How to Gather Market Intelligence

7/27/2019 How to Gather Market Intelligence

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There are various functions which fall under the category of Market intelligence. In this world of increasing

competition, where each of the competitors have amazing depth in their product lines, market intelligence plays

a crucial role in keeping the company on top of its game. Market intelligence in layman terms involves the

spread of marketing information such that the decision makers are capable of taking the right decisions or

altering their overallstrategybased on the intelligence acquired. Thus market intelligence has the involvement

of numerous entities.Many companies have a separate market intelligence and strategy department. In some smaller companies, the

product manager will also be involved in gathering market intelligence. This market intelligence is then passed

on to the strategy department wherein the decision makers take a right step to counter act such that these

strategies are better than the competition and help the company increase market share and acquire customers.

This is all possible on the basis of market intelligence gathered. So what are the ways in which you can gather

market intelligence?

1) Use your sales force Your sales force can be the best source for information on improvement in the

products, marketing strategies as well as in finding new products which might be needed in the market.

Generally it is the sales force which is the represenative of your company. Thus they have the maximum

interactions with the end customer. Hence, your sales force is in a much better position to give you practical

and realistic market feedback. Time to time competition and market survey through your sales force helps in

gathering a lot of useful markeing intelligence.

2) Use your channel Your channel partners are business owners and they too will have a say in the way

your company should run. More than your sales representative, the channel partners will be highly interested in

the sale of a product as their livelihood depends on it. Thus if it is a matter of new product expansion, you need

to involve your channel dealers to know which products they will be confident of selling in the market, which

products will they be ready to stock, and hence, which product should the company focus on next. The channel

dealer can also suggest improvements in the companies current strategies. The channel dealers are the internal

customers of the company and taking feedback from them also keeps them motivated so that they remain loyal

to the company.

3) Network

Not only your own sales representative and channel partners, but competitors salesrepresentatives and channel partners can also be a source of market intelligence. This is the job of product

managers in any organization. The product manager should not only keep an eye on his product but he should

also be in touch with the competition to know whatever changes in strategy is being brought about by the

competition. Off course, this calls for some smartness and coy strategy from the product manager. But hey, if

marketing was so simple, then any dumb person could do it right? Building a network and building solid

business relationship are defining characteristics of marketers and they need to use this to their best advantage

while gathering market intelligence.

4) Seek external help External help can be of two types. One can be by hiring a consultant or a market

research agency which gathers market research data and competition data from time to time. This method is

costlier but more efficient. This method is mainly used by B2C companies wherein the number of individual

customers is high and knowing the consumer psyche is very important. The other way is to gather data from

resources such as government data ormass marketresearch data released from time to time from organizations

such as Nielson and IMRB. This data can also be used for market research and competition analysis. This is a

less costly method but then the information is not exclusive. Your competitors too will receive this common

domain information as easily as you will. The only thing which may defer is the decisions you take based on the

data and the strategies you implement. Both these forms of market intelligence are efficient if you make the

right decisions based on the intelligence you have gathered.
http://www.marketing91.com/strategy/http://www.marketing91.com/strategy/http://www.marketing91.com/strategy/http://www.marketing91.com/mass-market/http://www.marketing91.com/mass-market/http://www.marketing91.com/mass-market/http://www.marketing91.com/mass-market/http://www.marketing91.com/strategy/


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5) Use the web Nowadays, social media monitoring is being used a lot to know what your customers think

of the product and what they want or expect from the company. A simple search on twitter will show you what

people are talking about and also what specific things they have to say regarding your product / brand. Thus

twitter forms an excellent market intelligence tool. Similarly, there are social media monitoring agencies which

map various social media platforms for their clients, they try to find out what are the opinions of the consumers

and they might even try to build a brand or change consumer psychology through online interaction viacomments, blogs, twitter posts, forum posts or other such actions. However, slowly but surely, the internet is

surpassing all other medium in its importance to consumer decision making.

6) Form a customer advisory panel A customer advisory panel is made of your most loyal customers,

cusomers who hate you, customers who dont like your products or customers who are more loyal to your

competitors. In essence, any customer who is brand conscious can become an advisor provided he knows about

the brand he is buying and why he is buying it. Even better customers are the ones who know inside out of the

industry. Consider a young chap buying a CHIP magazine regularly. He would be a perfect advisor to a

company who wants to make new apps. The company can get an insight from the customer of what he wants. If

8 out of 10 customers say they want more games, then the company knows that it needs to build games as

people are still hungry for it.

Using the above methodologies, strong market intelligence can be gathered which can then be used in your MIS

system such that the information is disseminated throughout the organization to have a holistic marketing

culture. This market intelligence will also help you build your image in front of the internal customers and

stakeholders, and at the same time, it will help the company thrive in the business market.

50 Competitive Intelligence Analysis Techniques

7 OCTOBER 2013 | BY ESTELLE METAYER

Analysis is often where the ball drops as far as competitive intelligence analysts are concerned.Yet this is the only way the team can truly extract insights from the data and the intelligence

gathered, and have a chance to play a role in the companys strategic planning process. You will

find below 50 analysis techniques you should master. This is not a complete list, and it should beadapted depending on the strategic needs of your company, as well as the nature of your

business.


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I have ranked them by theme, but also suggested the level of complexity. The techniques markedwith an asterisk* are included inCompetias course Advanced Analysis Techniques.

Industry Structure and Competitiveness1-SWOT*A structured method to analyze both internal and external factors that are likely to affect a

companys success. This framework needs little introduction as it has been used and overused invirtually every strategic planning discussion I have been part of. I would caution analysts that

SWOT might be useful to organize information, but certainly not to guide strategic decision

making. It needs to be combined with theTOWS matrix to gain additional insights.More:http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05.htm

Complexity: low

2-SCP Framework ( Structure-Conduct-Performance)*The SCP framework is process to understand how players behaviorand external shocks can

affect an industrys future profitability and growth. It can be at times difficult to run as it requires

executives to project into the future, but insights are real and lead to great strategic discussions.More on McKinseys site (includes an audio file):

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/strategy/enduring_ideas_the_scp_framework

An example of analysis here:https://www.frost.com/sublib/display-market-

insight.do?id=170405929Complexity: Medium

3-ADL Matrix
http://competia.com/courses/http://competia.com/courses/http://competia.com/courses/http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_89.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_89.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_89.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05.htmhttp://www.mckinsey.com/insights/strategy/enduring_ideas_the_scp_frameworkhttp://www.mckinsey.com/insights/strategy/enduring_ideas_the_scp_frameworkhttps://www.frost.com/sublib/display-market-insight.do?id=170405929https://www.frost.com/sublib/display-market-insight.do?id=170405929https://www.frost.com/sublib/display-market-insight.do?id=170405929https://www.frost.com/sublib/display-market-insight.do?id=170405929https://www.frost.com/sublib/display-market-insight.do?id=170405929https://www.frost.com/sublib/display-market-insight.do?id=170405929http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/strategy/enduring_ideas_the_scp_frameworkhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05.htmhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_89.htmhttp://competia.com/courses/


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This analysis helps one understand how an industrys maturity and competitive position affects

strategy. It compares two axes: industry maturity (ranging from embryonic, growing, mature, to

aging) and competitive position (from dominant to weak).

More here:http://www.comindwork.com/weekly/2013-05-06/productivity/adl-matrix-portfolio-management

Complexity: Medium

4-Porter's Five Forces*Porters framework provides a checklist to analyze the competitiveness level of an industry

based on the balance of power. When using it, do not forget it is only the start of your analysis.

The next step includes defining which strategy would augment chances of success: cost structurestrategy, differentiation strategy or integration strategy.

More: about Michael Porters work atHarvard Business School

Complexity: Low

5-Industry cost curves
http://www.comindwork.com/weekly/2013-05-06/productivity/adl-matrix-portfolio-managementhttp://www.comindwork.com/weekly/2013-05-06/productivity/adl-matrix-portfolio-managementhttp://www.comindwork.com/weekly/2013-05-06/productivity/adl-matrix-portfolio-managementhttp://www.comindwork.com/weekly/2013-05-06/productivity/adl-matrix-portfolio-managementhttp://www.isc.hbs.edu/http://www.isc.hbs.edu/http://www.isc.hbs.edu/http://www.isc.hbs.edu/http://www.comindwork.com/weekly/2013-05-06/productivity/adl-matrix-portfolio-managementhttp://www.comindwork.com/weekly/2013-05-06/productivity/adl-matrix-portfolio-management


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Using supply curves, the frameworks helps you anticipate capacity investments, plant closures,

and pricing changes for a product.

More:http://xray-delta.com/2012/04/24/do-you-know-how-to-use-this-classic-tool-industry-cost-

curves/

Complexity: High

-

6-Value NetThis analysis extends the five-forces framework by examining the role of complementors

(companies from which customers buy complementary products or services) and their effect,which is the mirror image that of competitors.

More:

https://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/SandBLandscape-p31-35.pdf

Complexity: Low

7-The Space Matrix

This is a valuable method for analyzing the competitive position of an organization. It highlightstwo internal dimensions (financial strength and competitive advantage) and two external

dimensions (industry strength and environmental stability) to determine the organizationsstrategic position in the industry. The companys strategic strength is then defined as aggressive,

competitive, conservative or defensive.

More:

https://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/SPACE%2
http://xray-delta.com/2012/04/24/do-you-know-how-to-use-this-classic-tool-industry-cost-curves/http://xray-delta.com/2012/04/24/do-you-know-how-to-use-this-classic-tool-industry-cost-curves/http://xray-delta.com/2012/04/24/do-you-know-how-to-use-this-classic-tool-industry-cost-curves/http://xray-delta.com/2012/04/24/do-you-know-how-to-use-this-classic-tool-industry-cost-curves/https://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/SandBLandscape-p31-35.pdfhttps://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/SandBLandscape-p31-35.pdfhttps://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/SandBLandscape-p31-35.pdfhttps://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/SPACE%20Matrix.pdfhttps://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/SPACE%20Matrix.pdfhttps://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/SandBLandscape-p31-35.pdfhttps://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/SandBLandscape-p31-35.pdfhttp://xray-delta.com/2012/04/24/do-you-know-how-to-use-this-classic-tool-industry-cost-curves/http://xray-delta.com/2012/04/24/do-you-know-how-to-use-this-classic-tool-industry-cost-curves/


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0Matrix.pdf

Complexity: Low

8-PEST

This framework is used in the early phases of strategy development to describe the landscape andenvironment in which a firm operates ( PEST stands for Political, Economic, Social andTechnological). Note: It is sometimes transformed into SLEPT (Social, Legal, Economic,

Political, Technological), PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological,

Environmental/Ecological, Legal), STEEPLE (Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental,Legal, Ethical), etc.

More:http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-78-pest-analysis-

revisited/

Complexity: Low

9-Inflection point analysis
https://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/SPACE%20Matrix.pdfhttps://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/SPACE%20Matrix.pdfhttp://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-78-pest-analysis-revisited/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-78-pest-analysis-revisited/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-78-pest-analysis-revisited/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-78-pest-analysis-revisited/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-78-pest-analysis-revisited/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-78-pest-analysis-revisited/https://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/SPACE%20Matrix.pdf


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An inflection point is: An event that changes the way we thinkand act. This analysis identifies

when and where inflection points are likely to happen.

More: I like the short explanation here:http://www.safehaven.com/article/22158/inflection-

points-a-short-explanationAn example by Accenturein the US Biopharmaceutical Industry

Complexity: High

10- HypercompetitionBy leveraging Richard dAvenis frameworks of competitive cycles, analysts can predict future

industry dynamics.More:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNbIWLT_HV4and get the book

http://www.amazon.com/Hypercompetition-Richard-A-Daveni/dp/0029069386

Complexity: Medium

Future market size estimation and analysis11-Evaluation and Estimation of the Market Size*These techniques will allow you to calculate the size of the market even when no study exists orno information is publicly available. Many methodsfrom top-down to bottom-up and

extrapolations from market segmentscan be triangulated to get the correct answer. The main

advantage of these analyses is that they lead to a good, solid strategic definition of the industry or

market boundaries and helps highlight blind spots.More: from Harvardhttp://hbr.org/product/marketing-analysis-toolkit-market-size-and-market-

/an/510081-PDF-ENG

Complexity: Medium

12-Lifetime value analysisThis customer lifetime value analysis consists of predicting the revenue a customer will generate

over his or her entire lifetime.More:https://www.custora.com/tour/feature_predictive_customer_lifetime_value_clv_retail

Complexity: Medium

13- Supply and demand curvesIn microeconomics, supply and demand is an economic model of price determination in a

market. It concludes that in a competitive market, the unit price for a particular good will vary

until it settles at a point where the quantity demanded by consumers (at current price) will equal

the quantity supplied by producers (at current price), resulting in an economic equilibrium forprice and quantity.

More: a good primer herehttp://www.oup.com/us/pdf/microecon/ch02ppt.pdfComplexity: High

Customer intelligence
http://www.safehaven.com/article/22158/inflection-points-a-short-explanationhttp://www.safehaven.com/article/22158/inflection-points-a-short-explanationhttp://www.safehaven.com/article/22158/inflection-points-a-short-explanationhttp://www.safehaven.com/article/22158/inflection-points-a-short-explanationhttp://www.accenture.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/InflectionPointStrategies.pdfhttp://www.accenture.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/InflectionPointStrategies.pdfhttp://www.accenture.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/InflectionPointStrategies.pdfhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNbIWLT_HV4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNbIWLT_HV4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNbIWLT_HV4http://www.amazon.com/Hypercompetition-Richard-A-Daveni/dp/0029069386http://www.amazon.com/Hypercompetition-Richard-A-Daveni/dp/0029069386http://hbr.org/product/marketing-analysis-toolkit-market-size-and-market-/an/510081-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/marketing-analysis-toolkit-market-size-and-market-/an/510081-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/marketing-analysis-toolkit-market-size-and-market-/an/510081-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/marketing-analysis-toolkit-market-size-and-market-/an/510081-PDF-ENGhttps://www.custora.com/tour/feature_predictive_customer_lifetime_value_clv_retailhttps://www.custora.com/tour/feature_predictive_customer_lifetime_value_clv_retailhttps://www.custora.com/tour/feature_predictive_customer_lifetime_value_clv_retailhttp://www.oup.com/us/pdf/microecon/ch02ppt.pdfhttp://www.oup.com/us/pdf/microecon/ch02ppt.pdfhttp://www.oup.com/us/pdf/microecon/ch02ppt.pdfhttp://www.oup.com/us/pdf/microecon/ch02ppt.pdfhttps://www.custora.com/tour/feature_predictive_customer_lifetime_value_clv_retailhttp://hbr.org/product/marketing-analysis-toolkit-market-size-and-market-/an/510081-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/marketing-analysis-toolkit-market-size-and-market-/an/510081-PDF-ENGhttp://www.amazon.com/Hypercompetition-Richard-A-Daveni/dp/0029069386http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNbIWLT_HV4http://www.accenture.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/InflectionPointStrategies.pdfhttp://www.safehaven.com/article/22158/inflection-points-a-short-explanationhttp://www.safehaven.com/article/22158/inflection-points-a-short-explanation


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18-Staircases to Growth*The staircase approach is a method to map a companys possible growth path by continuouslycompounding skills and options. I have used this framework extensively to either map a

competitors past staircase (and hence anticipate future moves) or as a tool for a strategy team tobrainstorm about strategic options.More: The excellent McKinsey Quarterly article here is a must read :

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/growth/staircases_to_growth

Complexity: Medium

19-Seven degrees of freedomThis analysis is based on the belief that the success of a strategy is based on the ability of acompany to identify its strengths and build on them.

For more, read The Mind of the strategist by Kenichi Ohmae

http://www.economist.com/media/globalexecutive/books/mind_of_the_strategist_e_03.pdf

Complexity: Low

20-Directional Policy Matrix*The directional policy matrix allows you to pick growth avenues based on market attractiveness

and company strength. It has also been called the GE matrix, as GE uses this analysis in itsstrategy process. It can be run qualitatively or quantitatively, depending on the learning style of

your executives.
http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/growth/staircases_to_growthhttp://www.mckinsey.com/insights/growth/staircases_to_growthhttp://www.economist.com/media/globalexecutive/books/mind_of_the_strategist_e_03.pdfhttp://www.economist.com/media/globalexecutive/books/mind_of_the_strategist_e_03.pdfhttp://www.economist.com/media/globalexecutive/books/mind_of_the_strategist_e_03.pdfhttp://www.mckinsey.com/insights/growth/staircases_to_growth


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More: read herehttp://www.changefactory.com.au/articles/business-strategy/making-good-

strategic-choices-directional-policy-matrix/

Complexity: Low

21-BCG Matrix

Frankly, I hesitated to include this analysis here. The BCG matrix is a framework to helpdecision making on existing product lines. Developed in the 1980s, it has been used to evaluatehow a company should think about its portfolio based on two criteria: the relative market share

of a product and the market growth rate. I wont spend too much time on it as it often leads to

erroneous decisions (niche strategies do not fit very well in here).More on Wikipediahttp://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/BCG-Matrix

Complexity: Low

22-Ansoff Growth Strategy MatrixThe Ansoff Matrix (first published by the Harvard Business Review in 1957) is sometimes called

the Product/Market Expansion Grid. It shows four growth options for business formed by

matching up existing and new products and services with existing and new markets.More: quick summary herehttp://www.timeanalyzer.com/lib/ansoff.htm

Complexity: Low

23-Strategy diamondThe framework (developed by Donald Hambrick and James Frederickson) puts the economic

logic at the center of the analysis. Four dimensions are analyzed: Arenas, Vehicles,

Differentiators, Staging and Economic logic. Strategy is about making important choices, and thereal power of a Strategy Diamond is that it integrates important choices into a bigger picture

instead of as a piecemeal approach.

More:http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-84-strategy-

diamond/Complexity: Medium
http://www.changefactory.com.au/articles/business-strategy/making-good-strategic-choices-directional-policy-matrix/http://www.changefactory.com.au/articles/business-strategy/making-good-strategic-choices-directional-policy-matrix/http://www.changefactory.com.au/articles/business-strategy/making-good-strategic-choices-directional-policy-matrix/http://www.changefactory.com.au/articles/business-strategy/making-good-strategic-choices-directional-policy-matrix/http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/BCG-Matrixhttp://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/BCG-Matrixhttp://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/BCG-Matrixhttp://www.timeanalyzer.com/lib/ansoff.htmhttp://www.timeanalyzer.com/lib/ansoff.htmhttp://www.timeanalyzer.com/lib/ansoff.htmhttp://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-84-strategy-diamond/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-84-strategy-diamond/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-84-strategy-diamond/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-84-strategy-diamond/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-84-strategy-diamond/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-84-strategy-diamond/http://www.timeanalyzer.com/lib/ansoff.htmhttp://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/BCG-Matrixhttp://www.changefactory.com.au/articles/business-strategy/making-good-strategic-choices-directional-policy-matrix/http://www.changefactory.com.au/articles/business-strategy/making-good-strategic-choices-directional-policy-matrix/


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24-Familiarity MatrixIts two axesfamiliarity with market factors and technology or serviceare both divided intonew familiar and new unfamiliar. The market dimension refers to the amount of knowledge

possessed by the diversifying company of various characteristics of the market and the

competitors within it. Newness of a market is the extent to which the company has previously

targeted it.More here:http://www.mbaknol.com/strategic-management/a-new-business-strategy-familiarity-

matrix/

Complexity: Medium

25-Core competence analysisAn organization's core competencies are its strategically important capabilities that are central to

fulfilling its mission and providing an advantage in the marketplace. Core competenciesare difficult for competitors to imitate, and they provide companies with a sustainable
http://www.mbaknol.com/strategic-management/a-new-business-strategy-familiarity-matrix/http://www.mbaknol.com/strategic-management/a-new-business-strategy-familiarity-matrix/http://www.mbaknol.com/strategic-management/a-new-business-strategy-familiarity-matrix/http://www.mbaknol.com/strategic-management/a-new-business-strategy-familiarity-matrix/http://www.mbaknol.com/strategic-management/a-new-business-strategy-familiarity-matrix/http://www.mbaknol.com/strategic-management/a-new-business-strategy-familiarity-matrix/


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27-Cost structure comparison / Value chain analysisWhen no information is available on the competitors costs, this analysis provides a structured

approach to identify and calculate differences. It is helpful when one has no access to the actual

competitor cost information (which is always the case), and allows an alternative analysismethod. As you can imagine, there are not many companies advertising about how they do the

analysis. This is one of the most powerful analysis tools I knowit helps anticipate product

margins, bidding prices and sustainability of pricing strategy.

More here:http://www.imanet.org/PDFs/Public/Research/SMA/Value%20Chain%20Analysis.pdfComplexity: High

28-Monte Carlo simulationForecasting or predictive analytics can best be described as statistic modeling enabling prediction

of future events or results, using present and past information and data.
http://www.imanet.org/PDFs/Public/Research/SMA/Value%20Chain%20Analysis.pdfhttp://www.imanet.org/PDFs/Public/Research/SMA/Value%20Chain%20Analysis.pdfhttp://www.imanet.org/PDFs/Public/Research/SMA/Value%20Chain%20Analysis.pdf


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More:http://www.palisade.com/risk/monte_carlo_simulation.asp and an example in financial

reporting here:http://www.strategy-at-risk.com/2012/06/05/budgeting-revisited/Complexity:

High

Competitor's Management Team Profiling29-Myers Briggs' psychological profile* of competitors management teamUsed in alliances, acquisitions or for competitors, a powerful tool to understand leadershipdifferences and anticipate reaction to industry events.

More:http://www.myersbriggs.org/

Complexity: Medium

30-Power StructureThis is a model to look at a company from the outside and understand who the decision makers

and those in situation of power. This is an extremely useful analysis for any analyst supporting aproposal and bid team, or working with sales.

More: Web-based Analysis for Competitive Intelligence by Conor Vibert. An examplehere.

Complexity: Medium
http://www.palisade.com/risk/monte_carlo_simulation.asphttp://www.palisade.com/risk/monte_carlo_simulation.asphttp://www.palisade.com/risk/monte_carlo_simulation.asphttp://www.strategy-at-risk.com/2012/06/05/budgeting-revisited/http://www.strategy-at-risk.com/2012/06/05/budgeting-revisited/http://www.myersbriggs.org/http://www.myersbriggs.org/http://www.myersbriggs.org/http://www.amazon.com/Web-Based-Analysis-Competitive-Intelligence-Vibert/dp/1567203191/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1379070527&sr=8-3&keywords=conor+viberthttp://books.google.ch/books?id=5ekaC5ggAggC&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=%22power+structure%22+analysis+competitive+intelligence&source=bl&ots=Di8JnOaxxA&sig=Qd6pTXFyl1xgXQk4Q3FJO6Q_g7I&hl=en&sa=X&ei=rvEyUrCaE4rStQaKk4HoCg&ved=0CFkQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22power%20structure%22%20analysis%20competitive%20intelligence&f=falsehttp://books.google.ch/books?id=5ekaC5ggAggC&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=%22power+structure%22+analysis+competitive+intelligence&source=bl&ots=Di8JnOaxxA&sig=Qd6pTXFyl1xgXQk4Q3FJO6Q_g7I&hl=en&sa=X&ei=rvEyUrCaE4rStQaKk4HoCg&ved=0CFkQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22power%20structure%22%20analysis%20competitive%20intelligence&f=falsehttp://books.google.ch/books?id=5ekaC5ggAggC&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=%22power+structure%22+analysis+competitive+intelligence&source=bl&ots=Di8JnOaxxA&sig=Qd6pTXFyl1xgXQk4Q3FJO6Q_g7I&hl=en&sa=X&ei=rvEyUrCaE4rStQaKk4HoCg&ved=0CFkQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22power%20structure%22%20analysis%20competitive%20intelligence&f=falsehttp://books.google.ch/books?id=5ekaC5ggAggC&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=%22power+structure%22+analysis+competitive+intelligence&source=bl&ots=Di8JnOaxxA&sig=Qd6pTXFyl1xgXQk4Q3FJO6Q_g7I&hl=en&sa=X&ei=rvEyUrCaE4rStQaKk4HoCg&ved=0CFkQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22power%20structure%22%20analysis%20competitive%20intelligence&f=falsehttp://www.amazon.com/Web-Based-Analysis-Competitive-Intelligence-Vibert/dp/1567203191/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1379070527&sr=8-3&keywords=conor+viberthttp://www.myersbriggs.org/http://www.strategy-at-risk.com/2012/06/05/budgeting-revisited/http://www.palisade.com/risk/monte_carlo_simulation.asp


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Future Trends' Analysis31-Alien Eye Analysis*

The futurist Edie Weiner suggests there might be only two kinds of intelligent life forms that donot suffer from educated incapacity: aliens from other planets and children. This analysis allowsa management team to look at its existing company, products, and industry with a drastically

new vision, allowing it to avoid blind spots. New realities emerge when looking at analysis with

an unbiased view.More: FutureThinkhttp://www.amazon.com/FutureThink-Think-Clearly-Time-

Change/dp/013185674X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379070811&sr=8-
http://www.amazon.com/FutureThink-Think-Clearly-Time-Change/dp/013185674X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379070811&sr=8-1&keywords=futurethinkhttp://www.amazon.com/FutureThink-Think-Clearly-Time-Change/dp/013185674X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379070811&sr=8-1&keywords=futurethinkhttp://www.amazon.com/FutureThink-Think-Clearly-Time-Change/dp/013185674X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379070811&sr=8-1&keywords=futurethinkhttp://www.amazon.com/FutureThink-Think-Clearly-Time-Change/dp/013185674X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379070811&sr=8-1&keywords=futurethinkhttp://www.amazon.com/FutureThink-Think-Clearly-Time-Change/dp/013185674X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379070811&sr=8-1&keywords=futurethink


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1&keywords=futurethink

Complexity: Medium

32-Scenario Planning*This analysis, spearheaded by Shell in the 1970s following the companys inability to forecast

future oil prices, allows a company to look at possible futures, develop a system to flag events,and prepare alternative action plans. There is abundant literature on the subject, so the sourcesbelow are just a starting point.

More:by Harvard

An example atShell.The Monfleur Scenarios ( South Africa)

http://www.gbn.com/articles/pdfs/gbn_montfleur%20scenarios.pdf

Amazing work done by the team at DPDHL on the future of the logistics industry.

Complexity: Medium

33-Trend mapping

I include here tools that help map large amounts of information to identify trends and patterns.More: there are so many resources online, that choosing has been a challenge. I like the light

tutorial on how toanalyze trends in Excel, an example of three data visualisation tools about

macro-economic datahereand the list of visualization toolshere.

Complexity: High

34-Assessing uncertaintyA McKinsey framework of four levels of uncertainty can be helpful to select the right set ofstrategic tools.

More: http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-40-four-levels-of-

uncertainty/

Complexity: Medium
http://www.amazon.com/FutureThink-Think-Clearly-Time-Change/dp/013185674X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379070811&sr=8-1&keywords=futurethinkhttp://www.amazon.com/FutureThink-Think-Clearly-Time-Change/dp/013185674X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379070811&sr=8-1&keywords=futurethinkhttp://www.amazon.com/Web-Based-Analysis-Competitive-Intelligence-Vibert/dp/1567203191/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1379070527&sr=8-3&keywords=conor+viberthttp://www.amazon.com/Web-Based-Analysis-Competitive-Intelligence-Vibert/dp/1567203191/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1379070527&sr=8-3&keywords=conor+viberthttp://www.amazon.com/Web-Based-Analysis-Competitive-Intelligence-Vibert/dp/1567203191/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1379070527&sr=8-3&keywords=conor+viberthttp://www.shell.com/global/future-energy/scenarios.htmlhttp://www.shell.com/global/future-energy/scenarios.htmlhttp://www.shell.com/global/future-energy/scenarios.htmlhttp://www.gbn.com/articles/pdfs/gbn_montfleur%20scenarios.pdfhttp://www.gbn.com/articles/pdfs/gbn_montfleur%20scenarios.pdfhttp://www.gbn.com/articles/pdfs/gbn_montfleur%20scenarios.pdfhttp://www.dpdhl.com/content/dam/logistik_populaer/Studie2050/fact-sheets-szenarien-1-5-en.pdfhttp://www.dpdhl.com/content/dam/logistik_populaer/Studie2050/fact-sheets-szenarien-1-5-en.pdfhttp://www.wikihow.com/Do-Trend-Analysis-in-Excelhttp://www.wikihow.com/Do-Trend-Analysis-in-Excelhttp://www.wikihow.com/Do-Trend-Analysis-in-Excelhttp://thelearningcurve.pearson.com/data-visualisation-toolshttp://thelearningcurve.pearson.com/data-visualisation-toolshttp://thelearningcurve.pearson.com/data-visualisation-toolshttp://www.creativebloq.com/web-design/top-data-visualisation-tools-9122832http://www.creativebloq.com/web-design/top-data-visualisation-tools-9122832http://www.creativebloq.com/web-design/top-data-visualisation-tools-9122832http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-40-four-levels-of-uncertainty/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-40-four-levels-of-uncertainty/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-40-four-levels-of-uncertainty/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-40-four-levels-of-uncertainty/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-40-four-levels-of-uncertainty/http://www.creativebloq.com/web-design/top-data-visualisation-tools-9122832http://thelearningcurve.pearson.com/data-visualisation-toolshttp://www.wikihow.com/Do-Trend-Analysis-in-Excelhttp://www.dpdhl.com/content/dam/logistik_populaer/Studie2050/fact-sheets-szenarien-1-5-en.pdfhttp://www.gbn.com/articles/pdfs/gbn_montfleur%20scenarios.pdfhttp://www.shell.com/global/future-energy/scenarios.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/Web-Based-Analysis-Competitive-Intelligence-Vibert/dp/1567203191/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1379070527&sr=8-3&keywords=conor+viberthttp://www.amazon.com/FutureThink-Think-Clearly-Time-Change/dp/013185674X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379070811&sr=8-1&keywords=futurethink


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35- Precursor analysis:This term comes from the chemical industry and describes the analysis of weak signals that

might have led to an incident. The same methodology has been used sparingly by competitive

intelligence analysis to pre-empt competitors moves: In the aftermath of catastrophes, it iscommon to find prior indicators, missed signals, and dismissed alerts that, had they been

recognized and appropriately...

More:http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11061

Complexity: High

Competitive Strategy Exploration36-Blue Ocean Strategy*
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11061http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11061http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11061http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11061


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When competition gets intense, companies need to break out of fierce bloody competition and

create uncontested market spaces. This process helps identify untapped market opportunities.

More:http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/

An app on Apple's itunes store.Complexity: Medium

Source: Blue Ocean Strategy

37-Business Model Generation*The excellent work by Alex Oesterwalder opens the door to companies that need to rethink their

business model. It offers a practical step-by-step process to find new ways to create value andanalyze a companys current model.

More:http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/orhttp://alexosterwalder.com/

Complexity: Medium
http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/blue-ocean-strategy-visualizer/id645511279?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/blue-ocean-strategy-visualizer/id645511279?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/http://alexosterwalder.com/http://alexosterwalder.com/http://alexosterwalder.com/http://alexosterwalder.com/http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/blue-ocean-strategy-visualizer/id645511279?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/


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38-3-C frameworkTogether, the strategic three Cs form the marketing strategy triangle, matching between theCompany, (current and potential strengths and weaknesses), Customers (served and not served),

and Competitors (current and prospective) needs to be considered.

More:Duke's introductionis quite thorough.

Complexity: Medium

39-Three value disciplinesTreacy and Wiersema propose a set of three value disciplines similar to Porters genericstrategies. The three strategies are Operational Excellence, Customer Intimacy, and Product

Leadership.

More:https://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/CustomerI

ntemacy.pdf

Complexity: Medium

40-Innovation Ambition MatrixThe Innovation Ambition Matrix is a variant of another 22 growth framework, comparing the

axes of where to compete (existing vs. new markets) and how to compete (existing vs. newcapabilities).

More:http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-81-innovation-

ambition-matrix/

Complexity: Medium
https://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/MarketingPlanningAndStrategy-p23-27.pdfhttps://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/MarketingPlanningAndStrategy-p23-27.pdfhttps://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/MarketingPlanningAndStrategy-p23-27.pdfhttps://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/CustomerIntemacy.pdfhttps://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/CustomerIntemacy.pdfhttps://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/CustomerIntemacy.pdfhttp://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-81-innovation-ambition-matrix/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-81-innovation-ambition-matrix/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-81-innovation-ambition-matrix/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-81-innovation-ambition-matrix/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-81-innovation-ambition-matrix/http://66.147.244.90/~stratey0/portfolio-view/framework-of-the-week-81-innovation-ambition-matrix/https://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/CustomerIntemacy.pdfhttps://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/CustomerIntemacy.pdfhttps://faculty.fuqua.duke.edu/~moorman/GeneralMills/Section2/Section2Documents/MarketingPlanningAndStrategy-p23-27.pdf


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41-Strategic Blindspots*One of the most difficult habits to develop in learning to drive a car is to beware of blind spots

that area along the periphery of the car where we cannot see whats happening. Despite the rear-

view and side mirrors, there remains an annoying small area where passing vehicles orpedestrians cannot be seen. If you neglect your blind spots when changing lanes or turning, you

put yourself and your car in jeopardy. A strategic blind spot analysis will help you identify if

your management team is prone to such blind spots, and how to correct this.

More: An article I wrote on these for the Institute of Internal Auditors:http://www.theiia.org/intAuditor/in-the-profession/2013/pay-attention-to-the-blind-spots/. Moreherehttp://tejas.iimb.ac.in/articles/67.php

Complexity: High

42-Strategic ChessboardAT Kearney proposes four distinct strategic approaches using these two dimensions

predictability and a company's ability to shape or adapt to its industry.
http://www.theiia.org/intAuditor/in-the-profession/2013/pay-attention-to-the-blind-spots/http://www.theiia.org/intAuditor/in-the-profession/2013/pay-attention-to-the-blind-spots/http://tejas.iimb.ac.in/articles/67.phphttp://tejas.iimb.ac.in/articles/67.phphttp://tejas.iimb.ac.in/articles/67.phphttp://tejas.iimb.ac.in/articles/67.phphttp://www.theiia.org/intAuditor/in-the-profession/2013/pay-attention-to-the-blind-spots/


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More:http://www.atkearney.com/paper/-/asset_publisher/dVxv4Hz2h8bS/content/playing-on-

the-new-strategy-chessboard/10192

Complexity: Low

Predicting Competitors Future Strategy

43-Porters Four cornersThe Four Corners Model to help organizations analyze their competitors' positions, and predict

their future courses of action.

More:http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/porters-four-corners-model.htm#sthash.GKpm8UTH.dpuf

Complexity: Low

44-ValuePerform analysisThe ValuePerform Analysis generates a set of spider webs showing:

Importance: How well are your priorities aligned with your strategy?
http://www.atkearney.com/paper/-/asset_publisher/dVxv4Hz2h8bS/content/playing-on-the-new-strategy-chessboard/10192http://www.atkearney.com/paper/-/asset_publisher/dVxv4Hz2h8bS/content/playing-on-the-new-strategy-chessboard/10192http://www.atkearney.com/paper/-/asset_publisher/dVxv4Hz2h8bS/content/playing-on-the-new-strategy-chessboard/10192http://www.atkearney.com/paper/-/asset_publisher/dVxv4Hz2h8bS/content/playing-on-the-new-strategy-chessboard/10192http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/porters-four-corners-model.htm#sthash.GKpm8UTH.dpufhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/porters-four-corners-model.htm#sthash.GKpm8UTH.dpufhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/porters-four-corners-model.htm#sthash.GKpm8UTH.dpufhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/porters-four-corners-model.htm#sthash.GKpm8UTH.dpufhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/porters-four-corners-model.htm#sthash.GKpm8UTH.dpufhttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/porters-four-corners-model.htm#sthash.GKpm8UTH.dpufhttp://www.atkearney.com/paper/-/asset_publisher/dVxv4Hz2h8bS/content/playing-on-the-new-strategy-chessboard/10192http://www.atkearney.com/paper/-/asset_publisher/dVxv4Hz2h8bS/content/playing-on-the-new-strategy-chessboard/10192


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Perfomance: How well are you actually performing on the critical issues? Potential: Identification of those areas where you MUST improve to execute your strategy successfully?

More:http://www.tbkconsult.com/services/strategy-analysis/

Complexity: Low

45-War gamingThis is a process to anticipate competitors likely moves by getting your executive team to play

out various scenarios and responses as if they were the competitors themselves, responding toone of their strategic moves.More:http://www.rolandberger.com/media/pdf/rb_press/RB_Wargamingneu_20080301.pdf

Complexity: High

46- Game theoryOften defined as the study of mathematical models of conflict and cooperation between

intelligent rational decision-makers, game theory can provide a path of analysis to anticipate a
http://www.tbkconsult.com/services/strategy-analysis/http://www.tbkconsult.com/services/strategy-analysis/http://www.tbkconsult.com/services/strategy-analysis/http://www.rolandberger.com/media/pdf/rb_press/RB_Wargamingneu_20080301.pdfhttp://www.rolandberger.com/media/pdf/rb_press/RB_Wargamingneu_20080301.pdfhttp://www.rolandberger.com/media/pdf/rb_press/RB_Wargamingneu_20080301.pdfhttp://www.rolandberger.com/media/pdf/rb_press/RB_Wargamingneu_20080301.pdfhttp://www.tbkconsult.com/services/strategy-analysis/


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competitors future moves. The approach involves distilling all possible analyses of a rivals

response to a particular strategic move into a sequential consideration of three questions:

Will the competitor react at all?

What options will the competitor actively consider?

Which option will the competitor most likely choose?More:McKinsey (pdf)

Complexity: High
http://www.google.ch/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mckinsey.com%2F~%2Fmedia%2Fmckinsey%2Fdotcom%2Fclient_service%2FRisk%2FWorking%2520papers%2F6_Probabilistic_modeling_as_an_exploratory_decisionmaking_tool.ashx&ei=48I6UoOQLvTS4QS0loAg&usg=AFQjCNEluYJ8FyWQprJ81EhcA0skJgiDHg&sig2=F2f-LuPJ92I1pZlxsS1tWQ&bvm=bv.52288139,d.bGE&cad=rjahttp://www.google.ch/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mckinsey.com%2F~%2Fmedia%2Fmckinsey%2Fdotcom%2Fclient_service%2FRisk%2FWorking%2520papers%2F6_Probabilistic_modeling_as_an_exploratory_decisionmaking_tool.ashx&ei=48I6UoOQLvTS4QS0loAg&usg=AFQjCNEluYJ8FyWQprJ81EhcA0skJgiDHg&sig2=F2f-LuPJ92I1pZlxsS1tWQ&bvm=bv.52288139,d.bGE&cad=rjahttp://www.google.ch/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mckinsey.com%2F~%2Fmedia%2Fmckinsey%2Fdotcom%2Fclient_service%2FRisk%2FWorking%2520papers%2F6_Probabilistic_modeling_as_an_exploratory_decisionmaking_tool.ashx&ei=48I6UoOQLvTS4QS0loAg&usg=AFQjCNEluYJ8FyWQprJ81EhcA0skJgiDHg&sig2=F2f-LuPJ92I1pZlxsS1tWQ&bvm=bv.52288139,d.bGE&cad=rjahttp://www.google.ch/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mckinsey.com%2F~%2Fmedia%2Fmckinsey%2Fdotcom%2Fclient_service%2FRisk%2FWorking%2520papers%2F6_Probabilistic_modeling_as_an_exploratory_decisionmaking_tool.ashx&ei=48I6UoOQLvTS4QS0loAg&usg=AFQjCNEluYJ8FyWQprJ81EhcA0skJgiDHg&sig2=F2f-LuPJ92I1pZlxsS1tWQ&bvm=bv.52288139,d.bGE&cad=rja