Strategy and control are an important relationship in management accounting as they inform the nature and use of control systems to guide decision makers. Strategy deals with strategic issues and the goal of having a sustainable competitive advantage. Strategies must be well thought out as well as specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. Controlling is the task of establishing standards, measuring performance and taking corrective actions to ensure objectives are achieved. Strategy and control frameworks provide a means of determining the link between strategy and control. One model is Ferreira and Otley's performance management system, which provides a more holistic view of the organization to ensure that valuable information is available to decision makers. A second framework is Kaplan and Norton's strategy map which shows the steps and connections between strategy development and the organization's operations to provide decision makers with information regarding difficult operational areas. Strategy can be defined as complementary actions that work to maintain competitive advantage; however, it may be more important to understand the definition of strategic management accounting. Hopper, Ashton and Scapens (1995) define it as “an approach to management accounting that explicitly highlights strategic issues and concerns. It places management accounting in a broader context where financial information is used to develop superior strategies as a means to achieve sustainable competitive advantage (p. 162). The importance of an organization's strategy can be seen when the implementation of control system tools is required for guidance. This often comes in the form of strategies. The strategy can provide… half of the document… n producers could not otherwise have done so and will influence the outcome of the decisions made for the better. Works Cited Brookes, A., Eldenburg, L. G., Oliver, J. , Wolcott, S., & Vesty, G. (2011). Management accounting. Queensland, Australia: John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd.Ferreira, A., & Otley, D. (2009). The design and use of performance management systems: An extended framework for analysis. Management Accounting Research, 20(4), 263-282Hopper, T.M., Ashton, D., & Scapens, R.W. (1995). Management accounting issues (2nd ed.). Edited by D. Ashton, T. Hopper and R. Scapens. , UK: Prentice Hall.Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (2000). Having trouble with your strategy? Then map it out. Harvard Business Review78(5), 167-176Sanchez, M. (2007). 8 strategies to achieve SMART goals. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/8-strategies-for-achieving-smart-goals.html