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Strategic Management

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1. The strategic management process builds off of strategic analysis, which consists of the work that must be done in order for the next process, strategic formulation and then the final, strategic implementation, to be successful. Within each of the three processes, there are four sub-processes. Without each process being worked through entirely, successful implementation would not be possible.

2. Strategy analysis is the first step in the strategic management process and everyone knows that without a solid foundation, a house will not stand. Within the strategic analysis, strategic objectives must be set by a firm’s vision and mission statement. Both the internal and external environments need to be analyzed and scanned. These are the steps that determine what obstacles and competitors stand in the way of success and how to overcome them. The final step in strategic analysis is the assessment of a firms intellectual assets and how to retain them such as: the knowledge worker, means of networking and technological enhancement of employee collaboration. Strategy formulation is developed on several levels and begins with the formulation of a business-level strategy; achieving and sustaining competitive advantage.
Next would be the formulation of a corporate level strategy which addresses a firm’s effort to create synergies within the businesses it will be competing in. Going into the international market will take not only an entry strategy but also a means of how to sustain competitive advantages. The last step in strategy formulation deals with taking advantage of opportunities to create new value within the firm. The last step in the strategic management process is strategy implementation. A house cannot be built with just the right tools. One needs to know how to utilize these tools correctly and

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