"The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry"

I think this certainly applies. The fact is, that even with fully trained staff, and a comprehensive plan the potential for unexpected circumstance to throw a wrench in the works is huge. It is at this point that having a good management team is crucial. Ideally one would want to staff people that can think on their feet, do not require alot of direction, and are not afraid to employ people who are smarter than them. Plans are just that, planned roadmaps, not necessarily a definitive snapshot of how things will exactly be. One can certainly mitigate unforseen circumstances with extensive training and through attempts to identify every possible scenario and a corresponding response. But ensuring a smooth execution will rely entirely on managements ability to roll with the punches, get up-to-date information on the situation(s), make fast effective decisions, and delegate responsibilites effectively.