Competitive Intelligence in Large Companies - Global Study
Scenario planning distinguishes itself from other more traditional approaches to strategic planning through its explicit approach toward ambiguity and uncertainty in the strategic question. There are other planning tools and analysis frameworks as well that are useful during times of uncertainty. But scenario thinking provides a comprehensive tool set.
Practicing CI had most often benefited companies in the form of increased quality of information, increased general awareness, and improved threat and opportunity identification.
In the spring of 2005, seven Global Intelligence Alliance (GIA) members decided to engage in collaborative research in the field of Competitive Intelligence (CI*). The objective of this project was to produce mutually comparable information regarding CI in each of the respective domestic markets. This goal was ‘operationalized’ via the use of a common research framework to deliver both country-specific reports and a comparative multi-country report.
The primary research question was, “What is the current nature and state of competitive intelligence (CI) activities in major corporations operating in the market in question?” It was further delineated into two sub-questions: 1) “How are the activities organized?” and 2) “How will the scope of current CI activities change in the future and what are the developmental targets for the CI program?”
The research proved to be very successful given the participation of a total of 287 companies in eighteen countries - Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Switzerland. The scale and scope of the response makes this research one of the largest and most comprehensive studies conducted in the field of CI to date.
Key Statements from the Document
- Almost nine in ten large-scale companies in various markets around the world used CI and on average had practiced it for three to five years. The CI units usually had four full-time employees and one part-time employee, with 88 percent of the companies also having named a person responsible for the activity.
- CI also seemed to fill a primarily strategic role, with top management being the most important personnel user group of CI information products.
- Functionally, strategic planning and business development mimicked the results found for the personnel perspective.
- Most (70 %) of the information processing was done in-house, and 71 percent of it in a centralized unit.
- Practicing CI had most often benefited companies in the form of increased quality of information, increased general awareness, and improved threat and opportunity identification.
- The CI units were generally fairly small although most of the information processing was done internally.
- The companies that use CI were clearly reaping the benefits of the activity, although there were still some areas that need development.
The Global Intelligence Alliance (GIA) is a global network of business research and Competitive Intelligence (CI) consulting companies. The series of GIA White Papers is a means for the GIA and its clients and partner companies to share knowledge on key topics within the field of Competitive Intelligence. Please feel free to give us feedback on the White Papers by sending email to info@globalintelligence.com.
