The document describes the QUEST analysis technique, a four-step process for environmental scanning and strategy planning. The four steps are: 1) strategists observe events and trends, 2) they identify important issues that could affect the organization, 3) they prepare a report summarizing the issues, implications, and 3-5 scenarios, and 4) strategists review the report and scenarios to identify feasible strategic options.
2. INTRODUCTION
B. Nanus proposed QUEST. It is a four-step process that uses
scenario writing for environmental scanning. Following are the
four steps involved in this technique:
Strategy planners first observe the events and trends of the
organization.
Then, from that observation they broadly consider
important issues, which may affect the organization, using
environment appraisal.
Summarizing these issues, their effects and different
scenarios to show the implementation of these strategies,
creates a report.
In the last step, the planners who decide the feasibility of
the suggested strategy that is beneficial for the
organization review reports and scenarios.
3. 1. Internal strategists will observe and identify
the major events and trends in the Industry
2. Speculate on a wide range of important
ISSUES that might affect the future of their
organization
3. Preparing a report summarizing the major
issues and their implications and 3-5 scenarios
incorporating the major themes of their
discussion.
4. Report and scenarios are reviewed by a group
of strategists who identify feasible strategic
options to deal with the evolving environment.
4. After the environmental scanning process is
complete, the strategists start to appraise the
environment - called environmental
appraisal. It is structured by the preparation
of the environmental threats and
opportunities profile (ETOP), which involves
dividing the environment into different
sectors and then analyzing the impact of each
sector on the organization .