May 2012:

• Competitive intelligence is a critical input for decision making in a global, competitive and rapidly changing business environment in which companies operate today.

• Asking the right questions about the external business environment is the first step towards getting actionable competitive intelligence.

• Determining the right questions is not trivial, as each individual’s perspective on the competitive environment is governed their role, past experience, level of knowledge, personal biases, predisposition, and so on.

• Organizations need to undertake a systematic exercise to identify the key intelligence they need in order to ensure that
  – they are able to achieve their strategic goals
  – they are able to take advantage of emerging opportunities, and mitigate
  risks and threats
  – they are not taken by “surprise” by developments in their external environment
  – they are able to gain and maintain a competitive advantage in the
  industry vis-à-vis their competitors

• Defining the key intelligence needs of an organization is best done collaboratively by the key decision-makers and competitive intelligence professionals

• A careful needs assessment enables an organization to
  – maximize the ROI on its CI
  – meet its business objectives

To download a complimentary copy of this white paper, please follow this link