Problem:
If you wait until you have all of the information that you think you need in order to make a decision, the probability is that by the time you're ready to make that decision, the decision is no longer yours to make. Howard Brown, M.D.
Some scholars suggest that by doing an extensive environmental scan, one risks the conundrum of "paralysis by over analysis" or missed opportunity. Other Scholars argue that the cost of NOT doing a thorough environmental scan is too great and could lead an organization to make major decisions that are based on incomplete or inaccurate data. So, it seems as if this type of analysis does have its pros and cons.
Question: Based on your professional experiences, are environmental scans necessary? If so, how much data are really needed? Please give concrete examples.