Looking at Security Issues in Social Media: What Doors Are You Leaving Open? (Webinar)

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Social networking tools like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are fabulous! However, be aware of what additional information may be leaking out about your organization through these same social networks! In this session, Marcy Rodney will share real examples, and will discuss issues and best practices around security and privacy when using these networking tools as well as how to find information. This free event takes place on August 25 at 6 pm on Second Life http://slurl.com/secondlife/Info%20Island/62/114/33.

Contrasting the Traits of Good Product Managers & Competitive Intelligence Managers

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Many of the traits that make a good product manager also make a good competitive intelligence manager. Like product managers, competitive intelligence professionals rely on others in their company for support who do not report to them. The best product managers need to understand the customer’s world. Don’t filter customer’s input based on what you believe. A common question product managers ask executives is “what keeps you up at night?” to get focused on what the executive needs immediately. While CEOs may be critical of product managers, they expect leaders to have product management experience. This sure isn’t the case with competitive intelligence, a key skill, which is not a pre-requisite for the executive suite!

Collective Intelligence: Approaches to Find Stolen Art, “Urban Sunset”

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Last weekend, we were at an outdoor art show in a prosperous Chicago suburb. Rodgers’ painting “Urban Sunset” an original oil painting of a Chicago city scene was stolen (24” by 30” + frame). We would love to recover this painting, but it’s probably not that likely, so I thought I would share this story with you to remind you to be careful, and to share some sources to recover stolen art.

How a Good Relationship between Marketing & R&D Improves Product Development

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When marketing and R&D are truly focused on understanding and acting on customer needs, it makes both of their jobs easier and their results more productive! This is a powerful competitive weapon since this is not the case at many companies. Perhaps R&D can be masters of the art of possibility while Marketing can master the art of the Possible– that is what customers want and are willing to pay for.

Who Says Librarians Can’t be Analytic Competitive Intelligence Professionals?

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I am amazed at how quickly librarians can build off their information expertise and applied it to analytics. Here’s an example of how they dove into win loss analysis. This article discusses an approach to conducting win loss analysis including start-up issues and questions we would pose to customers depending on if we won or lost the sale.

How Executives Find & Value Information

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A recent Forbes survey of 354 executives at large US companies indicates that competitor analysis is the most critical area for research. The Internet is valued more than any other information source, including internal, external and personal contacts as well as newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, conferences and trade shows. Connecting with the executive suite has always been a challenge for competitive intelligence professionals, but now that they can access information so readily, it’s even worse since it can give one a false sense of power! Today more than ever, we need to help our executives realize the value of accurate, insightful intelligence–which is NOT posted on the Internet!

Improve Your Competitiveness: Adopt Technology & Pharmacology to Boost Intelligence

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Those who don’t take advantage of technology and pharmacology might be at a competitive disadvantage, increasingly so in the future. Today we are getting smarter through what Jamais Cascio describes as intelligence augmentation, which helps us make connections and see patterns in order to avoid being overwhelmed by this information glut. By 2030, we’ll live in a world where sophisticated foresight, detailed analysis and insight and augmented awareness will be commonplace. Many professionals will use simulation and modeling in their daily work as the supporting technology will be readily available. Read how.

Deloitte Shift Index Findings: Global Collaboration Will Improve Business Competitiveness

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The Deloitte Center for the Edge recently got my attention with its findings that competition is intensifying globally with a US return on assets dropping consistently across 15 different industries by 75% over the last 40 years! The Shift Index consists of 3 indices: Foundation, Flow and Impact, plus 25 other metrics that together quantify the stock, pace and implications for change. Successful firms will shift from what’s worked in the past, scalable efficiency to scalable learning.

Think Apple Computer when you think about a successful company by these “Shift Index” standards. It’s no coincidence that Apple customers enjoy the experience of using its products. I think a lot of what this long-term study concludes with is what good competitive intelligence has been preaching for YEARS. Keep reaching out and connecting both internally and externally and build on the intelligence you gather. Stay connected with people through all the means technology allows you to reach them. Isn’t this the foundation of a good early warning system?

Improve your Competitiveness: Learn about AIIP

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Read excerpts from Chris Kenneally’s interview with AIIP leaders Marcy Phelps and Linda Rink and find out about this great organization of 600 information professionals in over 20 countries who run their own businesses and support businesses which range from start-ups to Fortune 1000 companies. AIIPers do a lot more than simply find information: many members provide analysis to help clients make sense of the information, and provide ongoing updates.

How Corporate Recruiting Adds to a Competitive Intelligence Effort

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Dorothy Beach shares her experience in setting up competitive intelligence in the recruiting space. Through her experience, Dorothy shows how counterintelligence is often more valued in recruiting than in other parts of a company. She outlines 6 steps to obtain high level management buy-in to develop a CI gathering process.

© 2024 Ellen Naylor