Competitive Intelligence

    • Designing, developing and establishing tailor-made Competitive Intelligence functions and units for companies and organisations.
    • Mentoring, assisting and supporting management in the establishment and functioning of Competitive Intelligence capabilities.
    • Identifying Key Intelligence Needs: Assisting top management in strategic decision-making need assessments and prioritising the company's Key Intelligence Needs.
    • Unique training programs presented by experts to top management, Competitive Intelligence management and employees in all aspects of Competitive Intelligence.
    • Network development: Offering facilitation services and furnishing essential information on emerging markets, in particular Africa.
    • Outsourced service provider: for all those projects for which companies do not have the capacity or do not want to advertise their interest.

CI Audit

The CI audit is designed to support the needs of companies that do not have Competitive Intelligence capabilities or have a Competitive Intelligence function that is not functioning optimally or according to the expectations of management. The following inter alia forms part of the Competitive Intelligence audit:

    • Understanding of the competitive environment in which the company operates.
    • The intentions and strategy of the business and the intelligence required to support this strategy.
    • Current intelligence and information flows (map).
    • The knowledge or 'intelligence gap' in terms of the current and intended status.
    • Personnel requirements, Key Intelligence Needs, deliverables and measures of effectiveness.
    • Advising on cultural buy-in, training and rollout steps of Competitive Intelligence in the organisation.

CI Implementation

Designing, developing and establishing tailor-made Competitive Intelligence capabilities. The outcomes for companies are:

    • A customised CI capability.
    • A client driven CI capability.
    • Transfer of technology to enhance added value.
    • Independent capability to scan and assess their competitive environment.
    • Transfer of collection and analysis skills.
    • Assist with selection and skills requirements of new CI personnel.

CI Key Intelligence Needs (KINs) Support

IBIS assists top and senior management in determining, analysing and prioritising critical information needs from the external competitive business environment that impact on strategic and tactical business decision-making. The outcomes include the following:

    • Understanding the importance of Key Intelligence Needs (KINs).
    • Identified KINs and Early Warning Needs.
    • Understanding strategic issues, industry, markets, competitors, customers, suppliers and best practices.
    • Alignment of sources of information with KINs.

CI Management Support

Supporting Management to further develop and hone Competitive Intelligence Capabilities that already exists in companies. CI Capability Assessment of an extensive range of internal factors (including top management strategic architecture, corporate culture, organisation structure, climate, innovation, functional areas, communication) supporting a competitive culture also form part of this service. The outcomes for companies are:

    • Understanding the competitive nature of the company's culture.
    • Identified strong points to strengthen the competitive culture.
    • Identified weak points that need to be addressed.
    • Building professional content into the capability.
    • New focus for existing capability.
    • Extending capacity.

CI Analyses

Researching and analysing focus areas within companies' competitive environment enabling companies to form a clear view of events within their competitive environment. It includes:

Industry Analyses
A structural analysis and outline of an industry, its participants and characteristics. The objective is to identify the profit potential of an industry; uncover the forces that would harm profitability; protect competitive advantage; extend competitive advantage and proactively anticipate changes in industry structure. The outcomes are:

    • Knowledge about the participants and characteristics of the industry.
    • In-depth analysis of anticipated changes and intentions.
    • Leading edge strategic and competitive positioning.

SWOT Analyses
The objective is to assess the fit between an organisation's strategy, its internal capabilities and external possibilities. Various strategic focus areas are identified. The outcomes are:

    • A matrix of opportunities/threats/strong/weak points.
    • Specific action plans.

Competitor Analyses
This analysis provides a comprehensive picture of the strengths and weaknesses of current and potential rivals. Competitor profiling has four major purposes: to identify competitors' future strategies and plans; to predict competitors' likely reactions to competitive initiatives; to determine the match between a competitor's strategy and capabilities; and to understand a competitor's strengths / weaknesses. The outcomes are:

    • In-depth strategic analysis of the competitor and intentions.
    • Actionable recommendations.

Macro-environmental Analyses
Industries are embedded in a wider macro-environment that can significantly impact on their competitiveness and the companies within industries through economic, political/legislative, social-cultural and technological forces and natural/physical resources. The outcomes are:

    • Understanding the impact of macro-environmental factors on decision-making
    • Identified factors, indicators and prominent signposts
    • Tracking mechanisms
    • Foreknowledge of anticipated changes and trends

Stakeholder Analyses
Stakeholder analysis systematically identifies important groups of people or individuals who can exert a significant amount of influence on the organisation and its competitors. The outcomes are:

    • Identified stakeholders, their needs and how to address these needs.
    • Knowledge and actions on how to approach sensitive issues.

Trend Analyses
This focuses on specific trends and the impact on decision-making. The outcomes are:

    • Identifying relevant trends.
    • Understanding the impact of trends.
    • Current reality checks of a situation.
    • Actionable steps, forecasts and pointers.

Estimative Analyses
Utilising and combining the above mentioned techniques, complimented by additional techniques such as war games, brainstorming and discussion groups, possible and probable future scenarios are defined. The outcomes are:

    • A defined framework and ranking of expected developments in future.
    • An opportunity for the client company to formulate action plans and mitigate unexpected developments.