The question most 2026 plans are missing

Can our current systems deliver our 2026 growth plan?

This question often gets skipped during annual planning. 

Most companies approach annual planning the same way: set revenue targets, define goals, allocate budget. (Plus a bit of imagination and excitement for all that seems possible in a new year too.)

Evaluating systems and processes doesn’t seem as important at the time. Until it becomes the thing preventing you from hitting those ambitious annual goals.

That may look like: 

• Pulling data from multiple systems into spreadsheets
• Incomplete reporting across revenue systems, like CRMs, ERPs and related tools
• Team frustrations caused by slow handoffs in emails, meetings and Slack
• Explaining why ideas for new markets, products or locations sound more like a liability than an opportunity

A multi-brand franchise holding company with 800+ locations was experiencing similar challenges. 

As they prepared to add another brand to their portfolio, their growth trajectory was clear. Their operational challenges were too. 

• More than 10 spreadsheets requiring daily updates. 
• Two critical sales teams operating in separate systems with blind spots after deals closed.
• No leadership visibility to corporate, brand, or unit-level performance. 

They knew their systems wouldn't scale to support more locations, more growth, or more complexity, so they made the strategic decision to migrate from FranConnect CRM to HubSpot. They recognized this was an opportunity for more than a system replacement. The team approached the HubSpot CRM implementation as an opportunity for a complete operational transformation. 

Working across franchise development, real estate, marketing, and legal teams, they rebuilt their data architecture for multi-brand complexity. The new foundation unified disconnected teams, automated manual handoffs, and created visibility that didn't exist before.

• 1,040 hours saved annually from eliminating manual work
• 360° visibility into reporting and pipelines across all brands and units
• Automated processes where handoffs previously required meetings
• Foundation that will support adding more brands over time. 

This revenue operating system transformation didn't create their growth. It removed the friction that would have quietly prevented it. 

It’s a nuance that’s easy to miss. 

Growth rarely fails because ambition is too big. It fails because the systems behind it weren’t built to scale.

That’s why it’s worth pausing to ask this question before you get too far into the year:

Will your current processes and operating systems support your growth this year?

If your answer isn’t a confident yes, you’re not alone or behind. 

In fact, recognizing that now is exactly what creates the opportunity to act before the issue becomes more costly.

Starting with these questions can help guide your next steps: 

1. What's the real cost of your current state?

Calculate the hours spent on manual reporting, data entry, and other manual processes each week. Multiply that across your team for the year. What is that time worth? What could you accomplish if you put that capacity toward strategic growth instead?

2. What opportunities will you miss if your systems stay the same?

If adding a new market, product line, or location elicits a reaction along the lines of, "our systems can't handle that," you're not really evaluating opportunities. You're filtering them through the lens of your infrastructure limitations. What do you want to try, but can’t due to process and system limitations?

3.Will current workarounds scale with growth?

If you're planning 30% growth but your processes rely on spreadsheets, meetings, and manual handoffs, those workarounds will need to scale 30% too. Can your team spend 30% more time on those tasks? If they do, what will that cost? What other work is at risk?

4. Can our current systems realistically support our 2026 plans without adding risk, rework, or burnout?

For our franchise client, they realized the answer was no before adding a third brand. They acted and avoided a situation where growth would have outpaced their ability to operate. Answering these questions honestly now will give you time to make a plan before pressure does that for you. 

Growth alone doesn’t break companies. Unexamined systems do.

The earlier you name your operational constraints, the more control you have over fixing them.

Making Change Stick

If you’re considering operational change this year, the systems themselves are only part of the equation.

The biggest determinant of success is whether your team is supported through the change.

The key to that is making sure each person understands why things are changing, how it impacts their day-to-day work, and where they can go for support.

That’s why we put together a practical change management guide focused on helping leaders support their teams before, during, and after system changes. 

Download the complete guide to change management.