Because strategic planning has been a popular topic for business writers, consultants,and academicians during the past decade, there are a number of planning models fromwhich to choose.The specific model selected for use in an organization will depend on the structure andculture of that organization. The elements of all the models fall into four very broadcategories: environmental scanning, strategy formulation, strategy implementation, andstrategy evaluation.You should be aware of how all these elements contribute to the strategic planningprocess. Figure 3.1 illustrates a typical strategic planning process.