Rethinking The Four Faces of Competitive Intelligence

Developing and implementing a Competitive Intelligence (CI) program within an organization is a lot like going to counseling. You may not necessarily enjoy the process, but the insights and tools you take away from taking a good hard look in the mirror can provide invaluable growth going forward.

For those businesses that aren’t faint of heart, CI can also provide similar benefits. Using data analytics, CI helps enterprises determine how their business stacks up against the competition in terms of organizational structure, products, pricing, and marketing strategies, and then establishes appropriate steps these businesses can adopt to enable success and growth. Depending on the data, there can be many interpretations, but the one overriding distinction, not unlike therapy, is that Competitive Intelligence (CI) is strategically underutilized.

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The Traditional Four Faces of CI

A traditional execution of CI starts with a two-by-two matrix to address a Strategy/Tactical dichotomy and a decision to pursue either directional insight or detailed findings. CI efforts cover a myriad range of issues, but consulting services have recently pivoted toward a preference for strategic recommendations.