{"id":10563,"date":"2022-02-28T07:08:47","date_gmt":"2022-02-28T12:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/?p=10563"},"modified":"2022-02-25T14:10:30","modified_gmt":"2022-02-25T19:10:30","slug":"corporate-functional-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/corporate-functional-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Corporate Functional Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The role of corporate functions, traditionally, has been to conduct the various service-oriented specialized tasks necessary to run the business.\u00a0 Corporate functions ar<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-10569\" src=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/change3-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/change3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/change3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/change3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/change3.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>e of strategic significance in achieving organizational objectives yet their role at most enterprises is kind of contractual at best.\u00a0 These units assist in routine operations, facilitate other business units, and manage conflicts and relevant pressing matters.\u00a0 For instance, the <a href=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/browse\/stream\/human-resources\">Human Resources (HR) function<\/a> is typically responsible for staffing people, administering their benefits, <a href=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/browse\/stream\/performance-management\">managing performance appraisals<\/a>, and career advancement procedures.<\/p>\n<p>Constant pressure on businesses to compete in this age of disruption has forced them to rethink the role of their Corporate Functions.\u00a0 Lately, the expectations from corporate functions have evolved to the degree where the <a href=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/browse\/stream\/leadership\">Leadership<\/a> anticipates the support functions to be of more value for the company.\u00a0 These corporate functions are now required to align more strategically and directly with the Corporate <a href=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/browse\/flevypro\/functional-strategy-6093\">Functional Strategy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>To undergo Transformation, businesses should act quickly to tap value offered by these 4 key opportunities:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Change in Market Environments<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Increased Focus on Discretionary Activities<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Increased Pressure on Process Improvement<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Development of Distinctive Capabilities<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/browse\/flevypro\/functional-strategy-6093\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10578\" src=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Functional-Leadership.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1002\" height=\"752\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Functional-Leadership.png 1002w, https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Functional-Leadership-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Functional-Leadership-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1002px) 100vw, 1002px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s delve deeper into these key opportunities.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Change in Market Environments<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Markets are becoming more and more volatile, uncertain, and rife with innovative rivals.\u00a0 In addition, the constantly shifting customer demands are forcing organizations to put more pressure on strategic as well as support functions.\u00a0 This demands from these functions to develop expertise in order to deliver on more complex tasks than in the past.\u00a0 For instance, IT needs to be able to now design applications capable of unearthing vast data lakes to reveal valuable insights in real-time.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Increased Focus on Discretionary Activities<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Traditional corporate functions were more occupied with routine operational activities\u2014resolving financial errors, emailing, overseeing employee compensation, and managing IT assets.\u00a0 However, now, thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/browse\/stream\/process-improvement\">Process Optimization<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/browse\/flevypro\/business-process-outsourcing-bpo-sales-deck-1854\">Outsourcing<\/a>, Corporate Functions have become efficient to the point that they have slashed the requirement for resources to deal with routine activities significantly.\u00a0 This has freed immense resources, leaders\u2019 time and effort to be spent on discretionary strategic initiatives that have the potential to bring more value for the organization.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Increased Pressure on Process Improvement<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Changing market dynamics and intensifying rivalry has strained the organizations to ensure seamless implementation of strategic initiatives, boost effectiveness, and <a href=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/operational-excellence\">bring on Operational Excellence<\/a>.\u00a0 This competitive landscape has forced the functional leadership to reduce expenditures, find new avenues of operational improvement, and enhance value.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Development of Distinctive Capabilities<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The changing market dynamics have made the companies realize the significance of creating unique capabilities\u2014differential edge acquired due to the ability to do things remarkably and inimitably.\u00a0Organizations are now more focused on empowering their global corporate employees. \u00a0The Corporate Functions have now become more and more important for the organization\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/browse\/marketplace\/corporate-strategy-and-management-models-129\">Corporate Strategy<\/a>. \u00a0Rather than just assessing fulfillment of requests from the team members, rewards and recognition of functional leaders is now being tied more with their efficiency, judgment, ability to create key differentiators for the organization, and finding efficient ways of doing business.<\/p>\n<p>Organizations are now more focused on empowering their global corporate employees.\u00a0 Rather than just assessing fulfillment of requests from the team members, rewards and recognition of functional leaders is now being tied more with their efficiency, judgment, ability to create key differentiators for the organization, and finding efficient ways of doing business.<\/p>\n<p>Interested in learning more about Corporate Functional Strategy?\u00a0 You\u00a0can download\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/browse\/flevypro\/functional-strategy-6093\">an editable PowerPoint on <strong>Functional\u00a0Strategy<\/strong> here<\/a><u>\u00a0<\/u>on the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/browse\">Flevy documents marketplace<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Do You Find Value in This Framework?<\/h2>\n<p>You can download in-depth presentations on this and hundreds of similar business frameworks from the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/pro\/library\">FlevyPro Library<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/pro\">FlevyPro<\/a>\u00a0is trusted and utilized by 1000s of management consultants and corporate executives. Here\u2019s what some have to say:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cMy FlevyPro subscription provides me with the most popular frameworks and decks in demand in today\u2019s market.\u00a0 They not only augment my existing consulting and coaching offerings and delivery, but also keep me abreast of the latest trends, inspire new products and service offerings for my practice, and educate me in a fraction of the time and money of other solutions.\u00a0 I strongly recommend FlevyPro to any consultant serious about success.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Bill Branson, Founder at Strategic Business Architects<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cAs a niche strategic consulting firm, Flevy and FlevyPro frameworks and documents are an on-going reference to help us structure our findings and recommendations to our clients as well as improve their clarity, strength, and visual power.\u00a0 For us, it is an invaluable resource to increase our impact and value.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 David Coloma, Consulting Area Manager at Cynertia Consulting<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cFlevyPro has been a brilliant resource for me, as an independent growth consultant, to access a vast knowledge bank of presentations to support my work with clients.\u00a0 In terms of RoI, the value I received from the very first presentation I downloaded paid for my subscription many times over!\u00a0 The quality of the decks available allows me to punch way above my weight \u2013 it\u2019s like having the resources of a Big 4 consultancy at your fingertips at a microscopic fraction of the overhead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Roderick Cameron, Founding Partner at SGFE Ltd<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The role of corporate functions, traditionally, has been to conduct the various service-oriented specialized tasks necessary to run the business.\u00a0 Corporate functions are of strategic significance in achieving organizational objectives yet their role at most enterprises is kind of contractual at best.\u00a0 These units assist in routine operations, facilitate other business units, and manage conflicts&hellip;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/corporate-functional-strategy\/\" rel=\"bookmark\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Corporate Functional Strategy<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":10569,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[2804,76,2526,2857,2856,595,328,1338,32,2551,388],"class_list":["post-10563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-strategy","tag-capabilities","tag-corporate-strategy","tag-customer-demand","tag-distinct-capabilities","tag-functional-strategy","tag-human-resources","tag-operational-excellence","tag-outsourcing","tag-process-improvement","tag-strategic-initiatives","tag-strategy-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/110"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10563"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10563\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10582,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10563\/revisions\/10582"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}