Environmental Scans:A Research Perspective

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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

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Contents

Environmental Scans – Definition

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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.

Environmental Scans – Objectives

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

GovernmentSources

Industry Associations Media Guides and

Foundations

Trend Tracking Sites

Social Network Tracking

Wikipedia

Digital Public Library

of America

YouTube

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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/

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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:

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Contact Information

Gerald Bramm, President,Bramm Research Inc.Tel: 905-465-3578Cell: 905-302-1910Email: gbramm@brammresearch.comWeb: www.brammresearch.com

For more information on how we can help, please contact:

Deepak Pershad, Principal,Insights by Design Inc.Tel: 416-925-6536Email: dpershad@insightsbydesign.caWeb: www.insightsbydesign.ca