Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) first coined by Simmonds in 1981, has been proposed during 1990s as a solution to the Lost Relevance of Management Accounting. In the new century, Shank (2007) indicated that the 1990s were the ‘glory decade’ for SMA. Various surveys have indicated that the ‘term’ SMA is not and has not ever been widely used in practice.

Required:

Describe and explain the scope of SMA. Discuss to what extent you think SMA has provided a solution to the ‘lost relevance’ debate and indicate what, if anything, you see as the future of SMA either in practice or in academia. You may incorporate brief examples of SMA techniques to illustrate any points you make.