Why Plan Strategically?
There are many reasons why a company should plan strategically, and the main reason is to be able to survive in a changing market. If strategic decisions are not made then the business is likely to fall behind the competition and not change as it should do to remain successful. There is also a requirement to plan strategically to ensure that corporate objectives are outlined so that individuals and semi autonomous units can work towards them. Once a plan has been implemented and considered strategically this then leads to the company being able to direct change directionally and delegate functional responsibilities. There is also then justification and support for an investment programme. A well defined strategy will help generate and maintain the confidence within the organisation to generate more success.
There are of course people who would argue why there is no need to plan strategically. There are also good reasons not to spend time on planning when the whole environment is too uncertain and unpredictable to produce any meaningful plan. There are also problems encountered when it comes to securing the agreement over what the company objectives really are. Other elements against strategic planning are that it requires too much effort therefore is not done as often as it should and that it is too expensive to implement.