Which type of plan breaks long-term outputs into short-term targets or goals?

• A. Operating Plan
• B. Strategic Plan
• C. Marketing Plan
• D. Financial Plan

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is turning long-term goals into doable, near-term actions. An operating plan does exactly that by detailing the day-to-day steps needed to implement strategy over a short horizon—usually a year or a few quarters. It specifies what will be done, who will do it, when it will happen, what resources are required, and how success will be measured. This keeps daily operations aligned with broader strategic aims and provides concrete targets to hit in the near term.

Why this fits best: while a strategic plan sets the overall direction and long-range objectives, it doesn’t break everything into actionable, time-bound steps. A marketing plan focuses on marketing activities, and a financial plan concentrates on budgets and financial resources. The operating plan sits at the intersection, taking long-term outputs and translating them into specific, short-term targets and actions to pursue.