Topple rate is a measure that a McKinsey consultant devised in 2007. It measures the rate at which companies lose their leadership position or switch ranks. The ranking in this context is done on the basis of return on assets... Read More.
Most companies undertake annual strategy planning exercises (STRAP) to lay down the plan for the coming year. They undertake market/business research and competitive intelligence to support their planning. Some of this research is backward looking – How much did the market... Read More.
Any businessman will tell you that knowing how your competitors sell their wares and at what prices is simply good business practice. But how do you get this information? Is it Ok to do mystery shopping? As in all other aspects... Read More.
I am baffled by the title of a recent press release from Assocham - “Corporate espionage via social media rampant in India Inc.: Survey”. It is misleading. Assocham conducted a survey in 5 cities in India, covering 1500 senior people in... Read More.
All businesses everywhere undertake some kind of CI; they cannot survive without it. Even mom and pop stores do – although very informally. In India, it is mainly the large companies and multinationals that have formal competitive intelligence activities. How do... Read More.
Politics affects business in very real ways, and this is becoming increasingly apparent in India. In recent weeks, corporations have been screaming hoarse about the impact of poor governance on business. In India governance is related inextricably to politics. Some headlines... Read More.
Competitive intelligence analysts must frequently remind themselves of their final objective. Time and again, I have seen analysts get so involved in the “activity” they do, that they forget why they do it. They optimise the process, perfect the mechanics,... Read More.
CI teams cannot be efficient, effective and successful without a buy-in from their co-workers at all levels – senior, middle and junior. CI teams face a dual challenge in terms of getting an internal buy-in within an organization. First, they need... Read More.
Examples of competitive intelligence failures and blind spots are cited to emphasize the importance and value of CI to an organization. A recent one is the failure of Blockbuster to see opportunity to take its business online – a blunder... Read More.
I understand that competitive intelligence is important. But why are competitive intelligence needs always urgent? Most companies that approach us for intelligence, want it in a tearing hurry. That some kinds of tactical intelligence is often required immediately is understandable. Sales... Read More.
