Environmental Scanning Systems: State Of The Art And First Instantiation

The 2008/2009 economic crisis provided a sustainable impulse for improving environmental scanning systems (ESS). Although a rich body of knowledge exists, concepts are not often used in practice. This article contributes a literature review addressing six findings for ESS design to become more applicable than the state of the art. They are structured by the elements of information systems (IS) design theories. Addressing the lack of a sound requirements analysis, our first finding proposes a 360- degree ESS for executives\u27 managing a company task and presents how to select just the most important scanning areas to keep focus. Three other findings cover the IS model perspective focusing on a better grasp of weak signals: define concrete indicators and use IT to identify relevant cause effective- chains, leverage IT to automate day-to-day routines and monitor the variety of indicators\u27 movements, and leverage expert experience and translate indicators\u27 impact into a balanced opportunity-and-threat portfolio. From the methods perspective on ESS, we fifth propose to incorporate scanning results into executives\u27 decision-making process more closely by generating scenarios from a set of assumptions and the development of indicators. Retrospective controls to update the ESS continuously and collaboration to share the scanning findings in day-to-day operation is our sixth finding. Finally, an instantiation at a large international company helped us validate our findings and to highlight how current developments in IS contribute to successful design, implementation, and day-to-day operation of new-generation ESS

POWERING UP COMPANIES\u27 CRYSTAL BALLS: ANALYSIS OF A MULTI-CASE STUDY TOWARDS MORE APPLICABLE ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING SYSTEMS

The increasing volatility of their companies\u27 environment is a growing concern for executives. IS-based environmental scanning that complements the accounting information system domain can help to manage this challenge. A substantial body of knowledge on such information systems exists, but these concepts often go unused in practice. This article develops five design guidelines for environmental scanning systems that are more applicable than those outlined in previous research. In doing so, we first compile a set of requirements based on the principle of economic efficiency, and then use findings from the absorptive capacity theory to specify them. Challenging several implementations against these requirements in a multicase study generates findings that we synthesize into design guidelines. They address diverse areas: designing a more comprehensive model for information gathering, setting up a collective learning process for interpreting information, using IS to enable management techniques familiar to executives, designing processes for more interorganizational integration of environmental scanning systems, and accelerating prototyping

More applicable environmental scanning systems leveraging "modern” information systems

With Ansoff's article about weak signals as a flagship example, a substantial body of knowledge about environmental scanning systems exists. However, these concepts often go unused in practice. The 2008/2009 economic crisis provided a strong, ongoing impulse for redesigning such information systems (IS). This article develops six guidelines for the conceptual design of environmental scanning systems that are more applicable than those specified by previous research. We start with literature research, which reveals three gaps in existing approaches. Then we develop design guidelines to fill these gaps with the help of "modern” IS. To address the lack of sound requirements analysis, our first design principle proposes 360-degree environmental scanning systems for executives and suggests how to select the most important scanning areas. Three further findings cover weaknesses in the IS model perspective, focusing on more effective implications of weak signals. In terms of method, we propose incorporating scanning results more closely into executives' decision-making processes. Applying the design guidelines at a raw materials and engineering company, we arrive at a prototype we call the "corporate radar.” It includes an IS-based tree with economic value added at risk on top. The resulting lessons learned help to evaluate our findings and the research method presented here, as well provide concrete starting points for future researc

An exploration of external environmental scanning and the strategy process

This thesis is concerned with ways in which organisations scan their external environments and how this scanning is related to the process by which they make and implement strategy. The aim of this thesis is to use a qualitative approach to elaborate on existing theory relating to external environmental scanning and to consider its relationship with the strategy process. Prior academic literature bases for strategy process and for environmental scanning were reviewed and synthesised. From this an integrated conceptual framework incorporating strategy process, environmental scanning and the external environment was proposed. Seven case studies, encompassing small, medium and large businesses, were selected for empirical study using a theoretical sampling approach. Qualitative data from interviews and secondary sources were collected and in-case analyses conducted for each organisation, the final outcome of which was a causal network of factors that resulted in scanning of the environment in each organisation. A validation exercise that involved feeding back parts of the analysis to selected respondents suggested that the analysis was robust. The cross-case analysis revealed that size of organisation had a significant impact on various aspects of scanning activity, including scope, mode and formality of scanning. The impact of perceived environmental uncertainty on scanning was affected by both company size and type of uncertainty. The research uncovered six drivers of scanning activity that were present in different ways depending on the strategic approach of the organisation. Finally, with the integrated conceptual framework as a foundation, a model of environmental scanning and the strategy process was developed using empirical evidence from the seven causal networks. This research contributes an understanding of how and why environmental scanning activity relates to the strategy process in organisations. In addition, this research contributes to knowledge of environmental scanning through its qualitative, multiplecase study approach and its perspective on scanning as an organisational rather than an individual activity