Like any other well established business process the market intelligence process needs to flow in a continuous cycle. Starting with intelligence requirements of sales staff, marketers and management that need to be identified, clear business goals would reflect the delivery towards those intelligence needs.

In order to research for the potential intelligence output data and information resources are to be acquired and scoured to extract and gather valuable intelligence and to set a flowing stream on incoming intelligence to work.

Prior to the analysis which has to be conducted as close as possible to the business units, the masses of information and data should be pre-filtered, sorted and structured. Delivery would then equip business professionals, led by researchers and analysts with the essence of the intelligence. This is where the value adding measures take place in any intelligence life cycle: market and competitive intelligence will have to be transformed into actionable plans against which management should measure and thus ensure extraction of business value.

Not to forget to feed back into the cycle to address necessary changes, adjustments and improvements for future needs.

This market intelligence and competitive intelligence life cycle will have to be explained properly to both the intelligence requestors (e.g. Sales Force, Marketing Managers, Management, etc.) and stakeholders (M&A, Legal Departments, Finance, etc.). Once understood the entire intelligence effort should be much better accepted and supported throughout the company.