Strategic planning should take place during the annual business planning process and whenever (un)anticipated internal &/or external disruptive changes occur. It should review and, whenever necessary, revise the Corporate Mission, Vision, Strategic Plans and even Tactical short- and medium-term plans.

Business Planning and Zero-based Rolling Budgeting must be performed regularly and be coordinated with review of actual performance. It should be carried out using suitable tools such as SWOT, PEST and scenario analysis.

Information Systems are a vital enabler for raising process productivity. They should be managed as part of Process Management. Information must be managed as a corporate asset. It should include internal and external information as well as ethically compiled Competitive Intelligence (CI). Information Systems and Information must be dealt with as a vital enabler for raising management effectiveness, efficiency and quality. They should include data warehousing, data mining and Business Intelligence (BI). Due to Information Systems and Technology complexity they should be managed by an (internal or external) expert organization. However, their functional specification must always be the responsibility of Process Owners, who must, as a rule, be Executive and Line Managers.

Quality must be managed as part of Process Management. Relevant performance indices must be embedded in the performance indicators of each and every process and respective measurement methods must be defined and implemented. Quality target values should be set at just a little higher than the level required by each customer segment (and not higher unnecessarily raising cost and customer expectations or lower unnecessarily dissatisfying customers). Quality management must be part of executive and line manager normal duties. Quality Managers, if necessary, must be staff positions and act as internal consultants.

Environmental issues must be managed as part of Process Management. Relevant performance indices must be embedded in the performance indicators of each and every process with probable impact on the environment and respective measurement methods must be defined and implemented. Environmental management performance indicator target values should be set at levels dictated by legislation and good engineering practice or even higher, if and when so dictated by latest research. Environmental management must be part of executive and line manager normal duties. Environmental Managers, if necessary, must be staff positions and act as internal consultants.

Risk assessment and management must be managed as part of Process Management. Relevant performance indices must be embedded in the performance indicators of each and every process and respective assessment methods must be defined and implemented. Risk assessment target jeopardy values should be set and actuals systematically measured, reviewed and, if necessary, revised and corrective actions taken. Risk management must be part of executive and line manager normal duties. Risk Managers must be staff positions and act as internal consultants and, where demanded by legislation and/or internal regulation, as auditors.

Innovation must be managed as part of Process Management in the sense of continuous process improvement and/or redesign. Relevant performance indices must be embedded in the performance indicators of each and every process, usually as improvement changes of other performance indicators but also as zero-based process redesign exercises. For core processes aiming at the design of new services &/or goods, innovation must be managed as part of the core process with specific innovation KPIs. Respective target values must be set and actuals be measured systematically and plans be reviewed and, whenever necessary, revised. Innovation management must be part of executive and line manager normal duties. Innovation Managers, if at all necessary, must be staff positions and act as internal consultants.

Internal audit systems must be managed as part of Process Management. Relevant performance indices and milestones must be embedded in the performance indicators of each and every process and respective measurement and control methods must be defined and implemented. Internal audit systems should be set so as to be cost effective and be related to risk assessment. Internal audit systems management must be part of executive and line manager normal duties. Internal Auditors, (either external or internal) when the size of the organization justify their existence, must act as internal consultants and as an executive/line management instrument for carrying out independent audit projects, as well as for effecting ad hoc internal audit exercises on their own. Internal Auditors/Departments should report to the Board of Directors and/or to the Executive Management depending on the issue.

A sound project management methodology must be defined so that ad hoc projects are managed productively. Corporate Codes of Ethics etc. must govern project management, in the same way as they must govern corporate processes. Project Managers must report to Executive/Line Management who must bear the responsibility for systematic performance review and reporting.

Business Continuity must be managed as part of Process Management in conjunction with risk assessment and management. It should form part of business planning and review and be carried out systematically using proven methodologies. It should cover not only the organizational business itself but also any other stakeholders’ business which could be affected by its disruption. This exercise must cover any possible impact on the business of customers, suppliers and partners as well as on the community. Business Continuity management must be part of executive and line manager normal duties. Business Continuity Managers, if at all necessary and present, must hold staff positions and act as internal consultants and, depending on legislation and/or internal regulation, as auditors.