Besides these major functions, companies may have other supporting functions such as logistics and supply chain management, procurement, and research and development (R&D). Accordingly, if a business unit has a low-cost strategy, logistics and supply chain management focuses on getting lowest fees for transporting goods whereas procurement would want to purchase the lowest cost inputs for supporting business level strategies. R&D strategy aims to create innovations on products or processes with an aim of improvement. In that sense, R&D department may aid business strategy by developing the lowest-cost production process.
