How Can You Tell if Competitive Intelligence is Effective?

Any electrical socket around you provides a tap to a near endless supply of energy. Inside the wires, there is enough power to run a houseful of gadgets, recharge your electric car or deliver a nasty shock (don’t try that at home).

But, until you use the power in the line to do something (turn on the TV, cook a gourmet dinner, recharge MP3 players and such), it really isn’t of much value. In order for the electricity to be effective, it has to power something that is important to you. Otherwise, it is just a bunch of electrons with potential energy sitting in copper wiring.

Your competitive intelligence is very similar to the electricity in your wires. You can produce as much sales, market or competitive intelligence as you like, but until someone uses it to power change in your organization, it really isn’t effective at all.

And, that’s how I would define “Effective Competitive Intelligence.” The intelligence is effective if it:

1. Strengthens your company’s position
2. Discovers new markets
3. Develops new products/services/solutions

Competitive Intelligence is simply a means to an end. It is not the end itself. Improvement can be made without intelligence (just like you can blend your own kitchen concoctions by hand), but with the intelligence, the final result is usually achieved more quickly and, probably, in a better fashion.

In order to maximize effectiveness, Primary Intelligence recommends that you:

1. Choose your competitive intelligence initiatives wisely.




2. Make use of the intelligence and create change. Previous posts provide thoughts on ways to make intelligence most effective. You can find a 4-part series on the topic here: (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4)

If the second part doesn’t happen and the intelligence is change is never made, the first part doesn’t matter one bit. The first part is only a means and a means without an end has very little value.

If you have ideas on this topic, let’s talk. (cdalley@primary-intel.com, 801-838-9600 x5050)