Inventory of Players (Audit 2)
- Why do an inventory? Just as in manufacturing or retailing, understanding who your current players are helps you evaluate your biocluster's present situation and reveals areas that need supplementing.
- What does an inventory consist of? For EACH category and each type of organization, the inventory should include:
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- a) Organization names and locations (address)
- b) URL
- c) New, expanded, contracted, same over last 3 years
- d) Total number of organizations
- Yes, this is a lot of information to assemble if you do not have it available. But there is method -- and tremendous value -- to this apparent madness, so please stay with us.
- Your local department of commerce, chamber or utility should be able to supply (or supplement your own) lists of organization names and locations ("a)" above. You may wish to use interns to fill in the spreadsheets that we have developed for items a) and b), or we can do this for you if you prefer. Item c) above will provide you an idea of your biocluster's dynamics.
- As the inventory is being completed, we will create color-coded maps of your biocluster. Their purpose is to reveal "at a glance" the distribution patterns of resources in your biocluster.
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- The Yahoo© map below is a simplified example of a biocluster map.
Some "at a glance" information that can be gleaned from even this very limited resource mapping:
- The large life science companies are located some distance away from the central city
- Two large hospitals and two biotech research parks are located very close to each other
- Large hospitals are dispersed throughout the area
As you might expect, these maps have additional value beyond biocluster planning, such as real estate development, natural resource management, transportation and utility upgrades.
Once you have an idea of the spacial dispersion of your biocluster members, the next question to ask is:
Do they talk to each other?
