Competitor intelligence – can you manage without it?

Presents useful advice for business intelligence analysts (BIAs) in companies on how to search for and acquire competitor intelligence and the important role that the Internet and World Wide Web can play in gathering such information. Stresses the dangers in over reliance on bookmarking regular Web sites and depending too heavily on alerting services while accepting that both have a vital role to play. Concludes with a discussion of evaluation forms for use when attending exhibitions at which competitors are present and the overall benefits to management of competitor intelligence in terms of: faster reaction to markets; reduced costs; lowered risks; added value; and increased productivity. The BIA can be the central point of communication for all competitor and industry information within a company.