Guilding et al. (2000) provided an original distillation of SMA techniques and also criteria for
viewing a particular accounting technique as ‘‘strategic”. They noted that in much of conventional
management accounting, a one year time frame is assumed and that an inward focus tends to
predominate. These characteristics highlight a non-strategic orientation in much conventional
management accounting, as strategy implies a long-term future-oriented time frame and an externally focussed perspective