“ Effective CI is a continuous process involving the legal and ethical collection of information, analysis that doesn’t avoid unwelcome conclusions, and controlled dissemination of actionable intelligence to decision makers” [SCIP]
Who Does It?
CI Professionals
Product Managers
Financial Analysts
Librarians
Knowledge bearers
Technology Experts
Management Teams
Business Analysts
Etc,
CI is not “just” a department. It is actually a culture that permits a group of officially tasked individuals to work proactively with a community of knowledge bearers and leaders in an environment where no one person knows all the answers but everyone contributes to finding the solution and achieving a consensus for action!
Today’s Agenda:
What is Competitive Intelligence
Required Skills and Training
The CI Process
The Role of The Information Professional
Searches Within The CI Remit
Final Thoughts
Required Skills And Personal Attributes Tangible Skills
Competitive Intelligence techniques
Business acumen [including, financial, economic, and market expertise]
Expert knowledge of a particular market, product or industry
Expert research skills or ability to direct others to find what is needed
Personal Attributes
Intense curiosity and drive to thoroughly complete a project
Perseverance, diligence and outstanding patience
Interpersonal networking capabilities
Impeccable ethical grounding
The ability to take a calculated risk with an awareness of the consequences
Willingness to communicate [via documents, presentations and meetings]
Willingness to listen and constantly learn new things
Strong memory
Some degree of helpful cynicism
Above all: outstanding judgment and common sense
Contents
What is Competitive Intelligence
Required Skills and Training
The CI Process
The Role of the Information Professional
Searches Within The CI Remit
Final Thoughts
The CI Process A Normally Accepted View of The CI Work Flow
Work Flow Components:
Understand requirements
Planning and direction
Collection
Processing
Analysis
Reporting
Dissemination
Follow-up
Contents
What is Competitive Intelligence
Required Skills and Training
The CI Process
The Role of The Information Professional
Searches Within the CI Remit
Final Thoughts
The Information Professional Within The CI Work Flow The Analyst Zone The Information Zone Projects & Assignments Information Research Strategies Sources & Research Review, Summarize Synthesize Continue or Handoff Report Development Packaging Presentation Sequence
Preliminary
Peer Review
Business Leaders
Executive Team
Needs Data Synthesis Analysis Findings & Recommendations Market Actions The Task Can Reach Here The Task Can Continue As Far As Permitted By Either the Organization or Information Pro Persona The Domain of The Analyst And Expert Group
The Results Zone
High Risk
High Impact
Implementation
The Market Standard Info Pro Role Role Performed By Some Info Pros Potential Career Path Evolving from Info Pro Skills and Experience
Some Concepts Information Zone
Expert skills and knowledge ensure success
Success Is measurable by defined standard deliverables
High quality information that feeds analysis is located
Summaries and suggested findings offer value added service levels
Analyst Zone
High level findings and recommendations (may be challenged by other experts)
Intimate knowledge of markets, products, people, & business environment mandatory
Chief Executive level deliverables may be required
Results Zone
Information and analysis lead to recommendations and results
High visibility along with high risk
Recommendations delivered here likely to result in market implementation
CI Department leaders often required to frequent this zone
There is nothing wrong with staying in the information zone. However, the visibility associated with a recognized CI professional permits many opportunities to play a role that is quite dynamic, exciting and risky!
Some Guiding Principles The CI Task
Requires thorough due diligence
May directly influence decisions, investments as market actions
Successful careers depend on quality of service
The successful expert will navigate an array of sources based on an end-point strategy
The Sources
Today’s information technology permits a variety of approaches
The “Google™” or Web search provides many potential positive outcomes
Some tasks require a more targeted search
Advanced Search Options and Techniques:
A defined set of coverage including range of years and subjects
A taxonomy to improve chances to achieve desired results
Searchable codes
Defined navigation techniques
Abstracts or full text
Ways to “de-duplicate” result sets
Ways to retain search strings
More control on the part of the searcher
Typical CI Deliverables Customers Markets
Vertical market assessments
Five Forces; 4 C’s; Magic quadrants; BCG Matrix; 4 Corners; etc.
Market sizing; segmentation
Reports: Trade show intelligence; Meetings summaries, Standards committees, etc.
Companies
Competitor tear sheets
Competitor corporate profiles
Deep dive assessments
Executive profiles and biographical information
Analytical outputs: Financial analysis; Pain point analysis; Technology scans, etc
Customer tear sheets
Customer corporate profiles
Customer deep dive assessments
Primary market research
Secondary scans
Various outputs (Financial, Pain point, Technology needs, etc)
A Good CI Mix Includes A Varity of Quantitative and Qualitative Deliverables
Search Engines Vs. Professional Databases
You may find literally anything
Multiple formats may be found
Images
Video
E-mails
PowerPoint's
Spreadsheets
PDF’s (books, brochures)
Published and non published items are available
Expert searches yield useful and usable items
Mimics primary intelligence
Order and specificity
Taxonomies
Codes
Thesauri
Published Lists of Sources
Stronger advanced search capabilities
Formats
Selectivity
Limitations (de-duplication)
Generally Invisible from the crawlers and spiders
Better suited for official reports, and business or legal documents
Positive Aspects Of Search Engines Positive Aspects of Expert Databases Bottom Line: Use All That You Can Use To Provide Value!
The Theory of The Three F’s Facts
Accurate information that remains applicable
Endorsed metrics, statistics, status data and demographics
Accurate quotations
Information that can be analyzed for subsequent input to decisions
Fables
Rumors (until verified)
Word from the field that needs to be verified
Trial balloons and self fulfilling manipulations
Folly
Not accurate
Not true
Not about to become true
Yet it could be wide spread,
A Major Competency of CI Pro’s is the ability to validate information based on:
Knowledge of Sources
Fact Checking Due Diligence
A Network of Knowledge Bearers
Healthy Skepticism
“ Garbage in; Garbage Out ”
CI Professional Search Requirements (1) Targeted Search
Techniques that enable the ability to pinpoint relevant information
Strong knowledge of various sources and when it appropriate to use them
Ability to maximize use of high caliber abstracts
Ability to use appropriate key words within various technical or business searches
Source Documents
Defined list of searchable documents/types
Defined range of coverage
Save search capabilities/format options, etc.
Minimal duplication of hits
Time Management
Ability to effectively know when “You’re Done” with a Particular Source
Ability to manage multiple projects
A well-defined search roadmap
CI Professional Search Requirements (2) Specialized Searches
Analytics that are not generally available
Detailed information indexed and abstracted by human experts
Ability to deploy multiple search strategies
Ability to gather data that used to develop professional quality or legal documents
Value-Added Information
Access to a network of recognized experts
Information from market research and consulting services
Quotations from recognized sources
Official biographies
Official metrics of any kind
Standard Sources Are Required
Legal documents or required filings
Business reports
Public or high impact speeches and presentations
When there is no margin for error
Contents
What is Competitive Intelligence
Required Skills and Training
The CI Process
The Role of The Information Professional
Searches Within the CI Remit
Final Thoughts
Sample CI Search: Company Information Competitors Financial Comparisons
CI Search Example: General Financial Information Value: Good one-stop entrée to various points of further data
CI Search Example: Detailed Financial Information Standard Sources Multiple Options
Various Modes of Information:
Filings
Spreadsheet Financials
Investor Reports
Meeting Notes
Challenge: Locate specific Report on Pipeline Products of an Emerging Pharma Company Time Savers:
CI Search Example: Targeted Pipeline Report
Request:
Find detailed information about the Pipeline
Products coming from Sonus Pharmaceuticals
Result
Spot-on document with precise information
Recognized source of information
Info Source : Thomson Research
CI Search Example: Competitive Pharma Benchmarks Info Source: Thomson Pharma
CI Search Example: Specific Business Success Topic Concept Terms: All government; All market information; Industry forecasts; Marketing campaign; New laws Geographic Names: China (CHI); European Union (EUCX); Pacific Rim (PARX); Southern & Eastern Asia (SSAX); United Kingdom (UNK); Western Europe (WEEX)
Key Words and
Concept Terms Help
Focus Search
Full Text Achievable
Full citation
Request: Articles about Success In China Time Savers: Info Source : Dialog
CI Search: Various Types of Biographical Data Blog Search (Google™) Search Benefiting from Both Gale Research Structure and Google Capabilities Image (Google™) Google™ News Gale: Magazine Articles or Academic Journal Articles
Searchable Primary Data: Meeting Summary (Google™) Somehow many library committee meetings find their way to the search engines
Contents
What is Competitive Intelligence
Required Skills and Training
The CI Process
The Role of The Information Professional
Searches Within the CI Remit
Final Thoughts
In Summary: Derive The Best Value From All Tools CI in The Google™ Era
Traditional CI competencies continue to be required in today’s environment
It’s All About Information that is accurate, timely and quotable
Quality of Information Is crucial to the success of a CI practitioner
Time management Is a critical element of success
There are More Information choices available than ever before: Know how to maximize your strategy
Traditional Fee-Based Search Tools
Remain critical components of search repertoire
Help target precise information and standard source documents
CI professional searches require thorough due diligence
The differentiator from what anyone with A browser can consistently achieve
The Web
A valuable component of the search repertoire
Strong Knowledge of Web sources and techniques is critical
Validation techniques are mission critical
The good news: You never know what you may find
The Bad News: You never know what you may find
The CI Professional
Performs a critical role that may support success in the marketplace
Includes various types of skill sets
Is all about networking and information
Is exciting, fast-paced, disciplined and multi-faceted
A CI career offers incredible opportunities to gain vast amounts of knowledge within a wide range of career paths. This helps to develop a highly valuable asset within any company who will be widely appreciated among all levels of management including the C-level suite If this sound good to you: To pursue this profession!
Thank you for taking the time to listen to my presentation! Victor Camlek [email_address]
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