Which of the following is not one of the characteristics of a contemporary control system?
a. it is a key catalyst for an ongoing debate about underlying data, assumptions, and action plans.
b. it must focus on constantly changing information that is strategically important.
c. it circumvents the need for face-to-face meetings among superiors, subordinates, and peers.
d. it generates information that is important enough to demand regular and frequent attention.

You work as the sales manager for a company that sells office supplies to businesses of all sizes. because the profit margins are razor-thin, you need to ensure that you are getting the very best prices on paper, pencils, pens, post-it notes, and other office supplies from the manufacturers. when reviewing the quarterly profit statement, you realize that your costs are higher than they should be, and you trace the higher costs back to an employee who has been lax about getting competitive bids to ensure the lowest prices. when you conduct your research to determine the reason for the higher costs, and take action to bring those costs back down, in which of the key management processes are you taking part?