THE KEY INFORMATION SOURCES OF COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE

Active Passive Technical intelligence Technical watch Marketing intelligence Marketing watch Financial intelligence Financial watch Production intelligence Production watch Sales intelligence Sales watch R&DMarketingFinanceProductionSales The value chain of information The key information sources of Competitive Intelligence

Classifying according to information types The key information sources of Competitive Intelligence COLD INFORMATION 20 % HOTSECRET 80 % White Information Grey Information Black Information 75 % 25 % Industrial espionage Grey Information Black Information Competitive Intelligence

The key information sources of Competitive Intelligence Internal sources Fortuitous sources Train, plane, « the street » Stagiaires... Partner groups Subconctractors Suppliers Clients Competitors Professional Groups Financial partners New Networks Internet Compuserve Personal Networks Clubs Colleagues Confrères Information providers Press Booksellers Libraries Internet servers, brokers Data bases Information Centers Events Colloquium Fairs Business trips Consultants and experts Ingineering Schools Universities Experts Technical Centers Consultants Institutions Administrations International organisations Associations Research Centers Institutes and foundations Universities Sourece : L'Usine Nouvelle n° 2565, oct. 1996

The key information sources of Competitive Intelligence Business communication "Open-house" days Sub-contractors Research projects and study trips Exhibitions and trade fairs Conferences, seminars and clubs Job applicants Trade negotiations Networks of personal relations Informal sources

The key information sources of Competitive Intelligence Astonishment reportsAstonishment reports i.e. reports in which the author mentions everything that may have astonished things that bear no direct relationship to the initial reason for his assignment or even to his line of work Individual contactsIndividual contacts Whereas publications are the reflection of a previously developed, duly codified science, individuals are the observers or actors of a science that is in the process of developement as well as of its potential applications Management of informal sources

The key information sources of Competitive Intelligence CLIENTS SUPPLIERS COMPETITORS PARTNERS Scientific world Consultants Technology vendors Financial partners National bodies The main information sources of Competitive Intelligence

The key information sources of Competitive Intelligence Sources of general and open information (Adapted from Square Strategy, 1999) Sources of high added value Public data : press, data bases, accounts… Public data : press, data bases, accounts… Open sources Informal human sources : journalists, experts, reseachers, financial analysts,... Players from the environment: competitors, colleagues, Shareholders,clients, Service providers Decisionmakers Knowledge Information Data Added value High Low Added value of information sources

The key information sources of Competitive Intelligence * Publications (domestic and foreign) - referred technical journals - trade publications/newsletters - newspapers - translations and abstracts - patents or patent applications - in-house or company publications - conference or symposium proceedings - technical magazines - industry or trade association reports - government reports or newsletters - abstracts or document summaries Technical and Business Literature (1/2)

The key information sources of Competitive Intelligence *Unpublished documents - trip reports to technical sites or meetings - correspondence - computerized databases - briefing materials - meeting notes * Computerized databases - commercial - government - proprietary Technical and Business Literature (1/2)