What is a feasibility study and its types?

In this blog, you will understand everything about the feasibility study. We will discuss what it is, what its types are, and why it is important. Moreover, we will also see a case study on a feasibility study to better understand the concept.

What is a Feasibility Study?

A feasibility study is an analysis and evaluation of the practicality, viability, and potential success of a proposed project or business practice. It involves assessing various technical, economic, legal, operational, and scheduling considerations, to determine whether the project is feasible and worth pursuing. The goal of the feasibility study is to provide stakeholders with insights into potential risks, costs, and benefits, helping them to decide whether they should proceed with the project or not. This study is the foundation of any project. It helps answer the question ”Is the project feasible or not?”

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Types of Feasibility Study

There are five types of feasibility studies and those types are as follows:

• Technical Feasibility: Technical feasibility assesses the technical complexity of an expert system, including its potential implementation using different techniques and tools. An important aspect of technical feasibility involves selecting the appropriate development shell because the choice of the shell impacts the system’s quality and is necessary for its success. While the ideal characteristics of an expert system shell may vary based on the task and domain requirements, it should possess the flexibility to incorporate expert reasoning effectively. Moreover, a user-friendly interface in the shell promotes increased usage by end users, contributing to the system’s overall success.
• Economic Feasibility: The process of collecting information about a proposed project and then analyzing it is necessary to determine the feasibility of implementation, mitigate risks, and check the project’s profitability. Understanding the project’s potential success or loss in comparison to the local market and its demands is important. Moreover, evaluating the company’s capacity to sustain profitability over a specified period is necessary. This detailed examination is the economic feasibility study. The overall success and efficiency of projects depend on careful planning. Accurate planning serves as the primary foundation influencing the anticipated financial outcomes of the project.
• Legal Feasibility: A legal feasibility assessment involves examining a proposed restructuring plan for potential legal issues and formulating an implementation strategy with a focus on tax considerations. Tax implications are often a critical factor in an International Business Restructuring (IBR) project, and legal teams play a key role in assessing and addressing these concerns. Once the restructuring plan is well-defined, legal teams conduct a thorough review for any potential red flags. The findings from this analysis are incorporated back into the plan, enhancing its effectiveness. In certain cases, the legal team may also conduct traditional legal due diligence as part of the overall feasibility evaluation. An example of a feasibility assessment framework in project management is TELOS, which encompasses five areas of consideration.
• Operational Feasibility: Operational feasibility involves assessing the extent to which a service meets requirements and the ease of operating and maintaining the product post-deployment. This analysis includes evaluating the usability of the product and determining whether the suggested solution proposed by the software development team is acceptable. Other operational aspects, such as the practicality of implementing the suggested solution, are also considered in this evaluation.
• Scheduling Feasibility: This evaluation is important for the success of a project since timely completion of the projects is necessary. Scheduling feasibility involves estimating the time required to complete the project. Once these aspects are thoroughly examined, the feasibility analysis helps pinpoint potential constraints that the proposed project may encounter, encompassing internal project constraints such as technical, technology, budget, resource, etc., internal constraints of an organization, i.e., financial, marketing, export, etc., and external constraints including logistics, environment, laws, and regulations.
• Environmental Feasibility: An environmental feasibility study tests the practicality of a project. It checks the project’s environmental and social impact and potential challenges and risks associated with it. It provides risk mitigation strategies as well. The goal of an environmental feasibility report is to assess risks and liabilities related to environmental health issues, like land contamination, before entering into any contractual agreements. This is an important step as these risks could result in financial liabilities for the involved parties.

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Importance of Feasibility Study

To verify whether the proposed business ventures will be successful or not, a feasibility study is very important. It provides information about the target market, business competitors, and many other important factors that help in deciding the objectives, budget, and outputs of the business.

The importance of a feasibility study is discussed below in detail.

• Understanding the Project Requirements: To get an idea of the resources needed for the project is important before starting the project. Apart from financial assets, a project depends on various physical resources such as raw materials, technical equipment, and machinery, for successful completion. It is important to distinguish between available resources and those you need to acquire. A feasibility study helps in assessing these requirements and resource allocation for the project.
• Defining Project Scope: A feasibility study discovers ideas that help in defining a project’s scope. It defines project scope and boundaries by analyzing market conditions, technical feasibility, financial aspects, operational considerations, and risks.
• Investment Planning: Every business needs to create a plan of how much investment is needed in different areas of the proposed business beforehand. The feasibility study helps analyze the projects’ monetary requirements and asses if there is the possibility of cost-cutting in any area. Moreover, it helps in assuring the investors and banks that the project is worth investing in. This increases the allocated budget for the project expenditures.
• Risk Assessment: It’s important to evaluate potential risks in advance, rather than starting and learning that the project won’t work. The feasibility study is important for risk assessment. It systematically evaluates the viability and practicality of a project before implementation. Through this process, potential risks can be identified, contributing to an understanding of the project’s challenges and uncertainties. Also, if some issue is found in some part of the plan, it can be modified. 
• Decision Making: A feasibility study plays an important role in making decisions for a proposed project. It carefully looks at different aspects of potential business options. It helps choose the most workable and suitable options that match the organization’s goals and abilities by examining market conditions, technical needs, finances, operations, legal requirements, and risks.  
• Effective Planning: A feasibility study gathers useful information that can help you develop a practical and achievable plan for your project. 

Factors Affecting Feasibility

Several factors can impact the outcome of a feasibility study, influencing the decision-making process and the viability of a proposed project. Key factors affecting a feasibility study include:

1. Market Conditions: The demand for the product or service, competition, and market trends can influence the feasibility of the project. 
2. Competition: Market competition affects the feasibility of a project in positive as well as negative ways. Limited competition can increase the feasibility by offering a competitive advantage. However, intense competition may create challenges and negatively affect the project’s profitability and market share.
3. Financial Stability: A financially stable company can better fund and sustain the project, contributing to overall feasibility. On the other hand, financial instability may reduce the ability to secure funding or sustain operations which affects the feasibility of the project.

Case Study on Feasibility Studies

Imagine, a small community in rural Colorado is considering developing a community solar farm for generating clean electricity for its residents. The goal of the project is to reduce the reliability of fossil fuels, lower the cost of energy, and promote environmental sustainability.

For the feasibility study of the project, the community hired a consulting firm. The study examined the aspects of the project, which included:

• Technical Feasibility: This study evaluated if suitable land is available for the project along with the grid infrastructure. It also assessed the technical expertise required to design, install, and operate the solar farm.
• Economic Feasibility: This study assessed the project’s initial investment costs and possible revenue from electricity sales. It also evaluated potential government incentives or subsidies.
• Operational Feasibility: The operational feasibility study evaluated the community’s ability to manage and maintain the solar farm, including considerations such as ongoing maintenance, insurance, and potential staffing needs.
• Scheduling Feasibility: The scheduling feasibility study developed a project timeline by considering factors such as permit acquisition, equipment procurement, and total time to be taken for construction.
• Legal Feasibility: This study identified legal requirements related to land use, zoning regulations, environmental regulations, and connection to the electricity grid.
• Environmental Feasibility: The study calculated the project’s potential environmental impacts, including land usage, noise pollution, and potential impacts on wildlife.

The feasibility study concluded that the project was technically feasible, economically viable, and legally compliant. However, the study identified several challenges that would need to be addressed, including:

• Securing Funding: The project required significant upfront funding, and the feasibility study recommended exploring financing options such as grants, loans, and community investment initiatives.
• Navigating Regulatory Processes: The study highlighted the need to navigate complex regulatory processes related to land use permits, environmental approvals, and connection to the electricity grid.
• Building Community Support: The study emphasized the importance of engaging the community throughout the project’s development and implementation to address concerns and foster support.

Project Outcome

Based on the findings of the feasibility study, the community decided to proceed with the project. They successfully secured funding through a combination of grants, loans, and community contributions. They worked closely with regulatory agencies to obtain the necessary permits and approvals. They also engaged in community outreach to address concerns and get support.

The community solar farm is now operational and generating clean electricity for the community. It has reduced the community’s reliance on fossil fuels, lowered energy costs, and promoted environmental sustainability. The project has also served as a model for other communities seeking to develop their renewable energy projects.

Conclusion

Feasibility studies are required if you want to execute your projects successfully. By understanding market conditions and making sure that you are complying with the rules, feasibility studies increase stakeholder confidence and contribute to project success. Stakeholders, including investors, partners, and regulatory bodies, have confidence in a project when its feasibility has been rigorously evaluated. This transparency and strategic planning establishes trust. 

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