Sustainability is the balance between the environment, equity, and economy (UCLA)

There are few organisations that survive for generations in their original form. The challenges of changes in technology, environment, society and economic needs forces all to adapt or die. A few important elements are:

• Retaining customers and maintaining required levels of service
• Generating sufficient funding from activities to honour commitments and required investments
• Being able to deliver on contractual commitments
• Being able to stay relevant with products and services offered

In this regard it is of the utmost importance to remain future focused whilst drawing on lessons and experience from the past. It is like driving a car: to progress in the chosen direction, one has to focus on looking through the windshield that provides a much wider and bigger view on the road ahead than the small rear-view mirror.

There are many organisations without any strategic plans or planning process in place at all. To face the challenges of remaining relevant in a highly competitive and ever-changing world requires attention to where an organisation is heading, and measuring how successful it is in reaching its goals. It is a fact that the competition will do anything and everything to obtain an advantage - and the competition may even be based outside of the country.