Proper information procurement can be key to timely intelligence dissemination. Strong partnerships to outside intelligence brokers, consultants and information vendors result in improved negotiation power and flexibility.

Starting with status quo evaluations, past purchase identification and gathering of vendor information a proper offerings overview and internal processes for streamlined and controlled purchases can help to save time, cost and offer maximum access to most suitable intelligence.

An internal network of procurement specialists in combination with professionals who realize information and competitive intelligence purchases are essential to gather information on important vendors. After a long list of potential and existing vendors is established a detailed gathering of outside offerings should be conducted.

Oftentimes interesting services, combinations of products or intelligence deliverables are missed from known or potential vendors just because these are simply not known to all parts of the organization or the organization as a whole. As opposed to bundle services and target a broader bandwidth of information offerings organizations purchase single market studies in fragmented ways, ad-hoc and for higher list prices.

This reactive way of acquiring information and intelligence does not appreciate and exploit recent developments in the information business where companies like Frost & Sullivan, Thomson Reuters (to name a view of the largest, global and most traditional information vendors) combine broad expertise and capabilities in bundled packages by target market or services into attractive offerings way beyond a static industry report or market study.

Especially membership access to their databases and information offerings can be very attractive in pricing and content, saving the client organization huge amounts of money when exploited to maximum extend.

In order to prepare the organization for proper decisions on future intelligence vendor partnerships a vendor database should be created. This can serve the competitive intelligence group or a broader audience as overview and starting point for information acquisition decisions.

The following downloads provide templates for a so called Vendor Information Request form to gather crucial basic data about partners offerings and a simple Excel spreadsheet template as a database to gather all information.

Free download: Intelligence Vendor Request Form / Intelligence Vendor Information Database

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Purpose of the Project Initiation Document 4

2 Competitive intelligence Support 5

2.1 Background . 5

2.2 Goals . 5

2.3 Objectives . 6

2.4 Critical Success Factors . 8

3 Scope . 10

3.1 In Scope . 10

3.2 Out of Scope . 10

4 Project Plan . 11

4.1 Project Approach . 11

4.2 Project Schedule & Milestones (Stages) 11

4.3 Deliverables . 12

4.4 Communication Plan . 13

4.5 Personnel Resource Requirements . 14

4.6 Costs (after revision for immediate cost savings in 20XX) 14

5 Project Risks & Known Issues . 17

6 Project Constraints, Assumptions and Interfaces with other Projects . 18

7 Project Organization . 19

7.1 Steering Committee . 19

7.2 Core Team .. 19

7.3 Other Teams as needed . 19

8 Project Governance . 20

8.1 Meeting Structure . 20

8.2 Progress Tracking . 20

8.3 Risk & Issue Management 20

1 Purpose [A2] of the Project Initiation Document

The Project Initiation Document of the competitive intelligence Function will summarize all important information about the project. The Project Initiation Document is an orientation, framework and guideline for the competitive intelligence Function project.

The Initiation Document will describe

• what the project will deliver
• how the project will deliver
• when the project will deliver

The Initiation Document contains the following information:

• Objectives & goals of the Project
• Scope
• Project approach, schedule
• Project organization, roles & responsibilities
• Project governance, processes

2 Competitive intelligence Function

Competitive intelligence optimization will help to transform the organization into a truly market driven and customer oriented organization. Marketing & sales excellence plus all strategic business planning efforts will need exceptional intelligence quality, acquired in legally and ethically sound ways and depth with state-of-the-art delivery and efficiency-focused usability and world-class exploitation/value extraction.

The pressures and accelerating speed of global competition, deregulation and technological change are the primary drivers of the increased usage of competitive intelligence across all industries. Market intelligence and competitive intelligence units are being developed and established in global corporations to prepare their businesses for efficient and educated decision taking and strategy adjustments.

Competitive intelligence in our organization is being gathered, prepared, offered and utilized in various, globally non-orchestrated and fragmented ways. No company-wide tools or operational functions, organizations or streamlined processes are established or used. Neither is there any mutual standard nor equal education for intelligence processing or analysis. Access to industry reports, consultant output and internal market/competition knowledge and insight is not globally managed to meet today’s efficiency and speed demands, nor does it address growing cross-business initiatives and new market opportunity efforts. Oftentimes data and information remain in their raw state and are not transformed into actionable intelligence, let alone company-wide impact measurements and follow-up.

Forward looking scenario analysis, risk analysis, competition deep dives, early warnings, war gaming are not done in an integrated way or not at all in many business units. There is no proper intelligence, analysis or research education being offered which results in inferior, ad-hoc and snap shot exercises that require resources that have to be specially acquired or taken away from other areas of daily routines.

The mentioned fragmentation in many dimensions (geographical, business with varying approaches to synergies between related markets/industries, operational, accessibility, etc.) adds complexity to the already existing bottlenecks as many intelligence tasks are conducted as additional efforts to other full-time positions. Oftentimes competition intelligence is researched and analyzed by personnel that was not properly trained and kept afloat in such disciplines. Moreover existing intelligence compiled and utilized in other company groups (e.g. finance, legal, R&D, etc.) is neither shared in a consistent and standardized way, nor known across these groups.

If intelligence gathering and dissemination is to be managed under compliance with global business and corporation ethics a complete overview and managed service is to be established avoiding legal issues through licensing and confidentiality violations.

Known competitive intelligence leaders in different industry fields are BASF, The Dow Chemical Company, Shell Services International, IBM, ABB, DSM, DHL, Cisco to name a few). Business impact of professional intelligence functions and processes in companies our size often reaches two digit millions of USD annually as reported by the world leading Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) through cost savings, defensive action, risk avoidance and revenue and/or profit increase (Source: William Odom, David Harkleroad and Lorri Grube, “Leveraging the Business Intelligence Quotient,” Chief Executive (December 1996): pp. 68+).

To equip all business units effectively with intimate and current knowledge about markets and competitor activities, capacities in these market places in a timely and user-friendly, efficient fashion.

In order to achieve this, the company needs to establish a sustainable, globally managed and regionally/locally supported and efficiently utilized competitive intelligence function with standardized processes and tools.

- Eliminate multiple and double spending on industry journals and market reports by centrally and globally orchestrated intelligence acquisition (monetary impact to be evaluated after status quo completion) by 20XX

- Dramatically improve intelligence availability through cross-industry news and article feed, message alerting and other communication means by end 20XX

- Multiply utilization of relevant intelligence through globally accessible intelligence depositories based on true business intelligence requirements and following corporate and business strategies by end 20XX for simple e-push solutions

- Develop sophisticated intelligence processes and solutions interconnecting legacy system driven data and information streams by end 20XX

- Establish world-class international intelligence expertise network of marketing & sales professionals acting as intelligence champions for business units in all active selling organizations and global, regional market units by end 20XX

Savings potential by discontinued duplication of report acquisition and analytical and other consultant services can only be established throughout the evaluation phase of the project which ends in Q3 20XX. At that time an educated knowledge about productivity increase for intelligence users (all of marketing & sales) will be available as well.

Business gain or business loss avoidance impact measurements will not be possible without significant administrative and bureaucratic effort (which is to be limited).

Major Improvement Themes

• Improved competitiveness
• Right info at the right time in the right format
• Increased efficiency
• Avoid long searching, offer quick finding
• Saved cost
• Stop multiple report and consultancy service acquisitions
• Speed-up Idea to Market
• Quicker identification of upcoming trends and opportunities
• Innovative market approach
• Grasp opportunities early
• Cross-industry detection
• Provide and promote out-of-the-box view

Major Impact Themes

• Cost savings through efficient use of intelligence (avoiding search)
• Cost savings through increased risk/damage control
• Cost savings through globally managed reports acquisition, avoiding duplication
• Cost savings through avoidance of multiple intelligence tasks
• Productivity increase through reduction of material to be consumed and increased user-friendliness / standardization
• Sales increase through improved customer call preparations
• Revenue increase through sales loss avoidance
• Increased profitability through early adoption to new market opportunities (early market access, created markets justify higher margins)
2.3 Objectives

Improve competitive intelligence capabilities and effectiveness through a consistent approach to CI including vendor relationships, in-house expertise and consulting, building and maintaining a competitive intelligence repository and feeding information from our own channels back into the planning cycle. Establish purchasing power and complete control, manageability over external resources for sourcing, analysis and consultant work.

A global process, lead by the leading Director or Manager of the Competitive Intelligence function and supported by marketing & sales staff utilizing their already existing capacity spent in the intelligence field (with a slight increase during 20XX, gaining efficiency and productivity thereafter) will be introduced based on the gap analysis and savings potential plus targeted efficiency increase.

A global intelligence repository with some level of interactivity will be introduced as a quick win still in 20XX, utilizing existing capabilities and expertise. In a second phase a future intelligence tool will have to be interconnected with legacy systems following our ERP structure, processes and agenda.

Business benefits:

· Market and customer orientation – promote external focus

· Identification of new opportunities – e.g. identify new trends before our markets and competitors

· Early warning of competitor moves – enable counter measures

· Minimizing investment risks – detect threats and trends early on

· Better customer interaction – inherit intensified customer market view

· Better market selection & positioning – understand where your offer fits and discover untapped or under-served potential

· Quicker, more efficient and cost-effective information – avoid duplication of report acquisitions and expensive consultant work

Strategic Objective

A hybrid model for a globally managed and locally applied competitive intelligence process is to be established. It will consist of a global intelligence process and tools to equip businesses with valid intelligence in a timely and user-friendly manner.

Operational Objectives

While intelligence process development, establishment and control will be managed by the competitive intelligence support, businesses on a global, regional and local scale will become active participants in a sustained global competitive intelligence network, represented by a selected number of specialists already applying and utilizing intelligence in their market activities. Marketing & sales professionals as active members of that network will be responsible for pipeline feeds based on first hand knowledge from the market place and customer contacts as well as pinpoint research related to their daily routines. They will also be of material importance in the intelligence analysis process and to transform intelligence into action.

Data and information are to be collected from both external sources—including previously published works such as market research reports, trade publications and Internet news sources—and provided by internal sources such as company employees. Effective analysis, dissemination and protection of proprietary information are also crucial to its success.

Given the many contacts they have with customers, suppliers and other salespeople, the organization’s sales force is a particularly valuable source of intelligence. Recognizing this fact, we need to encourage our sales representatives to become involved in the company’s competitive intelligence effort. As another added value the resulting increased acceptance will drive better utilization and continuously close the loop with their valuable data and information input.

Basics Research
Build competitive intelligence expertise utilizing internal and external resources: existing network of marketing and sales staff that uses intelligence actively at all stages will have to be trained for proper and efficient analysis and in utilizing the tools that will be established most effectively and in preparation of their cascade roles (train-the-trainer). Conduct periodic reviews and adjustments. Enable marketing & sales units for their competitive intelligence tasks with this expertise.

o Timeline: End June 20XX

Status Quo Assessment
Establish snapshot of current competitive intelligence activities and systems. In parallel identify competitive intelligence needs that lead to this setup.

o Timeline: End 20XX

Definitions
Establish our future definition for competitive intelligence based on intelligence model that is driven by real business requirements.

o Timeline: May 20XX, Adjust to Strategy after Roll-Out Summer 20XX

Business Requirements

Gather and conceptualize real business requirements for competitive intelligence based on future strategy and future potential of the various businesses.

o Timeline: Quick Wins until End 20XX. Sophisticated into early 20XX.

Gap Analysis
Analyze gap between status quo and future requirements. Prepare solutions in terms of processes, responsibilities and tools in two phases (low hanging fruits phase 1, sophisticated solutions in 20XX).

o Timeline: Summer 20XX for immediate impact. Future gaps (incl. new strategy, ERP, etc.) by Q1 20XX

Competitive Intelligence Process
Design, pilot roll-out global competitive intelligence process enabling marketing & sales colleagues and other market professionals with timely and valid intelligence.

o Timeline: May 20XX

Resources, Partners, Tools
Establish sources base in terms of selection of consultants, partners, online sources and tools. Phase 1 will provide simple solutions that can be implemented fairly quickly and without huge overhead. Phase 2 will prepare and provide sophisticated intelligence tools in conjunction with future legacy systems and data/information flow as provided by project Enterprise.

o Timeline: Challenge Aug 20XX. Re-establish end Q3 20XX.

Networking
1) Establish, train and lead global competitive intelligence expert network of marketing & sales colleagues that have been known for their intelligence expertise and will continue to gather, provide and utilize intelligence in their actual roles. The network will consist of 12-15 professionals that will support the global competitive intelligence processes and solutions evaluation and roll-out (excluding development and preparations). Also this network will be trained and materialized for intelligence analysis and adjustments prior to action definition and other mass utilization of that intelligence.

2) Build and maintain strong inter-company, cross-disciplinary network (e.g. R&D, Technology Outreach, Legal, Finance, Segments, others) and external network with consultants, partners, vendors and other intelligence carriers, providers and opinion leaders. The market-related competitive intelligence part will have to find and utilize synergies with other competitive intelligence sources and disciplines within the company (e.g. Finance, Legal, R&D).

Timeline: Ongoing, gradual step-up after initial quick wins in 20XX.

3) In order to firmly establish strong intelligence leadership in the regions, regional champions (minimum ½ FTE each) will have to be established per major region from 20XX onwards:

Timeline: 20XX, review capacity gaps periodically.

2.4 Critical Success Factors

1) The competitive intelligence function needs to build world-class expertise with external and internal resources that is to be transferred and firmly established into the marketing & sales units.

2) The company’s competitive intelligence processes and tools need to match value added and efficiency requirements from future users.

3) Beyond setting the framework for processes and tools development & deployment a strong network of intelligence specialists needs to be enabled to shape, establish and lead the competitive intelligence processes including close-to-the-market analysis capabilities. Top-down (train-the-trainer first) training and expertise build-up will be of material importance to the excellence and thus the success of any intelligence effort within the company.

4) Data & Information need to be transformed into actionable intelligence. This process will have to be conducted as close as possible to market responsibility.

5) Field professionals to be involved in gathering, supporting, utilizing and actively challenging the competitive intelligence processes and tools for further improvement will be key to the company—wide success!

Attractive, easy to use formats, fast and effective distribution will ensure acceptance and buy-in.

In order to involve the sales force and other marketing & sales colleagues effectively they will have to learn about their benefits via thorough communication and proven in use.

6) Management will have to walk the talk by basing their top level decisions on existing intelligence and thus help to sell and exploit the competitive intelligence benefits internally.

7) A global overview about existing, acquired analysis and reports has to be established and maintained by the competitive intelligence function. Moreover it needs to be assured that top level, global market analysis, marketing & sales related and relevant reports and analysis are to be acquired and managed by the competitive intelligence function exclusively.

3 Scope

3.1 In Scope

Organizational coverage

Marketing & sales units in business units, regions and back offices. Global and local sales and marketing functions, marketing & sales board, top management, executive committees. Related projects and synergetic areas and functions such as R&D, Technical Services etc. to explore and exploit overlapping opportunities.

Operational reach

Acquisition of intelligence reports and related consultancy work. Intelligence acquisition, analysis and provision towards markets and marketing & sales effort.

Applications and tools

Internal and external article, document and news archiving, repository and delivery mechanisms and automated features and tools serving data and information to be considered parts of the organization’s future competitive intelligence inventory. Networking with existing areas and individuals to interconnect data, streams and feeds in desirable manners. Actively identify synergies and opportunities for future ERP applications to be deployed and entertained serving intelligence goals.

Active business defense

To detect threats from within known markets and competitors and unknown territory such as upcoming industries, newly generated markets and unrelated industries/players who are about to enter these markets.

Growth opportunities

Pro-active identification and examination of new growth opportunities across all businesses for both single business unit approaches and joined efforts of various BU’s.

3.2 Out of Scope

Applications and tools

Legacy and ERP systems, E-Business systems and processes, E-Communications tools and responsibilities, web platforms and teams.

Competition analysis beyond marketing

Competition analysis pertaining to R&D, Legal, Finance, Supply and other non-marketing and sales related topics and areas.

Organizational coverage

All groups and services beyond marketing & sales with its functions and related projects.

Operational reach

Business consultants and agencies, partners and internal services providing solutions and results for marketing & sales unrelated areas and groups.

4 Project Plan

4.1 Project Approach 4.2 Project Schedule & Milestones ( Stages [A4] )

Project was kicked-off on Aril 1^st 20XX and will be finished in phases end 20XX, 20XX and be transformed into ongoing processes and tools thereafter.

20XX Deliverables	Deadline
Status Quo Report	End 20XX
Requirement Catalogue	End October 20XX
Competitive intelligence Definitions Presentation	End May 20XX
Inventory Types, Targets, Utilization	End 20XX
Inventory Index ready to load	End August 20XX
Repository Identification	Mid July 20XX
BU Structures	Mid September 20XX
Initial Load	Mid October 20XX
Global Roll-Out	End November 20XX
Tool Roll-Out Plan	Mid September 20XX
Tool Roll-Out Completion	End November 20XX

4.3 Deliverables [A5]

Pre-analyzed, well structured and ready for action intelligence via most suitable communication channels in a timely and efficient fashion to all marketing and sales decision makers.

Management needs to be served top line external market environment overviews, activity summaries and unbiased opportunity outlooks. In return their strategic direction will steer the overall intelligence strategy.

Global and local business professionals will be strongly involved in both, the data and information gathering / selection process as well as analysis and prioritization of intelligence forming a global Market & Competitive Excellence Network. Utilizing their market closeness, insights and strategic focus will be of material importance in prioritizing the intelligence processes.

Deliverables for the milestone: Basics Research ( Industry Standards & Methodologies)

Establish firm knowledge on competitive intelligence processes, functions, tools and impact outside of the organization today and into the future. Map and visualize, will serve as decision base for following competitive intelligence developments.

End 20XX

Deliverables for the milestone: Status Quo Assessment (Current Roles & Responsibilities, Identification of Current Practice)

Establish and map status quo of competitive intelligence processes, functions, tools and impact within the company today. Capture and record annualized cost in global, regional and local dimensions. Sketch approach and information flow.

End 20XX

Deliverables for the milestone: competitive intelligence Definitions

Based on industry conventions and best practices: develop and establish new definition of competitive intelligence. To be fine-tuned with increasing input and consolidation.

End May 20XX, Adjust to Strategy after Roll-Out Summer 20XX

Deliverables for the milestone: Requirement Identification

Map out value adding intelligence requirements of business lines based on future goals and opportunities.

End 20XX

Deliverables for the milestone: Gap Analysis

Requirements minus Status Quo/Current Practice = Gap.

Gap plus adjusted state-of-the-art intelligence processes and tools -> to determine competitive intelligence process, tools, responsibilities and structure.

Projected incremental cost minus scraped resources and cost (if any) = investment.

Annualized new cost vs. annualized past cost = savings.

Concentrating on quick wins until Mid 20XX. Full fletched gap analysis meeting all future requirements early 20XX.

Deliverables for the milestone: competitive intelligence Process

Based on gap analysis (see above) the future competitive intelligence process will be designed, piloted and roll-out in conjunction with supporting tools and applications. The communications plan will be of material importance for the success of these sub-milestones.

Design postponed into early 20XX due to immediate cost savings in 20XX (network expenditures, education, traveling etc.).

Deliverables for the milestone: Partners, Resources, Tools (Expertise Build-up, Tool Support)

Identify and partner with external and internal sources. Evaluate, develop and deploy (phased) suitable tools and applications.

Repository tool selection by mid July 20XX. Revamp interfacing with sources and providers until end September.

Concrete measurements and impact analysis can only be established and maintained after thorough status quo analysis which is part of this program. Defined hard targets and ROI indications will be added accordingly.

4.4 Communication Plan [A6]

General

In order to engage all internal stakeholders with the competitive intelligence efforts and progress a series of communications measures needs to be orchestrated. Steady information such as purpose overview and benefits declarations is best situated at a dedicated competitive intelligence Intranet area within the marketing & sales office sub channel.

Actionably and short lived information of interest to a larger audience needs to be cascaded via official and internally well accepted channels such as segment cascades.

Individual communication will be distributed by regular and most efficient channels such as e-mail, collaboration tool, document management system and the likes.

All internal communications efforts need to be in synch with other, related communications efforts and measures across the company (e.g. CEO letters, marketing & sales newsletter in which top level messages on competitive intelligence would be transported as well).

For larger internal communications Group Communications needs to be involved as well.

Action: Establish competitive intelligence area on Intranet. Gather suitable distribution lists and contacts for cascade feeds. Clarify processes for publishing.

Introduction (initializing communicative effort)

Stakeholders need to be introduced to the importance and overall value of the competitive intelligence efforts. Related areas need to align themselves alongside with upcoming competitive intelligence developments.

A high level benefit and milestone outlook should be communicated early on, preferably after the conceptual phase, at the beginning of the development phase.

June: One pager distributed via BU Heads, e-mail. Intranet updates to be announced online.

Engagement (concluding conceptual phase, preparing development phase)

Knowing what and how competitive intelligence shall deliver to the company and what resources we will require and deploy provides an excellent point in time to reflect on the accomplishments during the concept phase. Preparing for process and tools developments this communication should become more facts driven with clear, structured milestones for the detailed development milestones and the implications they will bring to the stakeholders.

Timing TBD: Structured presentation via BU Heads, e-mail. Use in face-on discussions and presentations. Intranet updates to be announced online.

Implementation (concluding development phase, preparing deployment)

Process and tools implementation will require in-depth communication to make upcoming opportunities and responsibilities known and to create buy-in. Since the impact will be cross-disciplinary a large audience will have to be exposed to the new competitive intelligence setup and its business function, positioning competitive intelligence firmly as an established resource and routine.

Postponed into 20XX:

Workshops (2 x in 20XX, annually from 20XX)

The future competitive intelligence Experts network will conduct two workshops during 20XX. An initial workshop in May will build the team and prepare for the actions and responsibilities as well as kick-start the mutual learning curve. Another workshop end Q3 will prepare the team for the global process and tool roll-out as well as to define the October competitive intelligence road shows to the segments in Basel.

As 20XX will provide the final competitive intelligence tool solutions another workshop series needs to address training needs and ensure maximum value extraction from the competitive intelligence processes and tools.

Road shows (According to deployment timing)

For roll-out’s and training purposes a Basel (segments) and a regional road shows are planned in 20XX. Both road-shows will align resources and stakeholders as well as enable future users. The competitive intelligence Experts Network will lead the regional road shows in preparation for global roll-out.

4.5 Personnel Resource Requirements

20XX

- 1 FTE Head of Market & Competitive Intelligence, Corporate Headquarters

- Global network of 8-10 marketing & sales professionals already in charge or heavily using intelligence. Initial workload increase (20% of their time maximum) to be offset by efficiency and productivity savings after roll-out of processes and tools: competitive intelligence Expert Network

20XX

- 1 FTE Head of Market & Competitive Intelligence, Corporate Headquarters, including regional responsibilities for EMEA and NAFTA as Regional Competitive Intelligence Managers

- 1 50% FTE Asia as Regional competitive intelligence Manager (50% report via dotted line to Head of Market & Competitive Intelligence), preferably not new to the organization and the intelligence process

- competitive intelligence Expert Network to remain in charge with reduced workload except in roll-out and update phases

4.6 Costs (after revision for immediate cost savings in 20XX [A7] )

Major Cost Overview (change vs. initial budget shown)

Personnel

1 FTE (not shown in budget)

Travel & Expenses, Seminars, Trade Shows

US$ X’000 (based on: experience, outlook)

Outsourced IT & Agency Services

20XX: US$ X’000 (based on: experience)

20XX: US$ X’000 (based on: experience, industry pricing)

Consultancy, Analysis, Reports, Intelligence Acquisition

20XX: US$ X’000 (2 reports or analyses, based on: industry pricing)

20XX: US$ X’000 (12 major reports + 2 analyses, based on: industry pricing) -> offsetting duplications or fragmented reports and services acquisitions

Subscriptions, Membership Fees

US$ X’000 (based on: industry pricing) -> newly incurring cost

Detailed Cost Overview [A8]

Code	Budget Center	Description	US$/a
Personnel Expenses
Travel & Food Services
Meeting, Congress, Symposiums
Travel
Other Consultancy Costs
EDV Development
EDV Training
Consultancy Expenses
Postage / Telecommunications
Currier (Fedex, TNT)
Comm. (Postage, Phone, Currier etc.)
Rent, Leasing
EDV Leasing
Rent, Leasing
Security Protection
Other external Services
Ext. Expenses (Transp., Security, etc.)
Ext. Info Acquisition Costs
EDV Outsourcing
External Services EDV
EDV-Material
EDV-Software
Office Material & Furniture
Magazines / Literature
Magazines / Literature
Other Expenses
Other periodical Expenses
Fees (z.B. Annual Membership Fees)
Fees
Total Periodical Cost

5 Project Risks & Known Issues [A9]

Risk	Impact	Addressed how
Business want/need to use intelligence in different ways or not at all.	Fragmentation in effort and implementation, multiplication of resources and cost.	Align all segments behind a mutual competitive intelligence process. Ignore units with no interest in competitive intelligence.
No resources available at global and/or regional marketing & sales level to participate in global competitive intelligence Network.	Project delays up to double time needed, increase travel cost and outsourcing expenses.	Utilize already involved employees, keep additional work load to minimum. Involve other units to support (e.g. groups in regions for roll-out campaigns and coaching; IT for tools roll-out, etc.).
Corporate strategy revamp delayed, changed.	Strategic impact as competitive intelligence follows company strategy. Delays.	No resolution possible, full dependency.
Major consultant partner dropping out, losing contract, etc.	Delays, re-build partnerships, re-select outsourced service portfolio.	Select partners based on long term stability and industry reputation. Contingency considerations in contracts (involve legal).
Project Enterprise failing or significant delays.	Missing interconnectivity of resources and output tools.	Stand-alone until fixed.
Major M&A activity.	Challenge of entire program.	Sell concept to new partner or owner, integrate if already existing with partner, extend if not.

…for risk analysis and mitigation path please see 8.3 Risk & Issue Management

6 Project Constraints, Assumptions and Interfaces with other Projects [A10]

The ERP system (in revamp since 200X) will provide future data and information streams, systems and tools that might overlap or synergize with the intended competitive intelligence tools. There are timely dependencies and those regarding interconnectivity and collaboration. The competitive intelligence developments need to consider any ERP development in relation of those dependencies.

A future competitive intelligence focus will depend on the upcoming company strategy revamp. This dependency is acknowledged and even enforced.

Interconnectivity and synergy potential of tools towards existing Intranet or other e-applications will have to be collaborated between competitive intelligence and the respective owner of such applications or environments.

The future competitive intelligence experts network will need to be supported by line management as well as all competitive intelligence communication needs to be pushed into the reporting lines top-down.

7 Project Organization

7.1 Steering Committee

The Steering Committee for this project is the marketing & sales board. It has the following responsibilities:

• Review and accept the project plan,
• Support goals and objectives where needed,
• Challenge status and progress,
• Re-adjust plans if necessary
7.2 Core Team

The Core Team has the following responsibilities:

• Determine team setups and develop the work plan,
• Set detailed projects targets, milestones and deliverables,
• Review and escalate issues (raised as part of the status report),
• Identify quick wins,
• Establish and manage project budget and benefit realization

The Core Team has the following members [A11] :

xxx…

7.3 Other Teams as needed

Sub teams tbd temporarily during implementation milestones.

8 Project Governance [A12]

8.1 Meeting Structure

Tb completed when teams in place [A13] …

8.2 Progress Tracking

Project leader’s responsibility. Shared and challenged with project owner. Communications and reported to team and sub team members as well as marketing & sales Board.

8.3 Risk & Issue Management [A14]

Based on the major risks outlined in 5. Project Risks and Known issues a risk score was developed.

Risk Event	Probability (1=highest)	Impact	Risk Score	Mitigation Plan
Needs differing	.5	500 hours	250 hours	Align all business units behind a mutual competitive intelligence process. Ignore units with no interest in competitive intelligence.
Resource shortage	.4	1’000 hours	400 hours	Utilize already involved employees, keep additional work load to minimum. Involve other units to support (e.g. groups in regions for roll-out campaigns and coaching; IT for tools roll-out, etc.).
Strategy delay	.1	300 hours	30 hours	No resolution possible, full dependency.
Partners disengage	.3	200 hours	60 hours	Select partners based on long term stability and industry reputation. Contingency considerations in contracts (involve legal).
ERP project failure	.1	500 hours (in 20XX)	50 hours	Stand-alone until fixed.
Major M&A	.5	2’000	1000 hours	Sell concept to new partner or owner, integrate if already existing with partner, extend if not.

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[A1] Linking or cross-referencing to existing documents does not only help the readers to set the competitive intelligence project into context. It also provides an opportunity to the author to identify opportunities to embed the competitive intelligence effort into other, already existing business processes. The process owners might be or become strong supporters of the planned competitive intelligence function which would be another advantage of this early planning stage.

[A2] A project initiation document is crucial for approval and to gather sustained support. Also it builds reputation for the project manager and the project itself.

Since not everybody within the own organization might be familiar with such type of documentation it is crucial to explain why the document is being developed at this stage. This will support all decision processes as well as project adjustments later on in the project progress.

[A3] In order to promote the importance of change a comprehensive background section provides much needed detail to understand interconnections, dependencies and impact of competitive intelligence, its current status and desired improvements.

Status quo, best practice, gaps in comparison of the two analysis, goals of an improved competitive intelligence function and consequences if left unchanged are as important as an outlook of the return on investment in exploiting all benefits.

[A4] Obviously you can add on your own formats for timelines and project schedules or gantt diagrams. It seems advisable not to pinpoint timing too tight as large scale projects like this tend to be influenced and dependent from other timeline impacting events and might experience postponements.

Quarterly scheduled provide a clear timeline everybody understands and at the same time they provide enough flexibility for time and capacity shifts.

[A5] It is essential at that stage to include working examples of existing intelligence products. This will provide a practical link and create a comfort zone for anyone to work on the project who might be familiar with existing intelligence deliverables from the past. It is also a great way to generate buy-in and enthusiasm for the former creators or owners of those examples.

[A6] Communication is key in any project that targets change. It can not be over-emphasized that proper communications planning or the lack of it will make or break the projects success!

Dealing with change is always hard in today’s business environment. So, the various communications needs per individual, group and especially regarding the various project stages need to be considered, planned and executed extremely careful!

[A7] Depending on your budgetary habits and requirements all applicable cost estimates should be listed here. Make sure to include consultancy and implementation fee reserves for unforeseen issues during implementation of tools and systems. Also your own education via summits, seminars and conferences must not be forgotten.

[A8] Feel free to use and adjust the table for the detailed cost. Some of the cost items might not apply or might be unknown while others might be missing.

[A9] It is vital to prepare for eventual negative events. The table Project Risks & Known Issues provides a couple of ideas and can be extended with your own ideas, necessities to address project risks up-front.

[A10] As with the project risks constraints and dependencies that might interfere with the project are important to analyze and pro-actively figure in. The entire project teams needs to contribute to this summary, especially all interfacing team members that connect to supporting functions and remote projects.

[A11] Indicate special roles and responsibilities if known at that point. Especially chair, sponsor, owner etc.

[A12] To complete the organization structure and to support the project in a meaningful way, secure performance and establish accountability as well the project governance is of material importance! The governing body or person needs to agree on the Risk & Issue Management part and understand the consequences as well. This part of the project initiation document serves as a kind of insurance policy to the project.

[A13] Describes the matrix of responsibilities and inner operational workings of the project team. In many cases this part of the project initiation document can only be completed as the first collaboration tasks of the actual teams.

[A14] This risk mitigation matrix is designed to visualize and weigh the impact of the various risks involved in the project. Project governance and sponsors need to own this list of consequences in order to forcefully and pro-actively steer clear of these risks if possible.

You can also download the project initiation document template as a Winword file here and adjust it to your needs.