Strategy Implementation and Evaluation

Original descriptive practice: 30 original cases, 3 at 3 marks, 21 at 5 and 6 at 10. Process/planning/linkages/uncertainty; digital/Lewin/7S; structures/culture/leadership; control and performance measures. Original preparation, not official questions, marking schemes or complete official bank. Native tables scroll on phones.

Boundaries: Source models and survival/returns claims are conditional, not guarantees. Structure and culture must fit strategy. Matrix phases and SBU relatedness need context. KPI periods/cohorts/denominators are explicit. Staff changes and digital deployment are not authorised by a fictional case.

SM-C05-D001 · 3 marks

A retailer performs strategy review only each year even when a new competitor changes its market. Explain why the process is continuous and iterative. (3 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Continuity	Formulation, implementation and evaluation continue as internal/external conditions change.
1	Feedback	New competitor evidence can change objectives, alternatives or execution; do not wait automatically for annual review.
1	Iteration	Stages allow back-and-forth and communication, not a guaranteed lockstep success formula.

Original indicative capped marking, not official ICAI scheme. Each two-mark section needs the sound concept and developed case reasoning/application. Equivalent justified answers accepted without duplicate credit. Models guide assessment, not guaranteed outcomes or authority to act.

Official concept source, PDF page 3

SM-C05-D002 · 5 marks

A board assesses markets and long-term resource direction; depot managers schedule staff and stock within that direction. Compare their plans. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Scope	Strategic planning shapes overall direction/resources and objectives.
1	Environment	It considers external conditions and organisational strengths/weaknesses.
1	Horizon	Long-term success is a major concern, not a fixed universal number of years.
1	Operations	Depot plans specify current resource use, tactics and functional adjustments.
1	Connection	Senior and functional roles differ but plans must align; operating feedback can change strategy.

Official concept source, PDF page 10

SM-C05-D003 · 3 marks

A factory makes unwanted goods cheaply, while a rival meets valued demand but wastes inputs. Distinguish effectiveness and efficiency without predicting their inevitable survival. (3 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Effectiveness	Attaining goals and desired competitive position is doing the right thing.
1	Efficiency	Input-output use is doing the thing right; low unit cost alone does not establish demand/goal fit.
1	Limits	Both matter. Source thrive/survive/die cells are illustrative, not deterministic forecasts for these firms.

Official concept source, PDF page 14

SM-C05-D004 · 5 marks

Managers choose a competitive plan and then arrange budgets, training and rewards. Distinguish formulation and implementation, with linkages. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Choice	Formulation plans/decides strategic goals and alternatives, with analytical and entrepreneurial work.
1	Action	Implementation manages forces during action through operational/administrative decisions.
1	Skills	Execution needs motivation, leadership and coordination across many people.
1	Emphasis	Effectiveness/efficiency contrasts describe emphasis, not exclusive responsibilities.
1	Link	Formulation precedes initial execution in the study model, but actual feedback makes them intertwined.

Official concept source, PDF page 16

SM-C05-D005 · 10 marks

Elm has a sound customer strategy but weak rollout resources. Fir executes a flawed offer efficiently. Pine has both weaknesses. Oak has sound choice and excellent rollout. Diagnose all four and recommend distinct improvements, with caveats. (10 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
2	Elm A	Sound formulation/weak implementation is A. Investigate resources, systems, skills and leadership; repair execution rather than discard a supported choice without evidence.
2	Fir D	Flawed formulation/excellent implementation is D. Reassess customer need and competitive choice before merely accelerating the rollout; good execution cannot establish goal fit.
2	Pine C	Flawed formulation/weak implementation is C. Redesign the choice and improve execution together, assessing feasibility/resources rather than one isolated symptom.
2	Oak B	Sound formulation/excellent implementation is B, the desirable combination. Keep monitoring assumptions and results; the label does not promise permanent success.
2	Evidence	Separate strategy validity from delivery evidence using customer/outcome/resource data. Source p12 awkward absolute language and success matrix are not proof of guaranteed returns or automatic blame.

Official concept source, PDF page 13

SM-C05-D006 · 5 marks

A new regional strategy requires local authority; existing scarce supervisors constrain the feasible rollout. Explain both linkages. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Forward	Chosen strategy changes needed structure, leadership or systems.
1	Application	Regional decision needs can require revised authority and coordination.
1	Backward	Available resources and past implementation affect strategic alternatives.
1	Application	Scarce supervisors may require phased growth or training before wider rollout.
1	Review	Neither existing structure nor new strategy is immutable; compare feasible changes and feedback.

Official concept source, PDF page 17

SM-C05-D007 · 5 marks

A research intent becomes a programme, several timed projects and a resource/structure plan. Explain activation and overlapping implementation issues. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Intent	Strategy needs actions to realise intent; a statement alone is not implementation.
1	Programme	Broad goals/policies/procedures/rules/steps are normally supported by funds.
1	Project	Specific objective with predetermined schedule/cost needs its own resource allocation.
1	Issues	Project, procedural, resource, structural, functional and behavioural work must be coordinated.
1	Sequence	Activities can overlap/repeat; listed order is not a compulsory one-at-a-time schedule or approved funding.

Official concept source, PDF page 18

SM-C05-D008 · 5 marks

A strategy is announced to branch staff after decisions are fixed. Incentives reward old behaviour and IT cannot support new tasks. Assess execution issues. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Participation	Early divisional/functional participation links feasibility and commitment to formulation.
1	Communication	Explain rationale and answer questions; top-down communication alone is not evidence of understanding.
1	Fit	Rewards should support strategic goals, not the old conflicting behaviours.
1	Capability	Provide skills, budgets and working information systems for actual tasks.
1	Leadership	Strategists remain involved and review obstacles; neither incentive changes nor training guarantee acceptance.

Official concept source, PDF page 19

SM-C05-D009 · 5 marks

A supplier disruption and shifting customer technology create uncertainty. Explain clustering, priorities and response options. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Clusters	Group uncertainty into useful themes instead of treating every signal equally.
1	Impact	Assess affected businesses and their importance, including potential growth beyond present sales/profit.
1	Flexibility	Adaptive plans and scenarios can support response to alternative futures.
1	Resilience	Operational robustness, financial flexibility and risk capability can reduce vulnerability.
1	Options	Diversification/partnership can help only with fit/net-risk assessment; uncertainty is not eliminated.

Official concept source, PDF page 11

SM-C05-D010 · 10 marks

Hazel introduces a customer-order platform. Staff fear job loss, interfaces are not tested and directors promise an instant transformation. Develop a change plan using the source process, stakeholder support and feasibility checks. (10 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
2	Goals and gaps	Specify service/accuracy goals and baseline current workflow, skills and systems. An installed application alone does not prove transformation or customer value.
2	Roadmap	Sequence pilot, interfaces, training and rollout with owners/resources and workable milestones. Gradual change can reduce overload, but timing depends on actual constraints.
2	Leadership and voice	Build consistent leadership support and shared vision while consulting affected staff/customers. Communicate honestly about effects; reassurance is not a false guarantee of no job risk.
2	Support	Provide tools, assistance, change agents and IT readiness; plan for legitimate resistance and operational disruption. Test adoption and quality rather than assume everyone accepts after a speech.
2	Review	Measure goals, feedback and unintended effects; correct and reinforce useful changes. Source success/necessity claims describe practices, not certainty or permission to deploy this fictional system.

Official concept source, PDF page 23

SM-C05-D011 · 5 marks

A courier sees obsolete processes, agrees a shared service vision and wants the new habits to last. Apply three strategic-change steps. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Recognise	Diagnose internal/external gaps and culture aspects that support or obstruct strategy.
1	Vision	Communicate credible shared direction and visible commitment.
1	Action	Implement changed strategy with consistent practices/resources.
1	Institutionalise	Reinforce new attitudes and routines rather than rely on one launch meeting.
1	Monitor	Review effects/deviations and adapt over time; shared vision does not erase all interests/conflicts.

Official concept source, PDF page 20

SM-C05-D012 · 5 marks

Before a workflow change, explain need; then practise new methods; then reinforce them. Apply Lewin and qualify permanent refreezing. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Unfreeze	Prepare people to understand why current routines must change.
1	Change	Support adoption of new patterns through learning and practice.
1	Refreeze	Reinforce useful new behaviours as normal routines.
1	Mechanisms	Compliance, identification and internalisation explain behaviour change, not identical motives.
1	Dynamic limit	The source also calls change cyclical; refreezing is not a ban on later adaptation or guaranteed permanent acceptance.

Official concept source, PDF page 21

SM-C05-D013 · 3 marks

A worker changes because of a bonus, another copies a respected colleague and a third believes the new method is valuable. Identify the three mechanisms. (3 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Compliance	Reward/penalty drives the first behaviour; it need not mean genuine belief.
1	Identification	A role model influences the second person.
1	Internalisation	The third person adopts the underlying reasoning/value through learning.

Official concept source, PDF page 22

SM-C05-D014 · 5 marks

A company changes strategy and reporting lines but ignores staff skills, incentives and values. Explain all seven elements and the model limits. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Hard	Strategy, structure and systems cover direction, work arrangement and processes.
1	Soft	Shared values, style, staff and skills cover cultural core, leadership, people and capability.
1	Fit	Change to one element can require adjustments in others; a chart alone cannot provide skills.
1	Diagnose	Assess actual gaps across hard and soft factors rather than assume one causes all performance.
1	Limits	Source notes external environment neglect, static tendency and unclear effectiveness/execution gaps; supplement with external and outcome evidence.

Official concept source, PDF page 27

SM-C05-D015 · 10 marks

Rowan grows from a single-market owner-led firm to differentiated regional lines. Decisions queue at the owner; departments compete for resources. Assess Chandler, possible structures and why a new chart cannot fix everything. (10 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
2	Strategy fit	Structure affects policy/objective framing and resource allocation. The new regional/product needs may make the old arrangement inadequate; diagnose the bottleneck first.
2	Simple to functional	Owner-led simple form can be quick with low formalisation but growth overwhelms information/time capacity. Functional specialists can support complexity but require cross-function coordination.
2	Divisional options	Geographic, product or customer grouping can improve local accountability where respective needs differ. Compare duplication, skilled managers and consistency costs, not choose by company size alone.
2	Two-way link	Structure should support strategy, but massive restructuring needs also constrain feasible choices. Chandler sequence is illustrative; there is no single optimal design for every firm.
2	Limits	A chart cannot make a bad strategy/product/manager good. Define authority, capability, systems and outcomes, then review fit; no fictional restructuring or staff action is authorised.

Official concept source, PDF page 29

SM-C05-D016 · 5 marks

A small owner-led business grows into specialist departments but loses whole-business coordination. Compare simple and functional forms. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Simple	Direct owner decisions, little specialisation/formality and frequent communication can suit limited scope.
1	Growth constraint	Information demands can exceed owner time/capability.
1	Functional	Grouping by production/marketing/finance supports specialisation and can be economical.
1	Trade-off	Functional orientations can create silos/myopia even when each function is efficient.
1	Integration	CEO/coordination mechanisms must preserve strategic view; size alone does not mandate one design.

Official concept source, PDF page 31

SM-C05-D017 · 5 marks

A group needs local regional response, product emphasis and separate major-customer service. Explain divisional choices and process distinction. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Geography	Regional customer conditions can support geographic units.
1	Product	Distinct product needs can support product/service divisions.
1	Customer	Major groups with distinct service requirements can support customer divisions.
1	Process	Process divisions follow workflow and are evaluated for revenue/profit, unlike ordinary functional departments in this comparison.
1	Costs	Accountability/local control can help, but duplication, manager/control costs and inconsistent practices need review.

Official concept source, PDF page 33

SM-C05-D018 · 5 marks

Distinct businesses each run operations under a small corporate office. More diversification makes direct operating understanding harder. Explain M-form and financial-control limitations. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Delegation	Divisions manage daily operations/business strategy with functional hierarchy.
1	Corporate	Headquarters handles overall direction and strategic/financial control.
1	Benefits	Separate results can improve comparison and allocation visibility.
1	Diversification	Operational understanding becomes harder, encouraging budgets/profit financial controls.
1	Dependency	Financial controls assume largely independent performance; related-unit spillovers need strategic assessment too.

Official concept source, PDF page 35

SM-C05-D019 · 5 marks

Six territories sell the same three distinct businesses. Propose an SBU planning basis and characteristics without assuming six SBUs. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Grouping	Group strategically related businesses, not automatically territories.
1	Planning	Business or related collection can have independent planning/feasible standalone scope.
1	Competition	Each needs its own identifiable competitors.
1	Responsibility	Manager responsible for strategy/profit should control profit-influencing factors.
1	Limits	Six territories do not establish business count. Assess product/technology/customer/capability relation; source p38 unrelated-SBU phrase is qualified by relatedness discussion p40.

Official concept source, PDF page 37

SM-C05-D020 · 10 marks

Willow needs scarce specialists across concurrent product projects. Functional managers protect skills while project managers need deadlines. Explain suitability, phases, dual-authority risks and governance. (10 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
2	Conditions	Cross-project ideas, scarce resources and better information decisions can support matrix evaluation. Comparable product/function priorities matter; not every project requires full dual authority.
2	Design	Functional and product/project dimensions operate together. Specialists can have two superiors, with functional continuity and project assignments; mature form can make both dimensions permanent.
2	Development	Temporary task forces may become product/brand integration and then mature matrix. These phases explain why some project arrangements are temporary while mature dual structures are permanent.
2	Risks	Dual budget/reward/reporting authority raises overhead and conflicts over resources/priorities. Vague goals or unclear technology worsen disputes; unity of command is challenged.
2	Governance	Define roles, allocation/escalation and mutual communication/training/trust. Compare benefits/costs and review delivery; source widely used/not popular statements are context-dependent, not current prevalence proof.

Official concept source, PDF page 41

SM-C05-D021 · 5 marks

A small broker headquarters coordinates specialist designers, suppliers and distributors by contracts/information systems. Assess network structure. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Form	Dispersed project/collaboration links replace many in-house functions.
1	Focus	Specialists can concentrate on distinctive capabilities.
1	Adaptation	Flexibility/response can help in unstable conditions.
1	Risk	Dependency, missed synergy and selecting wrong retained functions can harm competitiveness.
1	Terms	Information systems/contracting costs and quality need verification; outsourcing does not automatically prove buy is cheaper or authorise contracting.

Official concept source, PDF page 44

SM-C05-D022 · 5 marks

IT links executives and operating staff with a narrow generalist middle layer. Explain form, benefits and staff risks. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Shape	Three layers with constricted middle management.
1	Technology	Direct information links reduce some coordinating tasks.
1	Generalists	Middle managers handle cross-functional issues.
1	Benefits	Simpler decision paths may reduce cost and improve responsiveness, conditionally.
1	People	Reduced promotion routes can hurt motivation; lateral/challenging work and rewards may help, not guarantee satisfaction.

Official concept source, PDF page 46

SM-C05-D023 · 5 marks

A low-cost strategy meets a culture of wasteful status purchases. A creative team is disciplined for proposing new products. Explain culture as ally or obstacle. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Definition	Values, beliefs, principles, traditions, practices and work climate form culture.
1	Sources	Leadership deeds, stories, policies, peer pressure and stakeholder treatment reinforce norms.
1	Low-cost fit	Frugality can support efficiency; status spending can obstruct intended cost discipline.
1	Innovation fit	Punishing proposals can conflict with innovation-oriented strategy.
1	Strength limit	Strong culture helps only when appropriate fit exists; intensity of belief alone is not proof of good strategy.

Official concept source, PDF page 47

SM-C05-D024 · 5 marks

Managers announce customer-service values but keep old volume-only rewards. How should they build strategy-culture fit and judge timing? (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Diagnose	Identify supportive and conflicting norms with evidence.
1	Explain	Discuss needed changes and reasons openly.
1	Deeds	Align policies/rewards and recognise desired behaviours rather than contradict the speech.
1	Participation	Managers, supervisors and opinion leaders support daily practice; sustained visible commitment matters.
1	Time	Deep habits take time; source two-to-five years is illustrative, not fixed deadline. Soft management does not guarantee exponential performance.

Official concept source, PDF page 49

SM-C05-D025 · 10 marks

Birch enters a turbulent service market while maintaining a mature stable unit. Leaders face ambiguous information, conflicting staff goals and ethical concerns. Assess strategic roles and transformational/transactional approaches. (10 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
2	Direction	Develop/communicate vision and strategic choices using internal/external evidence. Anticipate, stay flexible and make sense of ambiguous information rather than insist the old mindset is always right.
2	Execution roles	Monitor progress, build capabilities/resources and coordinate people. Diagnose obstacles and corrective action, not merely provide charismatic speeches.
2	Transformational	Vision, enthusiasm and intellectual stimulation can inspire major change in the turbulent unit. Staff involvement and actual support still matter; charisma is not universally necessary or sufficient.
2	Transactional	Clear goals, systems and reward exchanges can improve current mature operations. Approaches can fit different needs or coexist; a stable industry does not compel one style.
2	Ethics and results	Ethical conduct, communication and human capital matter. Review sustained outcomes and stakeholder effects; strategic leadership does not guarantee above-average returns or authorise penalties/staff changes.

Official concept source, PDF page 51

SM-C05-D026 · 5 marks

A depot checks each dispatch against tolerances; management reviews aggregate logistics resources; directors ask if the strategy remains valid. Distinguish control levels. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Operational	Specific tasks/transactions with measurable input-output relationships are checked against standards.
1	Management	Integrated departmental/divisional resource use is assessed for goal achievement.
1	Strategic	Track whether strategy is implemented as planned and produces intended results, with premise/direction adjustments.
1	Loop	Set standards, monitor, compare/deviation learning and feed back corrective/adaptive information.
1	Overlap	Labels depend on purpose/scope, not job title alone; strategic review does not replace task controls.

Official concept source, PDF page 56

SM-C05-D027 · 5 marks

A strategy relies on stable interest rates. Broad scanning reveals an unexpected customer trend; a disaster requires urgent review; pilot milestones trigger reassessment. Apply four controls. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Premise	Monitor critical rate assumptions and their validity, prioritising change likelihood/impact.
1	Surveillance	Broad less-focused information browsing can reveal unanticipated strategic signals.
1	Special alert	Unexpected disaster can trigger immediate intensive review/crisis response.
1	Implementation	Assess strategic thrusts and milestone results for overall adjustment.
1	Boundaries	Controls complement one another and operational checks; no prediction/automatic success follows.

Official concept source, PDF page 58

SM-C05-D028 · 5 marks

A group tracks margin, retention, referrals, staff turnover, R&D spending and energy use. Classify measures and explain broader bottom lines. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Categories	Margin financial; retention customer; referrals market; turnover employee; R&D innovation; energy environmental.
1	Purpose	Use measures to align goals, inform allocation, improve and support accountability.
1	Inputs and outcomes	Spending is an innovation input/proxy, not proof of valuable launches or profit.
1	Breadth	Source triple bottom line adds people/planet to economic prosperity; quadruple adds purpose in its treatment.
1	Limits	Categories overlap, such as retention/market success. Neither an indicator nor purpose statement proves impact or current disclosure compliance.

Official concept source, PDF page 60

SM-C05-D029 · 5 marks

A service firm has relevant but old satisfaction data and a timely but unreliable complaint count. Explain four selection tests and behavioural risk. (5 marks)

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
1	Relevance	Indicators should link to strategic goals and actionable decisions.
1	Availability	Data must be collectable/analysable without impractical delays.
1	Quality	Accuracy/reliability matters; timely wrong counts can mislead.
1	Timeliness	Old satisfaction results may miss current issues; define reporting period.
1	Behaviour	KPIs influence staff behaviour; balance outcomes/quality and avoid overanalysis or gaming rather than maximise volume blindly.

Official concept source, PDF page 63

SM-C05-D030 · 10 marks

Maple Services has a sound customer strategy but weak implementation, scarce specialists across product projects and an old reward system. It proposes an order platform with a pilot. A critical supplier reliability premise weakens; a sudden flood occurs. Broad scanning finds a new segment. Supplied data: timely deliveries 180 of 200, target at least 95%; same-cohort retained customers 80 of 100; profit 24 and revenue 200 in the same period; electricity 12000 kWh for 3000 completed services. Analyse rollout, structure/culture/change, controls and performance without treating ratios as proof of cause or spending authority. (10 marks)

Supplied fictional values; ratios use the stated periods/cohort and output base.

Measure	Numerator	Denominator / target
Timely deliveries	180	200; target 95%
Retained customers	80	100 same cohort
Profit margin	24	200 revenue, same period
Energy intensity	12000 kWh	3000 services

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Marks	Credit	Working / case application
2	Diagnosis and rollout	Sound choice/weak execution is matrix A. Check resources, adoption, process and reward conflicts before blaming strategy. Define platform goals/gaps and pilot milestones, staff/IT support and feedback; no instant guaranteed transformation.
2	Structure and culture	Scarce cross-project skills can support a matrix option, with defined functional/project roles and escalation to control dual-authority conflict. Align actual rewards/customer norms and 7S elements, not only reporting lines or a slogan.
2	Change	Prepare people through unfreezing, practise supported new methods and reinforce effective routines. Shared vision, honest communication and gradual feasible rollout help; refreezing remains open to later review.
2	Controls	Supplier reliability is premise control; flood special alert; unexpected segment strategic surveillance; pilot strategic thrust/milestone is implementation control. Continue dispatch-level operational checks; distinguish event from control purpose.
2	Measures and limits	Timely 180/200=90%, below95% by5percentage points; retention80%; margin24/200=12%; energy12000/3000=4kWh/service. Define same-period/cohort bases and data quality. These snapshots cannot establish causal success or authorise platform spending/restructuring.

Official concept source, PDF page 58