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By Beni Bevly
To formulate, implement, and evaluate strategic management successfully, a firm needs to have an effective coordination and understanding among managers from all function of business areas. These functional areas of business include management, marketing, finance/accounting, production/operation, R&D, computer information system and human resources department.

More specifically, all the managers from these functional areas of business need to involve in performing an internal strategic-management audit. By doing so Managers from different departments of the firm come to understand the nature and effect of decisions in other functional business area in the firm. Knowledge of these relationships is critical for effectively establishing objectives and strategies.

For example, Indofood, the world largest producer of instant noodles and flour based in Indonesia, with annual out-put of about 7 billion packages, and surpassing Nissin Food of Japan in the process (Jeannet and Hennessey, Global Marketing Strategies, 2001) was the company I used to work for. I was the Assistant of Human Resources Division Head. This division supervised Strategic Management Department which coordinated and oversaw the development, implementation and evaluation strategic management policy.

I involved in developing strategic management starting with series of meetings with each manager from all function business areas. First meeting that we conducted with Marketing Division to find out all aspects regarding noodles market. Then followed by meetings with Finance/Accounting, Production/Operation, R&D, and end up with the executive level. Before we implemented this strategy, we had a final big meeting that included all managers. In this final meeting, the CEO presented the strategy and finally all Division Heads signed the strategy to show their commitment.

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*Beni Bevly holds BA in Political Science, MBA in Marketing, and is a DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) candidate. He is the founder of Overseas Think Tank for Indonesia>