What keeps you awake at night?

What keeps you awake at night? An Introduction to Competitive Intelligence By Graeme Dixon Graeme.dixon@aimstrategic.com www.aimstrategic.com

The Agenda • What is Competitive Intelligence • How can it help you • The Competitive Intelligence process • Uses of Competitive Intelligence • Tools • Pitfalls of Competitive Intelligence www.aimstrategic.com

World wide client base since 2006 • Military Intelligence experience • Recognised authority in Competitive Intelligence • Excellent network of intelligence sources & expertise • Unique, flexible & cutting edge software www.aimstrategic.com

Our Story www.aimstrategic.com

Introduction • Can you afford to take your eyes off your rivals? • That chat at a networking dinner • The piece in the press • Is it the real picture? • Growing industry www.aimstrategic.com

What is Competitive Intelligence? www.aimstrategic.com

Competitive Intelligence www.aimstrategic.com Official definition – “A systematic and ethical programme for gathering, analysing and managing external information that can affect your companies plans, decisions and operations”

Why Competitive Intelligence? “It is pardonable to be defeated, but never surprised”– Frederick the Great www.aimstrategic.com

About You? • Too much information on competitors • Not enough time to determine what it all means • Your team don’t know how to make effective use of Competitive Intelligence • You are struggling to compete with your rivals moves • Sometimes surprised by rivals www.aimstrategic.com

About You • Your competitor out performs you • Your rival keeps winning the tenders despite how much effort you put in • You are facing new products everyday & don’t know where to turn • Gossip taken as gospel www.aimstrategic.com

Competitive Intelligence offers insight • About other businesses that may have a significant impact on your business • Your direct competition that you encounter on a daily basis • Indirect competitors who offer a substitute product • Gives you knowledge to prevent surprises • Understanding of your competitors and why they do things www.aimstrategic.com

Why Competitive Intelligence? • The growth of global trade mean your business environment changes more quickly than ever before. • You can no longer rely on instinct or intuition when making strategic business decisions. • The consequence of making one wrong decision may see a company go out of business. • Full picture before making the big decisions www.aimstrategic.com

What do you need to know? “Merck anticipated and out-manoeuvred the competition, resulting in saving approximately $200 million to the bottom line - so far."Clifford Kalb - Vice President of pharmaceutical firm Merck www.aimstrategic.com

What You Need To Know www.aimstrategic.com

What It Can Do For You • Incorporate their strengths • Exploit their weaknesses • Predict their actions • Force their hand • Support your decision making • Identify new markets www.aimstrategic.com

Puts Yourself In Their Shoes • How is it put together? • How is it priced? • What was the quality of their service like? • What was the after sales like? • How did the sales team deal with you? • How were you treated in reception? www.aimstrategic.com

Our Services “Competition has always been central to the agenda of companies…..indeed, competition has become one of the enduring themes of our time” Michael Porter, Harvard Professor www.aimstrategic.com

Comprehensive Competitor Management Solutions www.aimstrategic.com

Intelligence Cycle www.aimstrategic.com

Break Down of a Competitive Intelligence Project www.aimstrategic.com

The Process Phases • Planning • Control & Analysis • Feedback & Review Incorporating the military intelligence cycle, the OODA Loop and Business models www.aimstrategic.com

The Planning Phase • Face to face meetings to determine: • Project scope, objectives, deliverables & timeframes • Environment understanding • Key players • Industry • Key issues • Structured development of key intelligence questions • Define Methods of Engagements & tactics www.aimstrategic.com

Control & Analysis Phase • Observe • Collect secondary & primary information • Link data for Analysis and validation • Orient • Detailed Information & relationship analysis • Dissemination & create insight • Decide • Understand situation • Plan • Agree Methods of Engagement • Act www.aimstrategic.com

Control & Analysis Phase • Dissemination • Formal presentation of findings • Executive summary • Answers to Key Intelligence Topics • Insights & recommendations • Full report in any format www.aimstrategic.com

Observe - Collection • Who are you going to talk to? • What are you going to say? • What websites are you going to monitor? • Which documents are you going to search for? www.aimstrategic.com

Control and AnalysisFinding the information Secondary Sources • Market research reports and portals • Press releases • Patents • Trademarks • Domain names • Analyst reports • Industry associations and newsletters • What they say and what they don’t say www.aimstrategic.com

Control and AnalysisFinding the information Primary sources • Employees • Customers • Senior management • Suppliers • Key tradeshows and events www.aimstrategic.com

Control and AnalysisAnalysis • To interpret the significance of the information • Fluctuations of activity • Highlight patterns • Assessment of out comes and issues • Needs to be timely www.aimstrategic.com

Control and AnalysisCommunication • Get the information direct to the people that matter • Beware of politics • People don’t like intelligence that goes against their plans • People don’t like to give bad news www.aimstrategic.com

Review & Feedback Phase • Direction • Review Key Intelligence Topics • Review deception warning signs • Collection • Review sources and collection tasks • Information • Review Essential Elements of Information • Dissemination • Reporting quality and accuracy www.aimstrategic.com

Examples of Competitive Intelligence Utilisation “If you know your enemy and yourself; you will win every battle.” “If you know yourself, but not your enemy; for every battle won you will suffer a loss.” Sun Tzu 500 BC www.aimstrategic.com

Product Development • Evaluation of rival products & service levels • Assessment of competitors market place • Regulation research • Competitive marketing cost analysis www.aimstrategic.com

Sales & Marketing • Product launch analysis • Sourcing & Analysis of resellers, performance & motivation • Product positioning • Sales team analysis, deployment & development • Marketing approaches www.aimstrategic.com

Corporate Strategic Development • Organisational structure analysis • Merger & Acquisition strategy • Management Information analysis • Portfolio Management • Internal strategic assessment • Corporate strategy, tactics, organisational structure www.aimstrategic.com

Branding • Key relationship management • Decision maker & Influencing • Value proposition • Company image • Product brand www.aimstrategic.com

Tools • Keep it simple • Likely a lot of information is already in your organisation • CI Database • Website monitor www.aimstrategic.com

Competitive Intelligence Pit Falls..... www.aimstrategic.com

It’s Not Espionage! www.aimstrategic.com

It’s Not Magic www.aimstrategic.com

It does not perform miracles www.aimstrategic.com

Collection, Not Direction Bridge Too Far www.aimstrategic.com

Any one know what this is? Susceptible to politics www.aimstrategic.com

Headlines, Spin & Politics www.aimstrategic.com

AIM Strategic Management • Thank you • Happy to discuss anything regarding Competitive Intelligence • Graeme Dixon – Professional Services Director • 07866 263078 • graeme.dixon@aimstrategic.com www.aimstrategic.com

What keeps you awake at night?