Only Half of Companies Actually Use the Competitive Intelligence They Collect

Starting from a survey of 236 competitive intelligence managers in Western companies, the authors analyze the extent to which this intelligence is put to use during strategic decision-making. Too little, according to those primarily concerned, a third of whom state that most of their reports are only requested to confirm a decision already taken. And yet, the survey also shows that well-exploited competitive intelligence can yield major benefits. The survey also enables the identification of the key factors that allow competitive intelligence to best fulfill its strategic role.