The Strategic Environmental Scan Tool

Abstract

Strategy Question: How do I develop an effective plan and strategy in an environment that is highly uncertain, turbulent, and unpredictable?

Summary: An organization exists as a subset of numerous spheres of influence, including the overall environment, the economic forces within that, and the industry forces within that. The Strategic Environmental Scan (SES) uses a structured approach to survey each of those areas, compile responses, sort responses, forecast impacts of those issues seen as higher probability, and highlight those issues for plan consideration. Since a strategist can’t control these forces, it is important to understand the environmental forces to develop real-time course corrections within the planning horizon. The tool consists of a basic one-page framework along with a process to gather, assess, and organize information that the strategist can use to determine what environmental issues deserve serious attention in the development of the strategy and plan, which issues need to be monitored, and which can be ignored (for the time being). This tool builds upon Dr. Michael Porter’s gold standard Five Forces Industry Analysis and employs stakeholder input to ensure a full appreciation of the broad environmental factors.

Citation

Fairbanks, S. and Buchko, A. (2018), "The Strategic Environmental Scan Tool", Performance-Based Strategy, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 71-90. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78743-795-120181008