Power to the planner
Article Abstract:
Corporate planning aims to identify a company's key strategic issues in order to deal with them effectively, and requires good practical knowledge of the real world. The Argenti System of Corporate Planning has been effective for a variety of companies worldwide over several decades. According to this system, planners must be persons who hold the reins of power; planning teams should include an experienced outsider, such as a senior member of the company's accounting firm, and must determine corporate objectives and long-term targets that can be easily monitored. The Argenti System includes an Internal Appraisal stage, in which planning teams identify organizational strengths and weaknesses, and an External Appraisal stage, in which planning teams identify trends or events of strategic significance that could occur over the next few years.
Publication Name: Accountancy
Subject: Business
ISSN: 0001-4664
Year: 1988
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And now the bad news
Article Abstract:
Companies are sometimes forced to make a painful profit warning. The listing rules of the London Exchange provides that such an announcement must be made by a company when significant shifts in its financial condition, business performance or expectations are likely to affect its stock price. When faced with this situation, management should never panic, assess the situation and determine if a press release is necessary. It pays to have a good public relations strategy because it helps to control the likely damage and even avert the need for a warning. This requires constant communication with investors as well as brokers to keep them informed even before the need for a warning arises. Another recommendation is to issue quarterly reporting to ensure that everyone is constantly aware of the financial standing of the company.
Publication Name: Accountancy
Subject: Business
ISSN: 0001-4664
Year: 1998
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Business strategy requires active implementation
Article Abstract:
A successful business strategy includes the definition of a firm's purpose and markets, establishing an identity of distinctive competence in a specialized area, concentration of resources on the area of specialty, and communication of these values among all members of the firm. Concentration and communication are especially important when the business strategy is implemented, but many corporate planners fail to address either area, and instead focus on traditional strength and weakness analyses. The problem with plans that rely on purely quantifiable data is that they fail to account for the innovations and risks inherent in real world business situations.
Publication Name: Accountancy
Subject: Business
ISSN: 0001-4664
Year: 1986
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