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Companies operating in today's unpredictable roller-coaster economy have increasingly turned to COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE (CI) as an effective means of building and maintaining an edge. Competitive Intelligence is critical for making smarter business decisions and reducing risks when formulating strategies, leading to more profits and fewer mistakes. Businesses would benefit by changing their perspective towards Competitive Intelligence from being an item of expenditure to that of an investment which gives immediate value. Indian industry, in its march towards true globalization, has clearly understood the significance of being competitive. The need for getting trained in the basic techniques of CI would now emerge as a necessity as India reinforces its efforts to become a great power, challenging the global competitors. 'Tomorrow when India will be ready to lead the world, it will need the right infrastructure and platforms to address, connect, showcase and greet the world'. CI is the identification of strategically important corporate intelligence needs and the process of resolving those needs through ethical information – gathering, analysis and the presentation of such analysis to clients (internal or external). In complex environments, successful firms do not simply find a success formula or a set of competencies and bank/capitalize on them. Successful firms are dynamic and often non-linear. Successful firms, in such environments, are those that can continually discover competitive opportunities. It is the stream of competitive opportunities that allow an organization to continually renew itself in harmony with the competitive environment. Simply put, successful firms differentiate themselves from other firms by being continually different. Competitive Intelligence is the critical driver of information that will allow a firm to adapt preemptively to the future environment. The need to turn competitor information into actionable intelligence has never been greater. CI professionals are pledged to providing their companies with the instruments needed to stay fast, focused and flexible in the pursuit and maintenance of competitive advantage. Competitive Intelligence has a broad scope that it can use information related to almost any product or activity or information on recent industry trends or issues or about geo-political indications. With effective use of CI, firms can outwit, outmanoeuvre and outperform current, emerging and potential competitors. Competitive Intelligence does not just mean a trip to the local store to see the competitor's finished products – it means gathering business information to gain an advantage in a legal and ethical manner. This book provides a unique opportunity to gauge where the field of CI stands today and to learn how you might benefit from many of its current successful programs and professional practices. This book teaches what CI is, why a company needs to have a successful intelligence program, where to place an intelligence program, completely explains the ins and outs of CI, and why your company will act faster and more aggressively with CI and what sources to use and not to use for intelligence gathering. Technology, Analysis and Security issues are also identified and explored. CI is a management tool that results in numerous benefits. If you are a Senior level Executive or operate a business and you are not tapping the power of CI to improve your decision making – you are missing a potent advantage. Contents - 1. Shaping Business Strategy through Competitive Intelligence 2. Managing Competition: Turning Competitive Intelligence into Strategy 3. Intelligence Driven Strategizing 4. Developing Competitive Awareness 5. Managing CI Knowledge Flows 6. Human and Alliance Networks 7. Implementing Decisions through CI Processes 8. Intellectual Property and Competitive Intelligence Appendices
