STRATEGIC PLANNING: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO COMPETITIVE SUCCESS is geared toward the strategic management course where instructors want to place a focus on the strategy formulation phase of the strategic management process. Its coverage is limited to single-product or single-service firms or business units and does not cover corporate-level strategy of diversified conglomerates. It emphasizes the pragmatics of strategy over theoretical coverage. This brief text, first introduces readers to a variety of analytical tools used in thinking about strategic problems. Then, the reader should utilize the accompanying CD to become the analyst. By manipulating a series of interactive Excel spreadsheets, readers can thoroughly test out their ideas and "work the numbers," making this book an especially compelling choice among those who demand that the learner actively compile and manipulate financial data in analyzing companies and industries.