Developing an environmental assessment for effective clinical laboratory strategic planning: Part II. A five-step process.

The 1990s will pose a unique set of opportunities and challenges for clinical laboratories and the health-care field. Successful positioning of the clinical laboratory requires a well-thought-out strategic plan for the next 3 to 5 years and beyond. To develop an effective strategic plan, you must assess the environment in which your organization operates. This article, the second in a two-part series, focuses on the strategic planning process for the clinical laboratory and on environmental assessment. The first article (1) discussed CLMA's environmental assessment process and its findings. This article will present a step-by-step approach you can use to develop your own clinical laboratory environmental assessment. The future of the clinical laboratory and related industries provides the context within which clinical laboratories must position themselves to effectively meet their clients' needs. These two articles provide a starting point for developing a vision of the future for the clinical laboratory industry and for the individual clinical laboratory.