What's the difference between a strategy and a plan?

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Hi folks,

I’m now focusing on planning automation.

As always, we’re looking to learn community insights and would love your thoughts on this question:

What’s the difference between a strategy and a plan?

We’d love to know the similarities and differences between the two. How do you define them in your mind to make them distinct from one another?

As always, thank you for your contribution :robot:

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In RST:

Strategy is the ideas that guide test design
Logistics is the ideas that guide the application of resources to fulfilling the strategy
Plan is the ideas that guide the test project

Plan = strategy + logistics

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If we look outside our little testing bubble, there is a big difference. A strategy is part analysis, part decision, and big-picture actions. See the book “Good Strategy Bad Strategy” by Rumelt but also other business books. A strategy is about WHY and direction.

A plan is a work breakdown structure: do this, do that, do this first - then this other thing. Tasks on a user story are also a plan. A checklist is a plan.

Automation strategy is why - Automation plan is what.

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Thanks for these contributions. I really like your summary of why vs what when it comes to strategy and plans @jesper.

We’ll definitely be incorporating these details into our upcoming learning journey.

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