aUTHORED BY tOM gROOMS
“How Intelligence for Business Works"
No two intelligence units and systems are the same. First, intelligence is the riskiest and
toughest business in the world trying to detect, protect and reflect on the
future. No one gets it right every time
- or even most of the time - so a fifty percent success rate under difficult
circumstances is pretty good. Second,
there is an inherent problem within the intelligence structure. If the culture does not match the task, it is
because of misassociation of structure within the organization. Market intelligence is unlike marketing
intelligence, marketing research or competitive intelligence. Intelligence is like science if it is
straight analytical application or like art if it is a gut instinctive
call. This means you need the most
brilliant people you can afford studying the assignment. This is why the top intelligence units in a
business organization hire the smartest people they can find and the CEO
likewise for their market intelligence unit and system.
It is the organizational culture that is its
greatest threat to its success. With
market intelligence, the CEO needs people who know what exactly needs to be
queried and provide that intelligence soon enough so the CEO can change the
future before it happens.
Nevertheless, the basic process of intelligence
never varies. In most intelligence units
and systems this process as previously introduced is a composition of four
basic steps:
- classify - relevant from the irrelevant = CEO for market
intelligence selecting what needs to be known
- monitor - expeditiously = intelligence unit and system
collecting this information
- filter - unique decision-making needs = transforming this
collected information into finished products
- report - timely manner = placing these products in the CEO's
hands, if market intelligence, or senior executive for dissemination or not
These are the steps required to perform and
generate intelligence no matter what the business organization or what the
mission. The intelligence unit and
system needs to complete all four of these steps, in their correct sequence to
be assured of greater success. If a sequence
is altered by a prejudiced directive, skipped or falters, then the CEO and
organization may be placed in jeopardy.
We will continue next to learn in more depth
about these four essential steps, which make-up the ingredients for
success. This is the beginning how
intelligence for business works.
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