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How can I choose a Competitive Intelligence provider?
Home » Careers » Competitive Intelligence » How can I choose a Competitive Intelligence provider?Posted by Your Guide on January 18, 2006 4:00 PM
If you’d like to use CI within your own business, but aren’t entirely sure where to begin, there are many businesses that specialize in the collection and analysis of CI data. If you choose to retain a CI provider, consider the following as you choose among your many options:
• Reputation: Ask for references from potential providers as you begin the process. Does the company consistently provide its clients with timely and useful CI data? Are the provider’s employees members of an organization such as the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals, so that you can be confident in the ethicality and legality of their data collection?
• Flexibility: Is the provider willing to meet with you in order to develop a specific plan for your CI needs? As mentioned above, the planning process is extraordinarily important. If a provider is unwilling to learn your desires, it’s highly unlikely they’ll gather your preferred data.
• Experience: Many of the most respected CI providers offer industry-specific services. The best sources for CI and the methods of data collection may vary from industry to industry, so it’s important that your provider has experience in your specific industry.
• Training: If you think you might wish to perform in-house CI work in the future, discuss training options with your CI provider. After helping you get started, will the CI provider offer training to your employees? Which of the provider’s employees will conduct that training? Is the training available at a reasonable cost?
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