Planning Cross-Functional Strategies

The final step in strategic planning procedure is planning functional strategies.

1). Once the strategic plan is in place, more comprehensive planning must take place within each business unit.

2). Each department (like marketing, finance, et cetera) provides information for strategic planning.

Marketing plays a main role in the company's strategic planning procedure by providing:

1). a guiding philosophy.

2).  inputs  to  strategic  planners  by  helping  to  identify  attractive  market opportunities and by assessing the firm's potential to take advantage of them. and

3). within specific business units, marketing designs strategies for attain the unit's objectives.

4). Marketers are challenged to search ways to obtain all departments to "think customer."