LC00EJ11-3005 The first phase, and therefore the bedrock, of any strategic decision process revolves around research and analysis. Companies increasingly employ Competitive Intelligence to drive this phase and, as a result, to make better decisions.
Competitive Intelligence offers actionable foresight related to industry evolution, customers, suppliers, competitor rivalry, and one’s own organization to help companies understand their business environment. Competitive Intelligence is commonly used to support, for example, the strategy process, mergers & acquisitions, new product development, and geographic expansion.
The course begins by placing Competitive Intelligence in historical, institutional and strategic context. The generic intelligence process and the role of Competitive Intelligence are also introduced.
It continues by introducing some of the key methods and techniques used to assess one or more elements of an organization’s business environment and its position therein, including:
• SWOT
• Industry analysis (Five forces)
• Macro environmental analysis (STEEP)
• Scenario analysis
The main focus of the course will be on the practical use of methods and techniques through case studies and group projects.