All Discussions Tagged 'intelligence' - Competitive Intelligence2024-03-29T08:46:15Zhttps://competitiveintelligence.ning.com/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=intelligence&feed=yes&xn_auth=noWhat are the problems when searching for information using internet?tag:competitiveintelligence.ning.com,2013-11-15:2036441:Topic:944662013-11-15T20:21:50.860ZAlessandro Comaihttps://competitiveintelligence.ning.com/profile/AlessandroComai
<p>Dear Colleagues, </p>
<p></p>
<p>What are the problems when searching for information using internet? </p>
<p></p>
<p><span>Several weeks ago we lunched a study which seeks to understand the behavior of practitioners and professionals while searching information. We are particularly interested in defining problems, challenges and other issues with respect to your profession.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p>We have already 68 valid questionnaires but we would like to increase a little bit to have a…</p>
<p>Dear Colleagues, </p>
<p></p>
<p>What are the problems when searching for information using internet? </p>
<p></p>
<p><span>Several weeks ago we lunched a study which seeks to understand the behavior of practitioners and professionals while searching information. We are particularly interested in defining problems, challenges and other issues with respect to your profession.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p>We have already 68 valid questionnaires but we would like to increase a little bit to have a more accurate picture. <br/><br/><span>The questionnaire has essentially four open questions. We would be glad to listen you and understanding more about the problems and the tools do you employ when searching information. We are also interested in understanding if there are any new functionality that needed to be included in the tools. Based on the result of this first study we will build a second one where your inputs will be organized in to a structured questionnaire.</span><br/><br/><span>I hope you will participate in this survey: <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6XRRTMT">https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6XRRTMT</a></span><br/><br/><span>Thank you very much for your help and we hope to see you as a participant!<br/><br/></span></p>
<p><span>Regards, </span></p>
<p><span>Alessandro Comai</span></p>
<p></p> Ten reasons why GIA Conference Chicago is the greatest Market and Competitive Intelligence event of Fall 2013tag:competitiveintelligence.ning.com,2013-08-13:2036441:Topic:900112013-08-13T17:27:17.664ZScott Hallhttps://competitiveintelligence.ning.com/profile/ScottHall
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Here is how I can prove it:</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>1. Content rich agenda:</b> Choose between in-depth workshops, practical case presentations, interactive panel discussions and excellent roundtable tracks. <b>See…</b></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Here is how I can prove it:</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>1. Content rich agenda:</b> Choose between in-depth workshops, practical case presentations, interactive panel discussions and excellent roundtable tracks. <b>See attached brochure</b></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>2. The hottest topics:</b> • Future Insight Methods and Strategy • Market Sizing • Early Warning • Best-In-Class Street Intelligence Practices and Sales Enablement • Setting Up Intelligence Programs • Benchmarking Advanced & World Class Intelligence Programs • Building Intelligence Networks • Strategic Advisor Role in MI • Engineering Actionable Deliverables and more!</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>3. Leading companies sharing practices</b>: MasterCard, Parker Hannifin, MillerCoors, Merck&Co., Hewlett Packard, IBM, Intertek, Allscripts, Rovio Entertainment/Angry Birds and more!</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>4. Real-life case studies from true MI Leaders that have implmeted advanced MI Programs</b></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>5. 12 hours for Networking:</b> Create strong professional relationships. Do not miss the networking dinner at the top of Willis Tower!</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>6. NEW! Conference Advisory:</b> Unique to GIA Conferences, we provide personal attention to your needs so that what you learn becomes truly actionable!</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>7. NEW! Customized workshops for large teams:</b> If you don’t find the right pre-conference workshop that serves your entire team, we will build one for you!</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>8. Focus on true learning, no sales pitches:</b> Practitioners and decision makers only! There will be no vendor exhibition or sponsor presentations.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>9. Join an exclusive online community*:</b> Complimentary access to Intelligence Best Practices Online, the most rapidly growing exclusive community and knowledge resource for market and competitive intelligence practitioners.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Finally....<br/> <b>10. Great people, great atmosphere, and great fun:</b> There is a reason why participants keep coming back and new professionals keep joining us</span></span></p> The Art of Comparison: Using Comparisons to Guide Competitive Positioning and Sales Strategiestag:competitiveintelligence.ning.com,2013-04-18:2036441:Topic:822282013-04-18T18:36:25.367ZAustin Mellohttps://competitiveintelligence.ning.com/profile/AustinMello
<div dir="ltr">As people, we make conscious and unconscious comparisons every day as we try to navigate the world and figure out what is the “best” thing for us. This process happens for everything from figuring out what to eat, to determining what we want or need to buy.</div>
<div dir="ltr"> </div>
<div dir="ltr">While this process is not complex, it can be very powerful if understood properly.</div>
<div dir="ltr"> </div>
<div dir="ltr">When creating a product, marketing message, or a sales…</div>
<div dir="ltr">As people, we make conscious and unconscious comparisons every day as we try to navigate the world and figure out what is the “best” thing for us. This process happens for everything from figuring out what to eat, to determining what we want or need to buy.</div>
<div dir="ltr"> </div>
<div dir="ltr">While this process is not complex, it can be very powerful if understood properly.</div>
<div dir="ltr"> </div>
<div dir="ltr">When creating a product, marketing message, or a sales strategy, the individuals who are in tune with this process and who can tailor their message to this comparison process will end up being the marketing and sales people who are more effective in their task.</div>
<div dir="ltr"> </div>
<div dir="ltr">The need to compare things arises from having some problem that needs to be solved or some decision that needs to be made. Once that problem or need is identified, we then begin to classify similar solutions and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses as well as the benefits and costs of the things that seem most important.</div>
<div dir="ltr"> <br/>This same process can be applied in reverse to develop strong positioning messages and sales strategies. When you have mastered this “art of comparison,” you’ll find that it enables you to become a more successful CI analyst, marketer, or sales person.<br/> <br/>If you're interested in learning more, please see the attached PDF.</div> Business Perspectives on Emerging Marketstag:competitiveintelligence.ning.com,2012-06-29:2036441:Topic:748512012-06-29T13:42:37.877ZScott Hallhttps://competitiveintelligence.ning.com/profile/ScottHall
<p>If you are interested in Emerging Market finding from our Global Survey, please let me know.</p>
<p>A few notes on the Survey:<br></br>1. In total, over 400 companies responded globally.<br></br>2. There are global and country and industry reports available.<br></br><br></br>Key findings:</p>
<ol start="1">
<li>70% of companies see a presence in Emerging Markets as necessary for foothold in the future large markets.</li>
<li>Biggest threats in Emerging Markets are bureaucracy and corruption, followed by…</li>
</ol>
<p>If you are interested in Emerging Market finding from our Global Survey, please let me know.</p>
<p>A few notes on the Survey:<br/>1. In total, over 400 companies responded globally.<br/>2. There are global and country and industry reports available.<br/><br/>Key findings:</p>
<ol start="1">
<li>70% of companies see a presence in Emerging Markets as necessary for foothold in the future large markets.</li>
<li>Biggest threats in Emerging Markets are bureaucracy and corruption, followed by competition.</li>
<li>53% of global companies say info on Emerging Markets is not always readily available</li>
<li>3 out of 4 companies doubt accuracy and completeness of their Emerging Markets information</li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">BRIC still top 4 Emerging Markets for 2012-2017, but interest in Russia is lagging behind</span></li>
<li>Indonesia is the next upcoming Emerging Market, followed by South Africa, Vietnam, Mexico and Turkey</li>
<li>91% of companies say they would like to have done something differently in their Emerging Markets strategy</li>
<li>Over 30% of Asian, European, Latin American companies are bullish about Emerging Markets revenues</li>
</ol>
<p>For more information, pleace contact me or visit:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.globalintelligence.com/insights-analysis/emerging-markets/country-reports/global-results">http://www.globalintelligence.com/insights-analysis/emerging-markets/country-reports/global-results</a></p> Counterintelligence Conference - South Africatag:competitiveintelligence.ning.com,2012-06-05:2036441:Topic:742552012-06-05T19:49:06.069ZSteve Whiteheadhttps://competitiveintelligence.ning.com/profile/SteveWhitehead
<p>The FBI launched an advertising campaign during May 2012 to make the American public aware of corporate espionage in the business World.</p>
<p>Many organisations do not take the safeguarding of information seriously although information and intellectual property is now amongst some of the greatest corporate assets.</p>
<p>We believe that competitive intelligence professionals and practitioners can make a valauble contribution in this regard in their organisations.</p>
<p>CBIA is hosting…</p>
<p>The FBI launched an advertising campaign during May 2012 to make the American public aware of corporate espionage in the business World.</p>
<p>Many organisations do not take the safeguarding of information seriously although information and intellectual property is now amongst some of the greatest corporate assets.</p>
<p>We believe that competitive intelligence professionals and practitioners can make a valauble contribution in this regard in their organisations.</p>
<p>CBIA is hosting South Africa's first counterintelligence conference during September 2012 at the Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge in the Pilanesberg Game Park.</p>
<p>Corporate globalisation, worldwide economic instability, governments on the verge of collapse, turmoil in the Middle East, insecurity over oil supplies and aggressive competitors all create a challenging threat environment for today’s business executive.</p>
<p>The need for corporations to establish and maintain robust security and counterintelligence capabilities is <b>unmatched in history</b>. The life blood of corporate growth and stability rests on intellectual property and trade secrets. Corporations invest millions to develop and own trade secrets and intellectual property. There is a huge payoff from corporate espionage and information theft.</p>
<p> The <b>main keynote speaker</b> is David G. Major from the Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies (CI Centre), Washington DC, USA. Major is a former FBI agent, a leading expert and teacher on counterintelligence and considered to be one of the World’s top counterintelligence experts. Major has a passion for helping business gaining a greater understanding of the importance of counterintelligence and information protection.</p>
<p>CBIA would like to invite you to join other professionals from around the World for a unique experience at a very special conference venue! For additional information and a brochure please click <a href="http://www.cbia.co.za/conferences.php">http://www.cbia.co.za/conferences.php</a> </p> Competitive intelligence training workshop in Pune, Indiatag:competitiveintelligence.ning.com,2011-11-09:2036441:Topic:673052011-11-09T08:17:13.214ZVarsha Chitalehttps://competitiveintelligence.ning.com/profile/VarshaChitale
<p>Internet and social media tools to effectively track your competition: A workshop from ValueNotes to help attendees search the web effectively with use of advanced and complex functions. This programme also covers basics of social media and how it can be used for business.</p>
<p>18th Nov, 2011, Pune,</p>
<p><a href="http://ning.it/sh9tjq">http://ning.it/sh9tjq</a></p>
<p>Internet and social media tools to effectively track your competition: A workshop from ValueNotes to help attendees search the web effectively with use of advanced and complex functions. This programme also covers basics of social media and how it can be used for business.</p>
<p>18th Nov, 2011, Pune,</p>
<p><a href="http://ning.it/sh9tjq">http://ning.it/sh9tjq</a></p> Connect with CI experts at the Inaugural CI User's Conference in Indianapolis, UStag:competitiveintelligence.ning.com,2011-09-12:2036441:Topic:626332011-09-12T12:53:16.552ZJesper Martellhttps://competitiveintelligence.ning.com/profile/JesperMartell
<h1><span class="font-size-2">The Inaugural International Competitive Intelligence User's Conference provides exactly the kind of resources you need to effectively execute your competitive intelligence program. You will gain insight from some of the top industry experts on topics including:</span></h1>
<div id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_PanelBody"><p><strong><u>Thursday Sessions:</u></strong></p>
<ul>
<li style="list-style: none"><strong> </strong></li>
<li><strong><em>Maximum…</em></strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h1><span class="font-size-2">The Inaugural International Competitive Intelligence User's Conference provides exactly the kind of resources you need to effectively execute your competitive intelligence program. You will gain insight from some of the top industry experts on topics including:</span></h1>
<div id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_PanelBody"><p><strong><u>Thursday Sessions:</u></strong></p>
<ul>
<li style="list-style: none"><strong> </strong>
</li>
<li><strong><em>Maximum Intelligence</em></strong> - Neal Ochsner, President at Ochsner Consulting Group</li>
<li><strong><em>Creating a Culture for Competitive Intelligence</em></strong> - Bob Fowler, Global Market Intelligence Leader at Dow AgroSciences</li>
<li><strong><em>How to Effectively Use Technology to Tap Intelligence from Internal and External Resources</em></strong> - Jesper Martel & Christian Bjersér, CEO & SVP of Sales respectively at Comintelli</li>
<li><strong><em>Custer's Last Stand - A Case Study in Failed Strategic & Competitive Intelligence</em></strong> - Peter Shaw, Principal at Blind Side Consulting</li>
<li><strong><em>A Future of Transformation Requires Intelligence</em></strong> - Eric Garland, Managing Partner at Competitive Futures, Inc.</li>
<li><strong><em>Analytical Fitness: Core of Intelligence Kinetics for a Highly-Adaptive Enterprise</em></strong> - Dr. Craig S. Fleisher, Chief Learning Officer at Aurora WDC</li>
</ul>
<p><a target="_blank" href="/UserFiles/Competitive%20Intelligence%20Conference%20Details(2).pdf">Download the PDF</a> for info on the <u>2 Friday Workshops including the Leadership Panel Discussion</u> and to learn more about the speakers and their sessions.</p>
<p><strong>Dates:</strong> <strong>October 20th - 21st, 2011</strong><br/><strong>Location:</strong> Renaissance Hotel, Carmel, Indiana<br/><strong>Cost:</strong> $455 includes registration fees, food, and beverages for Thursday and Friday ($255 for Thursday only)</p>
<p>You won't want to miss the Midwest's biggest opportunity to learn new CI techniques and best practices in a hands on environment while networking with fellow CI professionals!</p>
<p></p>
<p><strong><strong><a href="https://www.cardfreeservices.com/ciconference/registration.aspx"><font size="3">Register Now!</font></a></strong><font size="1"><br/><a href="http://www.bitwisesolutions.com/events.aspx?EventID=17">http://www.bitwisesolutions.com/events.aspx?EventID=17</a></font></strong></p>
</div> Google Tools for CItag:competitiveintelligence.ning.com,2011-06-20:2036441:Topic:544372011-06-20T19:17:32.052ZAlessandro Comaihttps://competitiveintelligence.ning.com/profile/AlessandroComai
<p>Dear Colleagues,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Open source and free tools available trough the internet are becoming popular nowadays. More and more people are getting familiar about the benefit of these tools. There is a significant increase of open source tools that make information available to a large number of professionals. <br></br> Google, like other leading internet companies, is offering a very large number of free tools?. However, how do information users? act with Google tools? In other…</p>
<p>Dear Colleagues,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Open source and free tools available trough the internet are becoming popular nowadays. More and more people are getting familiar about the benefit of these tools. There is a significant increase of open source tools that make information available to a large number of professionals. <br/> Google, like other leading internet companies, is offering a very large number of free tools?. However, how do information users? act with Google tools? In other words…</p>
<p>- Are Information users aware of all theses tools and sources?<br/> - How are these tools utilized by Information users?<br/> - Which are the most useful with respect to Information Users?</p>
<p>These 3 questions motivated us to develop a survey with the aim of understanding more about this topic. From April to June 2011 we launched a survey with the objective of understanding how 24 free Google tools were used by information users. The study involved 466 professionals worldwide</p>
<p><br/>The link to the study is available at: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.miniera.es/es_resultados_articles.htm">http://www.miniera.es/es_resultados_articles.htm</a></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2654402190?profile=original"><img class="align-full" width="387" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2654402190?profile=original"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>I am pleased to discuss the results with you and understand what kind of topics or question we may have ask to understand how online or free tools are utilized by CI professionals.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Please, if you need a copy of the study, just send me an email.</p> Takeaways from SCIP's Annual Conferencetag:competitiveintelligence.ning.com,2011-05-13:2036441:Topic:506272011-05-13T16:55:32.726ZEllen Naylorhttps://competitiveintelligence.ning.com/profile/EllenNaylor
<p>I just got off a great Intelcollab call where August Jackson, Arik Johnson and Eric Garland shared their takeaways from the SCIP conference with us. I was unable to attend and I imagine others would be interested as well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Here is just some of what they shared, as I was tardy for the call!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Information toxicity - If you provide additional information towards a competitive intelligence project, make sure it's relevant to the decision at hand. If it's not, it's…</p>
<p>I just got off a great Intelcollab call where August Jackson, Arik Johnson and Eric Garland shared their takeaways from the SCIP conference with us. I was unable to attend and I imagine others would be interested as well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Here is just some of what they shared, as I was tardy for the call!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Information toxicity - If you provide additional information towards a competitive intelligence project, make sure it's relevant to the decision at hand. If it's not, it's toxic and detracts.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The impact of technology is more integrated in CI. A good example of this was Rick Marcet's talk on how Microsoft's win/loss program disrupts the current practice of win/loss collection and analysis. Microsoft uses a sales focused questionnaire that sales fills out after the win, loss or disengaged event. The statistical analysis that Microsoft conducts is continuous and real-time. The analysis is far reaching and issues bubble up which the company can probe more deeply.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We discussed other applications where technology is being used to tap intelligence from internal sources such as at Best Buy and Southwest Airlines, not part of SCIP's annual conference. Maybe this would be a good topic for next year: "How to effectively use technology to tap intelligence from internal resources." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>BTW, the Twitter stream for the conference is #scip2011. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>What did you learn from the conference that made you say "aha"?</p> Inc. Magazine Series on CI: The Good, The Bad and the Uglytag:competitiveintelligence.ning.com,2011-04-18:2036441:Topic:493352011-04-18T11:35:58.380ZAugust Jacksonhttps://competitiveintelligence.ning.com/profile/AugustJackson
<p class="p1">The April 2011 issue of <a href="http://www.inc.com/">Inc. Magazine</a> included a series of articles on competitive intelligence by <a href="http://twitter.com/burthelm">Bill Helm</a>. Helm is a senior writer at the magazine and the former marketing editor of BusinessWeek. For many entrepeneurs this is the first and most detailed view of the deliberate practice of competitive intelligence they will see. Overall the articles are a positive for both for the competitive intelligence…</p>
<p class="p1">The April 2011 issue of <a href="http://www.inc.com/">Inc. Magazine</a> included a series of articles on competitive intelligence by <a href="http://twitter.com/burthelm">Bill Helm</a>. Helm is a senior writer at the magazine and the former marketing editor of BusinessWeek. For many entrepeneurs this is the first and most detailed view of the deliberate practice of competitive intelligence they will see. Overall the articles are a positive for both for the competitive intelligence practice and entrepreneurs. That said, the series did leave some things to be desired. What I will try to do here is to summarize the series and reflect the good, the bad and the ugly.</p>
<p class="p1">Here are the links to the individual articles in the series:</p>
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.inc.com/magazine/20110401/how-to-use-competitive-intelligence-to-gain-an-advantage_Printer_Friendly.html">How to Use Competitive Intelligence to Gain an Advantage</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.inc.com/magazine/20110401/competitive-intelligence-how-to-make-people-talk.html">Competitive Intelligence: How to Make People Talk</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.inc.com/magazine/20110401/competitive-intelligence-how-to-spot-a-liar.html">Competitive Intelligence: How to Spot a Liar</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.inc.com/magazine/20110401/competitive-intelligence-how-to-work-a-trade-show.html">Competitive Intelligence: How to Work a Trade Show</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.inc.com/magazine/20110401/the-art-of-garbology.html">The Art of Garbology</a></li>
</ul>
<p class="p2"><strong>The Good</strong></p>
<p class="p2">For many if not most entrepreneurs this will be their introduction to the notion that there is a structured practice of understanding competitive market dynamics. Even for those who are familiar with the practice this is likely to be the most detailed look at the practice. If any press being good press, this series constitutes a win right there. My hope is that entrepreneurs will read this article and realize that they need to make systematic competitive intelligence part of their standard business practice. I hope those same entrepreneurs will follow up with some of the excellent CI resources that are out there.</p>
<p class="p1">Helm avoided jargon to make CI accessible to entrepreneurs. CI professionals can fall into the trap of diving too quickly into the details of specific collection or analysis practices. The community that has grown up around the practice can also sometimes be infatuated with the cutting edge of analysis or collection, desirous of expensive tools and is often invested in the narcissism of our minor differences. I know I’ve been guilty of this, and I’ve always tried to correct for this tendency by insisting that every presentation I deliver has to give my audience something new they can take away and try right away at no cost.</p>
<p class="p1">The series quotes a number of leading thinkers and figures in the field and mentions <a href="http://www.scip.org">SCIP</a> as a professional association for CI professionals. It’s clear that Helm interviewed some of the key people in the field, and this lends legitimacy to the material. Helm also interviews entrepreneurs that have used or conducted CI themselves for great value.</p>
<p class="p1">Helm clarifies that it’s best to narrow intelligence requirements at the beginning of the process. AMEN! If entrepreneurs or managers takes only one thing away from this series I hope it is the admonish to not say “I need to know absolutely everything about Company X” but to be laser-focused with their intelligence requirements. If CI customers will remember just this one bit of mindfulness they will save themselves a lot of time, a lot of money and avoid needless frustration. This one piece of advice is the key to getting value from competitive intelligence.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>The Bad</strong></p>
<p class="p1">Despite the fact that I was pleased to see this series of articles, there were some specific aspects that I didn’t like about the series.</p>
<p class="p1">While the series did a good job describing some of the basics of CI as a practice, the collection opportunities described came across as being based on serendipity rather than a systematic and often tedious practice.</p>
<p class="p1">Grateful as I am for the admonition to focus on specific needs, the description of the CI practice is over-focused on finding specific pieces of information. The modern CI practice is more about interpretation and analysis of information and data flows rather than uncovering that one hidden gems.</p>
<p class="p1">It seems that this series, as with all articles about CI, maintains a sheen of cloak and dagger about the practice. There are numerous mentions of former government, military and law enforcement intelligence types involved in CI. The skill sets are applicable across domains, and many of the best intelligence education opportunities are geared towards these communities. The mark of a good CI professional, though, is their ability to analyze and interpret findings to the world of a profit-making business. A government intelligence background does not guarantee a person will possess these skills.</p>
<p class="p4"><strong>The Ugly (or "What I Would Have Liked to See")</strong></p>
<p class="p4">Many entrepreneurs who read this series will probably want to learn more about CI. I would have liked to see a brief section on where they could go to find more information and a few of the books they could read to learn more. My top web site candidate is the SCIP web site, a great source in itself and useful jumping off point. While a number of books come to mind as best candidates for your first CI read, Seena Sharp’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470293179/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=augustjackdot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0470293179">Competitive Intelligence Advantage</a> is excellent for an entrepreneur to better understand CI.</p>
<p class="p1">I thought the series over-emphasized primary research. Some brief descriptions of basic secondary research would have been a strong addition. Some basics on how to examine a competitor's web site would have been useful. Maybe the feeling was that this sounds too obvious. As obvious as it is, I’m often surprised how much low-hanging secondary fruit is overlooked. Social media in particular offers some very useful opportunities to easily and inexpensively deliver valuable insight.</p>
<p class="p1">It would have also been very valuable to illustrate some of the basic analytical frameworks such as SWOT and Porter’s Five Forces. SWOT is very easy to understand and compile, and when done well quickly summarizes the state of the competitors in a market. I know some in the CI profession look down on SWOT. I still find the framework so readily accessible to be a useful with stakeholders.</p>
<p class="p1">Finally I would have also like to have seen greater coverage of the issues of legality and ethics. While the articles hints at some of the questions of legality related to activities like dumpster diving, a whole article is devoted to the subject of eavesdropping at trade shows. Richard Horowitz, one of the CI thought leaders and a practicing attorney referenced in the article has asked the question whether or not CI professionals are obsessed with ethics in past presentations at SCIP conferences and local chapters. I agree with Richard that some organizations apply an overly-strict interpretation of ethics that go far beyond the <a href="http://www.scip.org/About/content.cfm?ItemNumber=578&navItemNumber=504">SCIP Code of Ethics for CI Professionals</a>. However, I do believe that CI practices must be far beyond the standards of behavior laid out in the <a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-104publ294/content-detail.html">Economic Espionage Act</a> and guided by SCIP’s code (a policy analysis of the act by Horowitz is <a href="http://rhesq.com/CI/SCIP%2520EEA%2520Policy%2520Analysis.pdf">here</a> in PDF format).</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>Ethics and Efficacy of Suggested Practices</strong></p>
<p class="p1">Some of the specific practices described in this series create concerns for me that some entrepreneurs may engage in activity that at best runs afoul of ethical standards and at worst may violate the Economic Espionage Act or other laws. These practices include posing as customers, eavesdropping and dumpster diving. To my mind none of these practices constitute ethical or acceptable practices for competitive intelligence professionals.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>Posing As Potential Customer</strong></p>
<p class="p1">Houston-based Private Investigator J.J. Gradoni is quoted as saying. "I will pose as a potential customer and ask questions about a company's pricing structure, how fast they ship, turnaround time, number of employees, and so forth. Then I ask for references. I call those people as well." My interpretation is that this is a wholly unethical practice and very possibly violates some of the specific prohibitions against misrepresentation in the Espionage Act. If any practicing CI professional were exposed engaging in any such behavior I can only hope they would rightly be raked over the coals. Likewise for any executives or managers on whose behalf such a practice were employed.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>Dumpster Diving</strong></p>
<p class="p1">The series does touch on some examples of the damage to a reputation that can come from having been caught dumpster diving, Toledo-based importer Gary Marck is alleged to have been caught pilfering secrets from his competitor’s trash. The competitor used these stories to besmirch Marck’s reputation. Despite this cautionary tale the article hints that under certain conditions dumpster diving can actually be legal. Perhaps that is true, but my interpretation of SCIP’s ethical standards lead me to question this practice. The thought of rummaging through someone’s trash is absolutely disgusting, but now you know why I have a cross-cutting shredder.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>Elicitation</strong></p>
<p class="p1">I actually enjoyed some of the basic overview of interview and elicitation. The article illustrates some of the basics of appealing to a target’s self interest and summarizes five types of elicitation targets. Quality elicitation requires a lot of up-front research and is very structured. I was really impressed when we had Catherine Foley of <a href="http://www.cm2limited.com/">CM2 Limited</a> speak about elicitation at the Washington SCIP chapter in 2009.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>Encouraging Staff to Participate in Collection</strong></p>
<p class="p1">I agree that the task of collection is shared by everyone in the company, and I believe this works best when each role receives guidance that is specific to their standard activities. This training should also address some of the specific ethical and legal concerns for their collection activities.</p>
<p class="p1"><strong>Trade Show Eavesdropping</strong></p>
<p class="p1">The recommendations to engage in eavesdropping at trade shows is one of the more problematic recommendations of this article series. At least as troubling as the ethics are my concerns I have for the efficacy of eavesdropping as opposed to systematic trade show intelligence. Two very useful sources on trade show intelligence are <a href="http://www.scip.org/publications/ProductDetail.cfm?Itemnumber=2720">Conference and Trade Show Intelligence</a> edited by Jonathan Calof and Bonnie Hohhof and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Warroom-Guide-Competitive-Intelligence/dp/007058057X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1302475217&sr=8-1">The WarRoom Guide to Competitive Intelligence</a> by Steve Shaker and Mark Gembicki.</p>