Succession Planning Process

Succession Planning is a process by which an organization ensures that employees are recruited and developed to fill each key role within the company.

Succession planning is not just about promotion paths to the top. It's about getting the right person in place for every job. If a firm plans to double in size in three years, they will need more talented managers and must plan accordingly.

This process of succession planning enables your organization to:

1. Assess if you have the right skills mix to achieve company goals – and determine what gaps exist that must be closed.
2. Identify talented employees and provide education to develop them for future higher level and broader responsibilities
3. Identify which employees are at risk of leaving.
4. Retain superior employees
5. Build “bench strength."
6. Determine where people belong on the bus.
7. Determine if they should be on your bus - or someone else’s.

If you want to effectively do succession planning in your organization, you must first identify your organization’s long term goals. In the process you will also need to understand the developmental needs and goals of your employees. Then you need to make sure that your key employees understand the roles, responsibilities, and career paths of the positions that they are being developed to fill. There needs to be a match.
Also be mindful of the job employment trends in your industry and area so that you have a good appreciation for the roles that you may have a particularly difficult time filling externally.

To help everyone get a clear picture on the workforce a diagnostic organizational chart must be developed. Any organizational charting software tool that helps you visualize the organization and its personnel ‘hot spots’ will greatly help in a successful planning process. OrgChart Pro is an organizational charting software that automates the organization mapping and visualization process.

Here is a Basic Succession Planning Organization Chart

One of the deliverables from the succession planning process is a diagnostic organization chart. Using OrgChart Pro and the succession planning process, here (below) is a basic chart showing positions that are filled, currently vacant, expected to be vacant, ready-now for promotion, and contractor. Additional fields may be added for length of time on the job, expected departure date, skill sets, etc. But this basic chart becomes an important visual to communicate the urgency for sound planning and taking action to protect your company’s greatest asset.

Your goal is to hire superior people that have the passion, character, capability and track record for the job. Good people that fit are tough to find, which makes the succession planning and hiring so critical.

OrgChart Pro provides the perfect visual ‘heat map’ to facilitate an effective succession planning process. Visit www.orgchartpro.com for details and a free trial.

OfficeWork Software ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF ORGCHART™ PROFESSIONAL V5 ANALYTICS

New Software for Automating Organizational Charting Incorporates Powerful Data Import Features for Talent Management, Succession Planning, and Organizational Development.

NOVATO, Calif., July 2, 2010 – OfficeWork Software a leading developer and publisher of human resources, project management, and office productivity software, today announced the release of it’s new business organization charting product, OrgChart^™ Professional Analytics.

“Continuing OfficeWork Software’s commitment to providing innovative technology and easy-to-use, high-quality software at reasonable prices, OrgChart Professional Analytics fits the niche of medium to large-sized companies that require labor-saving and efficient solutions for Succession Planning, Talent Management, and the frequent re-organizations that are so common in today’s economy,” said Gordon Landies, President of OfficeWork Software. “This product adds to our award-winning Business Solutions line of products, which includes OrgChart Professional, TurboProject^® and FlowCharts&More^®.

OrgChart Professional Analytics is a powerful workforce visualization tool used in talent management, succession planning and workforce reorganizations. Analytic’s programmable display capabilities give a complete ‘heat map’ visualization of the workforce for easier and more effective people management. Using your HR data, rules are created that automatically format and color individual chart boxes to your specification. With Analytics you will quickly and accurately communicate and evaluate the vitality of your organizations’ talent.

Robust Drawing Toolbox

An extensive graphic design toolbox enables quick and easy organization chart creation and customization using drag-and-drop components.

Unlimited Data Entries

The OrgChart Professional database can handle an unlimited number of employees as well as an unlimited number of custom database fields, attachments, graphics, and links. This allows users to keep all of their personnel data in one place.

Custom Template Creation

Users may quickly and easily enrich the communication power of the organization charts they create by adding color schemes, box shapes, line styles and fonts. Predefined and custom template components make this simple.

Powerful Scenario / What if Planning Tools

“What-if” financial scenarios can be compared to understand the impacts of adding new positions or performing a re-organization.

Audit and Compare Tools

Special tools to show the specific differences between staffing scenarios at a record or data field level are now possible. OrgChart Analytics cuts scenario planning from days and weeks down to minutes.

Powerful Conditional Formatting

Generate custom-colored views quickly and easily with programmable rules.

Powerful Data Import and Database Integration

Users can save time by importing any organization data from Excel, CSV, and a myriad of other popular database applications. Then, with just a few mouse clicks, an organization chart is generated with the supporting personnel database. OrgChart Professional Analytics also allows users to leverage data already stored in corporate personnel databases, including Active Directory, LDAP, SQL, Oracle, and MS Project databases.

Flexible, Ad Hoc Report Creation

The process of report creation is dynamic and flexible, enabling instant creation of phone lists and over 20 project personnel reports. Report output can be exported to PDF, Excel, and more.

Powerful Publishing Options

Organization charts are easily distributed throughout the organization—direct to a corporate intranet, FTP, or website. Managers can distribute whole charts or hyperlinked, sub-charts, depending on the desired level of detail.

Availability and Pricing

OrgChart Professional Analytics pricing can be obtained at our sales department. Call 1-866.331.4534 or visit online at www.officeworksoftware.com and www.orgchartpro.com.

About OfficeWork Software

OfficeWork Software is an industry leader specializing in software technology solutions for that help business professionals do their jobs with greater ease, efficiency, and accuracy. Our software and consulting services are specifically focused on supporting the ever expanding demands of project managers and human resource managers.

Although our users include a full spectrum of Human Resource managers, consultants, and professionals in corporations of all sizes.

Succession Planning Process

Succession planning is a process by which an organization ensures that employees are recruited and developed to fill each key role within the company.

Succession planning is not just about promotion paths to the top. It's about getting the right person in place for every job. If a firm plans to double in size in three years, they will need more talented managers and must plan accordingly.

This process of succession planning enables your organization to:

1. Assess if you have the right skills mix to achieve company goals – and determine what gaps exist that must be closed.
2. Identify talented employees and provide education to develop them for future higher level and broader responsibilities
3. Identify which employees are at risk of leaving.
4. Retain superior employees
5. Build “bench strength."
6. Determine where people belong on the bus.
7. Determine if they should be on your bus - or someone else’s.

If you want to effectively do succession planning in your organization, you must first identify your organization’s long term goals. In the process you will also need to understand the developmental needs and goals of your employees. Then you need to make sure that your key employees understand the roles, responsibilities, and career paths of the positions that they are being developed to fill. There needs to be a match. Also be mindful of the job employment trends in your industry and area so that you have a good appreciation for the roles that you may have a particularly difficult time filling externally.

To help everyone get a clear picture on the workforce a diagnostic organizational chart must be developed. Any organizational charting software tool that helps you visualize the organization and its personnel ‘hot spots’ will greatly help in a successful planning process. OrgChart Pro is organizational charting software that automates the organization mapping and visualization process.

Here is a Basic Succession Planning Organization Chart

One of the deliverables from the succession planning process is a diagnostic organization chart. Using OrgChart Pro and the succession planning process, here (below) is a basic chart showing positions that are filled, currently vacant, expected to be vacant, ready-now for promotion, and contractor. Additional fields may be added for length of time on the job, expected departure date, skill sets, etc. But this basic chart becomes an important visual to communicate the urgency for sound planning and taking action to protect your company’s greatest asset.

Your goal is to hire superior people that have the passion, character, capability and track record for the job. Good people that fit are tough to find, which makes the succession planning and hiring so critical.

OrgChart Pro provides the perfect visual ‘heat map’ to facilitate an effective succession planning process. Visit www.orgchartpro.com for details and a free trial.