Environmental scanning is the process of collecting, analyzing, and distributing information for strategic purposes. It provides strategic intelligence by evaluating potentially significant environmental changes to convey current status and trends. The goal is to allow for adaptive planning by alerting planners to trends that are converging, diverging, interacting, accelerating, or decelerating before they fully develop. Environmental scanning often refers to external factors but including internal factors provides a more complete picture. It is one cycle in the overall strategic planning process.

1. ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING

2. What is environmental scanning?November 2008WARP Fall Conference

3. What is environmental scanning? Definition:The process of collecting, analyzing, and distributing information for tactical and strategic purposesNovember 2008WARP Fall Conference

4. What is environmental scanning?Purpose of an environmental scan:To provide strategic intelligence by evaluating potentially significant environmental changes Conveys both current environmental status and how it is changing  trendsAlerts planners to trends that are converging, diverging, interacting, accelerating, or deceleratingIdeal end-goal: allows for adaptive planning before these trends occur or fully developNovember 2008WARP Fall Conference

5. What is environmental scanning?Other characteristics:Often refers only to the environment that is external to the organization (also called the macroenvironment)Good strategic planning requires information on internal organizational factors, so whenever possible include these also(unless obtained in separate processes)November 2008WARP Fall Conference

6. What is environmental scanning?How it fits in the planning cycle:One cycle in the strategic planning processNovember 2008WARP Fall Conference