Applicability of Environmental Scanning Systems : A Systematic List Approach to Requirements Criteria

The increasing volatility of their companies environment is a gro­wing concern for executives. Environmental scanning systems should enable them to focus earlier on emerging threats and opportunities. A lack of applica­bility means that concepts often go unused in practice. But what does appli­cability mean for environmental scanning systems design? Adhering to the design science paradigm, this article contributes to better information systems (IS) design by developing a systematic list approach to requirements criteria that specify the applicability of environmental scanning systems. The criteria are derived from the principle of economic efficiency, use findings from the ab­sorptive capacity theory, and can be applied to both evaluate existing environ­mental scanning systems and develop a new, more applicable generation. The findings should also be applicable to other IS domains.