When spending is not directly tied to the strategic plan, spending is haphazard and does not support the intended direction established in the stratefic plan. When developing your budget, ask yourself if the spending reflected in that budget will support the strategic plan. If not, start over and begin by fully understanding what the strategic plan implies in terms of personnel needs, marketing and promotional expenditures, travel, customer service and the other key spending categories. The business plan should fully support the strategic plan and once that is accomplished, budgets should fall into place nicely. It's unfortunate that some employees feel compelled to take things that don't belong to them.
Some businesses have problems with employee theft that largely relate to inadequate controls.
Whether it is office supplies, product inventory, equipment or money, there is the potential for employees stealing. The first step in minimizing employee theft is to hire employees less likely to steal. There are honesty and integrity assessments available that will help uncover potential theft problems with an employee. Doing criminal background checks is another important step in minimizing the hiring of employees with an inclination to steal. However, even employees that have no apparent inclination to stealing can steal when faced with personal financial adversity or a need for financial status.