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Environmental scanning collects data about an environment for planning and monitoring. It can be done ad-hoc, regularly or continuously. Scanning is useful for identifying weaknesses, opportunities, threats and strengths, and can be used to move quickly when identifying a problem or opportunity. Tools include screening employees, evaluating company communications and using third parties.
Environmental scanning is a data collection practice. It aims to gather information about an environment such as an office or an institution that can be used in planning, development and ongoing monitoring by managers and supervisors. Once the data has been scanned, it can be processed and analyzed to create a brief for use in decision making.
Some environmental scans are performed on an ad-hoc basis as needed. This scan is performed in response to a specific problem or concern such as the need to plan a new product launch. Regular scanning is performed on a regular basis; an example would be an annual review of a work environment conducted with surveys, observations, and other study methods. In continuous scanning, an environment is constantly being scanned and analyzed. While a continuous process takes time and money, it allows for quick adaptations to changing situations.
One reason to use environmental scanning is in preparation for a major change such as a new facility, a major change in policy, or a product launch. Scanning and collecting data before entering the planning phase is a useful tool for identifying weaknesses, opportunities, threats and strengths. These can be developed at the planning stage to create a strong and effective plan for addressing the issues identified during the environmental scan. Failure to gather information before plans are launched can lead to costly mistakes and missed opportunities.
Companies using environmental scanning can move quickly when they identify a problem or opportunity. This includes anything from a competitor’s release of a product that could threaten a company’s market share to a security problem in an office. The data collected in the environmental scan can be processed to develop an organized report to provide information to company executives and other executives who may be interested. Dispensing information effectively is an important part of this practice, as data is useless if it never gets into the right hands.
A number of tools can be used for environmental scanning. These include screening employees to gain insight into working conditions, viewing a workplace in a broader social and economic context, and evaluating company communications to determine what types of messages the company sends to the public. A third party may be called in to objectively evaluate or a company may scan in-house. Using insiders can sometimes lead to more information because insiders know where to look, but their bias can also affect the scan result.
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