ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES CHECKLIST

1. Societal Changes
Changing customer preferences—Impacting product demand or design
Population trends—Impacting distribution, product demand or design
2. Governmental Changes
New legislation—Impacting product costs
New enforcement priorities—Impacting investments, products, demand
3. Economic Changes
Interest rates—Impacting expansion, debt costs
Exchange Rates—Impacting domestic and overseas demand, profits
Real personal income changes—Impacting demand
4. Competitive Changes
Adoption of new technologies—Impacting cost position, product quality
New Competitors—Impacting prices, market share, contribution margin
Price changes—impacting market share, contribution margin
New Products—Impacting demand, advertising expenditures
5. Supplier Changes
Changes in input costs—Impacting prices, demand, contribution margin
Supply Changes—Impacting production processes, investment requirements
Changes in number of suppliers—Impacting costs, availability
6. Market Changes
New uses of products—Impacting demand, capacity utilization
New markets—Impacting distribution channels, demand, capacity utilization
Product obsolescence—Impacting prices, demand, capacity utilization