Site visits are one of the most critical steps in the site selection process. They provide the opportunity to validate assumptions, uncover hidden risks, and build relationships with local stakeholders. While many companies rely on external consultants to lead this stage, some may choose to lead the process internally.
If that’s your approach, here are a five critical planning tips and best practices to make sure your site visits deliver maximum value.
1. Define Clear Objectives Before You Travel
A site visit isn’t just a tour of the location – it’s a strategic part of the evaluation. Before traveling, outline what you need to learn about infrastructure readiness (utilities, transportation, connectivity), workforce availability and quality, regulatory environment and permitting, logistics feasibility, and/or community support, business climate, and quality of life factors.
Having a checklist ensures you leave with actionable insights rather than impressions. Best practices to ensure the time is maximized include:
- Confirming that the required stakeholders will be present and have received the project requirements in advance to avoid time loss due to repetitive recaps of requirements and/or appropriate feedback not being prepared in advance.
- Ensuring all stakeholders have any updated project requirements, if applicable, to confirm technical solutions will be updated accordingly during the visit.
- Sharing information gaps and/or key concerns with the community prior to the visit to allow the community time to prepare feedback in advance for a more productive in-person meeting.
2. Operate with Confidentiality in Mind
Even if the community is already aware of the company name, there may be some project details that are best kept confidential. To avoid miscommunications of what information can or cannot be shared outside of the meetings, we suggest:
- Establishing NDAs with necessary parties to allow for productive and detailed discussions.
- Ensuring each stakeholder is aligned at the start of the meeting of information that should remain confidential.
- Avoid branded clothing, backpacks, laptops, etc. that can be easily identified when touring around the community.
Confidentiality of information shared by competing locations is also strongly encouraged. State and/or local incentive strategies (details of negotiations and/or detailed incentive offers) should remain confidential to the company and not shared with competing communities as this information is typically expected not to be disclosed with external parties.
3. Engage Local Stakeholders Strategically
Request meetings with local employers through the support of the local economic development organization. These conversations can reveal:
- Hiring practices and wage expectations
- Effectiveness of local training programs and workforce pipeline development efforts
- Community attitudes towards new investments
- Overall business climate advantages and/or disadvantages
4. Align the Project Team
Though preparations of the community will be critical to the effectiveness of the visit, ensuring all company stakeholders are on the same page will also be necessary. To ensure alignment prior to the visits:
- Developing a comprehensive briefing book can be an effective way to have all site information in one spot that provides an overview of the infrastructure and community aspects most relevant to the project.
- Highlighting key concerns that should be addressed will help indicate the focus for key discussion topics. This will also help quickly spot inconsistencies during the visit.
- Discuss criteria that will be considered a fatal flaw versus a preference. Understand what trade offs are feasible for the company’s long-term success versus those that are not to best prepare for technical discussions or negotiations.
- Ensure all attendees are considering the bigger picture – and not just their area of expertise. While each individual focus area will be a critical component to the final decision, the combination of all areas will be necessary to best determine the balance between the cost, quality, and risk of a location.
- Determine individual responsibilities to ensure information is gathered effectively for each discussion topic and any necessary follow up information is collected.
5. Logistics of the Visit Can Matter
Each location has the potential to be the next home of the future facility. Understanding whether the community is an attractive location for a future workforce, customers, and/or executives can also play a role in differentiating between locations. GLS recommends working with the local economic development organization to do the following:
- Conduct a windshield tour of the community to get a feel for the area and/or to evaluate surrounding uses, if time allows and/or between site tours.
- Identify suitable hotels and restaurants. While this may be beneficial for hosting customers and/or executive leadership visiting the facility in the future, it may also indicate the ability to attract and/or retain a workforce in the area.
Leading site visits internally can save costs but requires discipline and structure. By approaching each visit with clear objectives, thorough preparation, and strategic engagement, it can lead to making confident, informed decision that will position the company for long-term success!