Dr. Paul Schoemaker discusses the costs and benefits of scenario planning. As he notes, the costs can be relatively minor because scenario planning can be added into a company’s routine strategic planning process. The benefits grow as environmental uncertainty grows. Scenario planning helps executives “see around the corner”. It helps them envision what could potentially be coming next before their competitors see it. This ability to see the peripheries before your competitor is key to maintaining a strategic adventage in an uncertain world.

To summarize, the costs may be limited to management time and an investment in an experienced team of strategic planning facilitators. The benefit is preparing your company to out-compete your competitors in an uncertain future

More about scenario planning:
Scenario Planning Executive Training
Scenario Planning articles and books