Linking operations objectives to actions: A plug and play approach

This paper proposes a 'plug and play' (PnP) framework and software tool that allows managers to rapidly build simplified models of operations objectives. These models enable them to understand, study the cause-effect linkages of potential actions, and communicate such understanding to their colleagues. The salient features of the PnP framework are its ability to serve as scaffolding for managers building their own models, consulting other/prior models, and linking their own models to others', and to provide a rapid modelling approach to strategic deployment. This paper introduces the PnP principle, describes the proposed framework, and discusses the issues and challenges related to its development.