A. Supply of labor and its quality (including
management)
B. Supply and costs of key inputs needed for operations
C. Technical characteristics and specifications of required plant
and equipment
D. Assessment of potential operational capacity and efficiency
E. Location considerations (if one has not been already selected)
and assessment (if one has been selected)
This section lays out the operational aspects and procedures of
the proposed business including: the supply of labor and its
quality; which key inputs will be required (raw materials such as
soybeans or wheat, for example), their source (supported by a
survey of potential members, if applicable) and their cost; the
technical characteristics (e.g., the type of plant design required,
equipment, facilities, building systems, etc.); the feasibility of
finding proper management; location aspects; and operational issues
or options; etc. The study should address the ability of the
project to operate efficiently within the scope of the project's
parameters.
It is important to provide information on the technical aspects of
the project and to show how the proposed technologies will work
within the context of the entire project. In projects with unproven
technologies, this can be the most important aspect of a study and
it provides a basis for close assessment. In projects with proven
technologies, the study can serve to correct design flaws before
costly mistakes are implemented.
If the project requires construction of a sophisticated facility,
such as a meatpacking or soybean processing plant, professionals
such as architectural, engineering, or management specialists will
need to be consulted early in the process. The needed expertise
should be described in the feasibility study. Assistance that will
be needed for loan agreements, legal contracts, and construction
should be documented also.
If a location has been selected, the study should address the
implications of that location-is it efficiently situated for the
potential labor supply, is it adequate for delivery and
distribution channels, does it meet city/town ordinances and
regulations, will permits be required, resources be available to
cover its costs, etc.? If a location has not been selected, the
feasibility study may provide some prerequisite stipulations, data,
and standards by which to choose a location given the type of
project, industry, and technology involved.