This article discusses the emergence and importance of strategic planning in the activities of modern enterprises, the need for more effective procedures and strategic planning systems. Particular attention is paid to the dynamics of the spread and introduction of the strategic planning system in the practice of management of American companies in the 70s early 80s. The constructive role of long-term planning in the further evolution of intrafirm strategic planning is seen in the fact that, as its shortcomings were revealed, the possible and necessary ways to eliminate them became clearer. It is possible to conclude that the processes of diversification had a very direct impact on the creation of conceptual approaches that formed the basis for strategic planning. Primarily, the segmentation of the entire range of business operations of the firm is dividing them according to certain pre-selected criteria into internally more or less homogeneous and, therefore, more manageable parts. A definite step in this direction has already been taken with a broad introduction into corporate practice of a divisional (or separate) organizational structure.
Keywords: planning, strategic planning, strategic management, long-term planning, diversification.
