What Should an Organization Do After Completing an Environmental Scan?

Environmental scanning is a crucial process that involves systematically surveying and interpreting relevant data to identify external opportunities and threats that could influence future decisions. It is an essential component of strategic planning, as it provides valuable information about factors that may affect the organization in the future. Once an organization has completed its environmental scan, there are several steps it should take to leverage the insights gained and make informed decisions.

Analyze the Findings

The organization should carefully analyze the information gathered during the environmental scan to identify key trends, opportunities, and threats. This analysis will help the organization understand the external factors that may impact its operations and decision-making. It is important to identify both positive and negative factors, as well as their potential impact on the organization.

Modify Goals and Objectives

Based on the insights gained from the environmental scan, the organization may need to modify its goals and objectives. This could involve adjusting strategic priorities, reallocating resources, or setting new targets to align with the external environment. The organization should consider how the identified factors may affect its current goals and objectives and make necessary adjustments to ensure they remain realistic and achievable.

Develop Strategies

The organization should develop strategies to respond to the impacts identified in the environmental scan. These strategies may involve capitalizing on opportunities, mitigating threats, or adapting to changing market conditions. The organization should consider its strengths, weaknesses, and resources when developing these strategies to ensure they are feasible and effective.

Communicate and Engage Stakeholders

It is important for the organization to communicate the findings of the environmental scan to key stakeholders, such as employees, customers, investors, and partners. This helps ensure a shared understanding of the external factors affecting the organization and fosters alignment and collaboration. The organization should clearly communicate the implications of the environmental scan and how it will impact their decisions and actions.

Monitor and Update

Environmental scanning is an ongoing process, and the organization should continue to monitor the external environment and update its strategies and actions accordingly. This allows the organization to stay proactive and responsive to changes in the business landscape. The organization should establish a process for regularly reviewing and updating its environmental scan to ensure it remains current and relevant.

By following these steps, organizations can effectively utilize the insights gained from their environmental scan to make informed decisions, adapt to changing conditions, and achieve their strategic goals.

References

• Chegg. (n.d.). What does an organization do once it has completed its environmental scan? | Chegg.com. [online] Available at: https://www.chegg.com/homework-help/questions-and-answers/organization-completed-environmental-scan-question-12-options-alters-perceptions-stakehold-q131310859.
• SHRM. (2023). What are the Basics of Environmental Scanning as Part of the Strategic Planning Process? | SHRM. [online] Available at: https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/tools/hr-answers/basics-environmental-scanning-part-strategic-planning-process.
• Business.com. (2023). What Is Environmental Scanning? | Business.com. [online] Available at: https://www.business.com/articles/what-is-environmental-scanning/.

FAQs

1. What is the purpose of an environmental scan?

An environmental scan is conducted to identify external opportunities and threats that could influence an organization’s future decisions and strategic planning.

2. What should an organization do after completing an environmental scan?

After completing an environmental scan, an organization should analyze the findings, modify goals and objectives, develop strategies, communicate with stakeholders, and continuously monitor and update the scan.

3. Why is it important to analyze the findings of an environmental scan?

Analyzing the findings helps the organization understand the external factors that may impact its operations and decision-making, allowing it to identify key trends, opportunities, and threats.

4. How should an organization modify its goals and objectives based on the environmental scan?

The organization should consider how the identified external factors may affect its current goals and objectives, and make necessary adjustments to ensure they remain realistic and achievable, aligning with the changing environment.

5. What types of strategies should an organization develop in response to the environmental scan?

The organization should develop strategies to capitalize on opportunities, mitigate threats, and adapt to changing market conditions, considering its strengths, weaknesses, and resources to ensure feasibility and effectiveness.

6. Why is it important to communicate the findings of the environmental scan to stakeholders?

Communicating the findings helps ensure a shared understanding of the external factors affecting the organization, fostering alignment and collaboration among employees, customers, investors, and partners.

7. How can an organization monitor and update its environmental scan?

The organization should establish a process for regularly reviewing and updating the environmental scan to ensure it remains current and relevant, allowing for proactive and responsive decision-making in a dynamic business landscape.

8. What are the benefits of conducting an environmental scan?

Environmental scanning provides valuable insights into external factors that may impact an organization, enabling it to make informed decisions, adapt to changing conditions, and achieve its strategic goals more effectively.