The document provides a comprehensive overview of environmental scans, defining them as a continuous method for identifying and interpreting internal and external factors affecting strategy development. It outlines objectives, frameworks, and methodologies for conducting these scans using both primary and secondary research sources. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of ongoing scanning as a critical tool for organizations to respond proactively to a rapidly changing environment.

1. Environmental Scans:
A Research Perspective
© Insights by Design Inc. – All Rights Reserved
Insights by Design Inc.
Clear Analysis. Actionable Insights.

2. Environmental Scans – Definition 3
Environmental Scans – Objectives 4
Development of a Scanning Framework 5
Identification of Information Sources – Primary Research 6
Identification of Information Sources – Secondary Research 7
Information Collection and Classification 8
Analysis and Interpretation 9
Reporting of Results 10
Conclusions 11
About the Author 12
About Bramm Research 13
Contact Information 14
2
Contents

3. Environmental Scans – Definition
3
What is an environmental scan? While there are a number of slightly different
definitions, we define it as:
A method and process for identifying, analyzing, and interpreting information
about internal and external factors, that are likely to affect the development
and execution of one’s strategy over time.
Scanning is a continual process. For it to be of any value in strategy
development, it needs to be done on an ongoing basis.

4. Environmental Scans – Objectives
4
One usually begins an environmental scan by articulating the strategic issue that
needs to be addressed, and the overall context around the strategy.
For example, strategic challenges facing a membership-based association could
include an ongoing erosion of its membership base, or a decline in the use of
member services and resources.
Another example of a strategic challenge might be a decline in readership for an
established industry business publication over a period of time.
A needs assessment, situation analysis or SWOT section in a strategic plan is
usually a good starting point in the identifying the strategic issues to be scanned
for. A needs assessment can help to sharpen the focus on the key issues to be
addressed, and will typically be conducted among key stakeholders, in order to
help identify key issues and trends.

5. 5
Development of a Scanning Framework
Once you’ve established the strategic objectives of your scan, these will help you
to establish a scanning framework, i.e. the topic areas to be scanned. A common
method of identifying topic areas is STEEP - social, technological, economic,
environmental (ecological), and political.
Another key factor to note is that your scan should be both internal and external,
i.e. internally within your organization, as well as externally. Internal factors can
include employee or member engagement, changes in organization structure,
operating processes and systems, internal communications, and strategy planning
and implementation processes.
Note that areas in the STEEP framework may apply to your internal scanning as
well.
External/Internal Scanning (STEEP):
• Social
• Technological
• Economic
• Environmental (ecological)
• Political
Internal Scanning Area Examples:
• Employee or Member Engagement
• Organization Structure
• Operating Processes & Systems
• Internal Communications
• Strategy Planning & Implementation
Processes
Example of Scanning Framework Elements

6. 6
Identification of Information Sources –
Primary Research
Comprehensive environmental scanning will typically utilize a logical
combination of primary and secondary research methods. For example, primary
research in the form of a needs assessment survey of an organization’s internal
stakeholders will help to:
• Identify the key strategic issues to be addressed within an organization
• Help identify areas of focus, and information sources, for subsequent
secondary research efforts
• Establish benchmarks for internal performance metrics, such as employee
and management engagement
• Provide consistent metrics for internal progress against strategic benchmarks,
as the insights from the overall environmental scanning exercise are
translated into strategic direction and implementation
• Provide a method for research into external areas of focus, where reliable
secondary information may not exist
Primary research
to identify
strategic issues,
focus,
benchmarks,
metrics, data gaps
Secondary information
sources & scanning refined
on the basis of primary
research direction
Scanning outputs
used to update
primary research
measures

7. 7
Identification of Information Sources –
Secondary Research
In today’s digital world, there is virtually no limit to the amount of information one
can obtain on any given topic, with the main restrictions being access to proprietary
information, or paid-for reports.
In terms of secondary research sources, Google is the first and most comprehensive
search tool to start with (try Google Trends). Other obvious information sources
include:
 Government Resources (e.g. the U.S. Government -
http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Reference-Shelf/Data.shtml, and Statistics Canada -
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/start-debut-eng.html)
 Industry Associations
 Media Guides and foundations (e.g. The Canadian Media Directors Media Guide
- http://cmdccanada.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/cmdc_onlinesm.pdf, and the
Advertising Research Foundation - http://thearf.org/)
 Various trend tracking websites (e.g. http://trendwatching.com/)
 Social networking sites
 Wikipedia
 The Digital Public Library of America (http://dp.la)
 YouTube and Slideshare
In reality, there are an almost infinite range of information sources on the web,
though this may vary by the type of topics being pursued.
Government
Sources
Industry
Associations Media Guides and
Foundations
Trend Tracking
Sites
Social Network
Tracking
Wikipedia
Digital Public
Library
of America
YouTube

8. 8
Information Collection and Classification
After you’ve identified the types of information you need to provide insights to
your strategic question(s), it will help to set up some initial classification folders.
You can do this via created folders on your computer, or via an online resource,
such as Delicious, or a provider like www.knowledgeplaza.net.
Online tagging also enables the easier sharing of information sources, if you’re
working as part of a team. Two sources of such online resources are provided by
Wikipedia and ebizma.com:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_bookmarking_websites
http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-bookmarking-websites
Once you’ve set up your classification folders, you can begin to file your “hits”
(information bits and observations) into the appropriate folder, for analysis and
interpretation.
As you begin to collect information, you may wish to enter summary notes from
each “hit” in an annotation log, along with the appropriate site link, as needed.
You may also find that you need to create sub-folders within your main topic
areas, as you gather more information.
IDENTIFY:
Identify the types of
information required
as inputs for the scan
CREATE:
Create categories into
which the information
can be filed
COLLECT & CLASSIFY:
Collect and classify
information on an
ongoing basis, and
develop summary
notes
Information Collection and Classification

9. 9
Analysis and Interpretation
Once you’ve collected, classified and interpreted your information at a given point
in time, you can now pull back a little and look for more macro areas, e.g.
 Data consistency across multiple sources
 Possible inter-relationships between the different information categories or
“buckets”
 Possible co-relationships in trends, both within and across your information
categories
 Underlying causes driving co-related trends

10. 10
Reporting of Results
Outputs
The output from for your analysis can be tailored to the needs of your various
stakeholders. If you're a large organization with multiple departments and
audiences, it may help to follow "content management 101" practices and create
a core report, from which other information pieces can be generated. Such pieces
could include:
 A comprehensive analytical report (this could be the core report)
 A quarterly trend analysis
 A set of top lines that can be issued as new findings are generated
 An executive summary for senior management or the CEO
 A short newsletter
 An insights summary as an input to strategic planning
Core
Analytical
Report
Quarterly
Trend
Analysis
Top lines
Sr. Mgt.
Executive
Summary
Insights
Summary
Newsletter

11. 11
Conclusions
For any organization, be it a business, educational institution, or an association,
environmental scanning can be an invaluable strategic tool in being able to
respond dynamically with proactive insights, to a rapidly-changing internal and
external environment.
A combination of primary and secondary market research can be used to
effectively initiate, design, and conduct an environmental scanning survey. For
environmental scanning to be truly effective, it needs to be done on a
continuous basis, using both internal and external resources.
The rapid rate of change in today’s operating environment has made occasional
‘point in time’ surveys less effective in providing directional insights for
organizational strategy and action. More than ever, environmental scanning is a
tool that should be considered an essential part of an organization’s strategic
toolkit.

12. 12
About the Author
Deepak Pershad, Principal, Insights by Design Inc.
Deepak Pershad is an experienced marketing professional, with
over 25 years' experience in the advertising agency, consumer
packaged goods, and financial services segments, with
companies such as J. Walter Thompson, Kraft Foods, CIBC,
Canada Trust, RBC Financial Group, and TD Bank Financial
Group.
His experience has focused on research analysis, brand and advertising strategy, and
cross-functional management.
Insights by Design (www.insightsbydesign.ca) is a management consultancy that
specializes in providing a wide range of solutions in brand and marketing analysis,
market research analysis, and effective business presentations. Clients include
corporations, research and communications firms, and industry associations.
In addition to providing secondary research analysis (e.g. assessment of existing
research, trend and competitive analyses, brand audits etc.) Deepak works in
association with Bramm Research Inc. (www.brammresearch.com) to offer primary
B2B market research for a variety of segments
LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/deepakpershad/

13. 13
About Bramm Research
Gerald Bramm, President, Bramm Research
For more than 20 years Gerald Bramm has operated
Bramm Research (http://www.brammresearch.com) a firm
specializing in marketing research assignments primarily for
business-to-business clients.
His focus is on industry outlook and benchmarking/best
practices surveys for associations and industry publications.
He has worked in dozens of markets both in Canada and the U.S. and has a broad
experience in all manner of survey research, from large scale online surveys to
focus groups and individual interviews.
Prior to starting his own company, he was the Director of Research at the Southam
Business Information Group (now the Business Information Group). Before that he
was the Research Director at J. Walter Thompson in Toronto and Montreal.
Gerald has been a member of the MRIA (Marketing Research and Intelligence
Association) for 26 years. He holds the CMRP designation (Certified Marketing
Research Professional).
ca.linkedin.com/pub/gerald-bramm-cmrp/1/823/843LinkedIn:

14. 14
Contact Information
Gerald Bramm, President,
Bramm Research Inc.
Tel: 905-465-3578
Cell: 905-302-1910
Email: gbramm@brammresearch.com
Web: www.brammresearch.com
For more information on how we can help, please contact:
Deepak Pershad, Principal,
Insights by Design Inc.
Tel: 416-925-6536
Email: dpershad@insightsbydesign.ca
Web: www.insightsbydesign.ca