Environmental Scanning

Environmental Scanning

Meaning of Environmental Scanning

The environment of a business is extremely dynamic in nature. It is always in a flux, i.e. constantly changing which means that the future of the business is also ever changing & the organization must keep a close at its environment via environmental scanning.

In any business organization, there is an internal and external environment. They comprise all the factors that can affect the business of a company in any way. And they also present opportunities for the business to grow and threats that may harm the business. So these environments need constant monitoring. This is where environmental scanning comes into the picture.

Environmental scanning is the gathering of information from an organizations internal and external environments, and careful monitoring of these environments to identify future threats and opportunities. It is the analyses of all factors that may affect the future of the organization. The purpose of this process of environmental scanning is to provide the entrepreneur with a roadmap to the changes likely to happen in the future. So this way they can adapt the business to overcome the threats and capitalize on the opportunities coming their way.

Importance of Environmental Scanning

1. SWOT Analysis

The environmental scanning is a complex process. The close study of the internal and external environment of an organization will reveal some very valuable information, i.e. the strengths, weaknesses, a opportunities, and threats of a company. Let us take a brief look.

• Strength: After analysis of the internal environment of a company, we will be able to identify the strengths that give the company a competitive advantage. The entrepreneur can use this information to maximise these strengths and earn more profits.
• Weakness: Study of the internal environment also point out the weaknesses of the company. For the growth and stability of the company, these identified weaknesses must be corrected without delay.
• Opportunity: Analysis of the external environment helps with the identification of possible opportunities. The entrepreneur can prepare to capitalize on these.
• Threats : Analysis of the external environment will also help in the identification of any business threats from competitors or any other factors. The company can come up with a strategy tondiffuse such threats or minimize its impact.

2. Best Use of Resources

Environmental scanning helps us conduct a thorough analysis and hence leads to the optimum utilization of resources for the business. Whether it is capital resources, human resources or other factors of production, their best use and utilization is very important for any business. Environmental scanning will help us avoid any wastages and allow for the most effective and economical use of these resources.

3. Survival and Growth of the Business

It is a very competitive world and for any business to survive and thrive it is a difficult task. But if the business employs all the techniques of environmental scanning it can gain a significant advantage.

It will allow the firm to prepare for future threats and opportunities while at the same time eliminating their weaknesses and improving on their strengths.

4. Planning for Long Term

A business must have a plan for both short term and long term. The planning of long-term objectives can only occur after proper analysis and environmental scanning meaning, This will help the entrepreneur plan the necessary business strategy.

5. Helps in Decision Making

Decision making is the choice of the best alternative done by management. Environmental scanning allows the firm to make the best decision keeping in mind the success and growth of the business. They point out all the threats and weaknesses. And they also identify the strengths of the firm.

Internal & External Analysis of Environment

Organizational environment consists of both external and internal factors. Environment must be scanned so as to determine development and forecasts of factors that will influence organizational success. Environmental scanning refers to possession and utilization of information about occasions, patterns, trends, and relationships within an organization’s internal and external environment. It helps the managers to decide the future path of the organization. Scanning must identify the threats and opportunities existing in the environment. While strategy formulation, an organization must take advantage of the opportunities and minimize the threats. A threat for one organization may be an opportunity for another.

Internal analysis of the environment is the first step of environment scanning. Organizations should observe the internal organizational environment. This includes employee interaction with other employees employee interaction with management, manager interaction with other managers, and management interaction with shareholders, access to natural resources, brand awareness, organizational structure, main staff, operational potential, etc. Also, discussions, interviews, and surveys can be used to assess the internal environment. Analysis of internal environment helps in identifying strengths and weaknesses of an organization.

As business becomes more competitive, and there are rapid changes in the external environment, information from external environment adds crucial elements to the effectiveness of long-term plans. As environment is dynamic, it becomes essential to identify competitors’ moves and actions. Organizations have also to update the core competencies and internal environment as per external environment. Environmental factors are infinite, hence, organization should be agile and vigile to accept and adjust to the environmental changes. For instance – Monitoring might indicate that an original forecast of the prices of the raw materials that are involved in the product are no more credible, which could imply the requirement for more focused scanning, forecasting and analysis to create a more trustworthy prediction about the input costs. In a similar manner, there can be changes in factors such as competitor’s activities, technology, market tastes and preferences.

• While in external analysis, three correlated environment should be studied and analyzed
• immediate / industry environment
• national environment
• broader socio-economic environment / macro-environment

Examining the industry environment needs an appraisal of the competitive structure of the organization’s industry, including the competitive position of a particular organization and it’s main rivals. Also, an assessment of the nature, stage, dynamics and history of the industry is essential. It also implies evaluating the effect of globalization on competition within the industry. Analyzing the national environment needs an appraisal of whether the national framework helps in achieving competitive advantage in the globalized environment. Analysis of macro-environment includes exploring macro-economic, social, government, legal, technological and international factors that may influence the environment.  The analysis of organization’s external environment reveals opportunities and threats for an organization.

Strategic managers must not only recognize the present state of the environment and their industry but also be able to predict its future positions.

Important links

• Strategic Management- Meaning, Concept & Objectives
• Features of Strategic Management- 8 Important Features
• Nature of Strategic Management & Its Importance
• Limitations of Strategic Management
• Reasons for Failure of Strategic Management
• Models of Strategic Decision Making
• Strategic Business Unit (SBU)- Success Factors, & Features etc.
• Environment- Meaning, Definition & Components

Disclaimer: wandofknowledge.com is created only for the purpose of education and knowledge. For any queries, disclaimer is requested to kindly contact us. We assure you we will do our best. We do not support piracy. If in any way it violates the law or there is any problem, please mail us on wandofknowledge539@gmail.com