular performance calculation updates and objective tracking
• Structured QBR processes for partner relationship management
• Annual business plan lifecycle management from creation through completion
• Target account planning coordination with sales and partnership teams

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