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The Business of Surveying:

Strategic Planning for a Survey Firm

By John Palatiello

A strategic plan is a document that outlines the results of Association, among other surveying, engineering, and
an organization’s (including a firm, a nonprofit organization, geospatial-related trade associations and professional societies,
or any other form of organization) process of defining its as well as for numerous individual firms.
strategy, or direction, and deciding on the allocation of
resources to pursue this strategy. A strategic plan is a valuable tool for a surveying firm. The
strategic plan of several of the aforementioned organizations is
A strategic plan sets goals, objectives, and priorities. It is a available on their websites and can serve as an example of the
roadmap that establishes a vision on where the organization
hopes to be and how it proposes to get there. structure of a firm’s own document. It should be drafted by a
team of firm leaders or principals, but input should be provided
One question that invariably comes up is what the life or by every employee of the firm. I’ve been retained to serve as an
horizon of a strategic plan should be. There is no definitive outside facilitator for several firms, helping to guide their
answer and many experts have differing opinions. In general, leadership team through an organized process. It is
a three-to-five-year planning cycle is a good rule
of thumb. an assignment I thoroughly enjoy, as I
know enough about surveying to
When I assumed the position of be a knowledgeable facilitator,
Executive Director of several but since I am not engrained
surveying and engineering in a firm, I am objective.
organizations, one of my
first initiatives was to In many cases, the
develop a strategic major development of
plan. A group of a strategic plan can
about a dozen key be accomplished in a
personnel convened day. A number of
to create a platform documents are collected

for the coming years. in advance (such as
The document guides
a firm or organization financial information, any
through improvements, new existing plans, and marketing
programs, and greater value materials) and used for historical
and benefit. Over the years, I’ve background and general reference. A
facilitated strategic planning for leadership team is assembled for a one-
the National Society of Professional day retreat. The facilitator leads the team
Surveyors, MAPPS, the Council on Federal through an evaluation process, usually a review
Procurement of Architectural & Engineering of the firm’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
Services (COFPAES), the Maryland Society of and threats, or “SWOT” analysis. There are no
Surveyors, New Jersey Society of Professional right or wrong answers in this exercise. The goal,
Land Surveyors, Virginia Association of
Surveyors, and Subsurface Utility Engineering however, is to reach consensus.

22 EMPIRE STATE SURVEYOR / VOL. 57 • NO 4 / 2021 • JULY/AUGUST