Sarah McCord

1
Competitive Intelligence in the Academic
Environment

• Sarah McCord
• Washington State University
• Health Sciences Library

2
Overview

• Background and Statistics
• Definitions and Concepts
• The CI Process
• Implementation Tips

Slides available at http//www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/h
sl/sarah/MLA2002.ppt
3
Background and Statistics

• CI Maxim 90 of company information is publicly
  accessible (some estimates say 95)
• Importance of CI increasing
• Over the past 12 months, Trendsetter CEOs
  rating competitor information as very or
  critically important grew revenues by 14.2
  percent, versus 11.8 percent for all others--a 20
  percent faster rate.
• One third of Fast-Growth CEOs place higher
  importance on competitor information than a year
  ago. PriceWaterhouseCoopers Trendsetter
  Barometer.

4
Background and Statistics

• Number of CI professionals up 220 in past 10
  years
• 9 out of 10 large companies have at least one
  employee dedicated solely to CI
• Average annual base salary for CI professionals
  was 67,393 in 2000

5
One Definition
Competitive Intelligence A systematic and
ethical program for gathering, analyzing, and
managing external information that can affect
your company's plans, decisions, and
operations. Society of Competitive Intelligence
Professionals, http//www.scip.org/

6
Another way to say it

• CI is the process of knowing what the competition
  is up to
• AND
• Applying this knowledge in order to
• increase capital
• decrease costs
• improve management effectiveness

7
A Few Words About Capital

• Traditional definition
• The accumulated wealth of an individual,
  company, or community, used as a fund for
  carrying on fresh production wealth in any form
  used to help in producing more wealth.
• OED, Second Edition, 1989.

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A Few Words About Capital

• In the academic environment, "capital" can be
• grant support
• enrollment of targeted student populations
• faculty satisfaction and retention
• institutional reputation

9
Why Competitive?

• External competition (between institutions) for
• grants
• high-quality students and faculty
• prestige
• Internal competition for
• budget dollars
• space
• equipment
• personnel

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Why Intelligence?

• Data can be organized into information
• Information is necessary to create intelligence
• Intelligence differs from information or data in
  that it has been subjected to analysis
• Information Analysis Intelligence

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What About Co-opetition?

• Refers to Co-operative competition
• Often found in academia or non-profits
• Typically a part of special projects
• Becomes resource for future collaborations and
  future competitive intelligence

12
CI Education and Certification

• Brigham Young University
• CalTech
• Dominican University
• Drexel University
• Hawaii Pacific University
• Idaho State University
• Indiana University
• Mercyhurst College
• Rutgers

• Simmons College
• UCLA
• Thunderbird-The American Graduate School of
  International Management
• Trinity College
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Texas at Austin

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What CI is NOT
Misrepresenting yourself in order to gain
information
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Ethics

• White, Grey, and Black Information
• correspond to 85, 10, 5
• 1996 Economic Espionage Act

Ultimately, if you can't run your business
without gathering information underhandedly, you
really should stop and ask yourself just how
viable your business strategy truly is. Seglin,
J.L. How far is too far? Fortune, Sep 17, 2001,
144(5)235.
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Competitive Intelligence 5 Step Process

• Formulate question
• Collect and organize data
• (TRADITIONAL LIBRARY STOPS ABOUT HERE!)
• Analyze and interpret information
• Disseminate intelligence (results of analysis)
• Evaluate effectiveness of process

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A Word About Licenses

• Read them!
• Not all resources in an academic environment can
  be used for CI purposes
• Fee-based online searching may be an option
• When in doubt, dont!

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Primary Sources for CI

• Institutional web sites and print publications
• Conference speakers
• Patents/patent holders
• Former employees of other institutions
• Technical recruiters
• Reporters

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Secondary Sources for CI

• Review articles
• Public records
• Database searches
• Job postings
• Web sites for professional organizations
• Conference web sites
• Internet news groups and discussion lists
• Check the archives!

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And Remember...

• The Internet is free only if your times value
  is zero.
• Friedman, G. et al. Rules for gathering
  intelligence on the corporate battlefield. Across
  the Board, Jul/Aug 2001, 38(4)19.

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Not sure about implementation?
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Practical Ways to Implement CI Today

• Start with CI for your own library
• Begin with a small project
• Really read the strategic plan for your
  institution
• Find ways to link your librarys mission to it
  in as many ways as possible
• Try a larger project
• Why are people coming into your library?
• Look at your gate and statistical data for
  trends, especially in comparison with your
  shelving statistics

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More Practical Ways to Implement CI Today

• Bring competitive awareness to everyday
  activities
• Ask yourself What does this tell me about my
  environment?
• Internal--within your institution
• Keep your eyes and ears open--new initiative? Get
  them the facts!
• External--outside your institution
• Read the Chronicle of Higher Education
• Read local papers, publications from regional
  organizations, local charity newsletters...

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Even MORE Practical Ways to Implement CI Today!

• Include executive summary with literature
  searches
• Look for (and comment on) trends
• A business card is also a nice touch
• Make an appointment with the Development Director
  or CE Coordinator
• Network, network, network!
• Both within and outside the library world

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For More Information

• Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals
• http//www.scip.org/
• Boyle, M. The prying game. Fortune, Sep 17, 2001,
  144(5)235.
• Competitive intelligence professional base pay
  now averages 67,000. IOMA's Report on Salary
  Surveys, 2001 (Oct), 1(10)2.
• Duberman, J. Competia Symposium 2001 A
  strategically competitive and intelligent choice.
  Searcher, Sep 2001, 9(8)26-32.
• Friedman, G., Friedman, M., Chapman, C., Baker,
  J.S. Jr. Rules for gathering intelligence on the
  corporate battlefield. Across the Board, Jul/Aug
  2001, 38(4)19
• Horowitz, R. Industrial spy, moi? an opposing
  view. CIO Magazine, http//www.cio.com/research/l
  egal/edit/f031502_spy.html. Posted March 15,
  2002. Accessed May 2, 2002.
• Lavelle, L. The Case of the Corporate Spy.
  Business Week, November 26, 2001, 375956-58.
• Library management division creates new section.
  Information Outlook, Mar 2002, 6(3)45
• McKeefry, H.L. Go Ahead, Spy On Your Rivals --
  Here are six smart ways to get a leg up on your
  competitors. VARbusiness, Oct 15 2001, 74.

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For More Information

• OHearn, T. Industrial spy? Moi? CIO Magazine,
  http//www.cio.com/research/legal/edit/100401_spy.
  html. Posted October 4, 2001. Accessed May 2,
  2002.
• One third of Fast-Growth CEOs place higher
  importance on competitor information than a year
  ago. PriceWaterhouseCoopers Trendsetter
  Barometer. http//www.barometersurveys.com/pr/tb02
  0327.html. Accesed May 2, 2002.
• Rouach, D. and Santi, P. Competitive
  intelligence adds value five intelligence
  attitudes. European Management Journal, 2001,
  19(5)552-559.
• Seglin, J.L. How far is too far? Fortune, Sep 17,
  2001, 144(5)235.
• Teo, T.S.H. and Choo, W.Y. Assessing the impact
  of using the Internet for competitive
  intelligence. Information Management, 2001,
  39(1)67-83.
• Tyson, T. Do you know what your competitors are
  up to? Medical Marketing Media, April 1989,
  24(4) 9-14.
• Warren, S. E-Commerce (A Special Report) Selling
  Strategies--Corporate Intelligence--I-Spy
  Getting the lowdown on your competition is just a
  few clicks away. Wall Street Journal, Jan 14,
  2002R14.

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Questions?

• Slides available at www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/hsl/sara
  h/MLA2002.ppt
• Feel free to email me mccord_at_wsu.edu
• Thanks for listening!