Competitive intelligence for information professionals (Chandos Information Professional Series)

Your reviewer is a little perplexed by this slim volume. on the one hand ‘it is about a systematic and structured way of working to transform scattered and disaggregated information into actionable intelligence to create valuable insights and even wisdom to be used in strategic and operational decisions and actions’; on the other hand, what’s the big deal? isn’t this what special and reference librarians do all the time? The authors, both with commercial (pharmaceutical and packaging) and university library experience, and now with their own consulting companies, want us to understand that ‘competitive intelligence managed in a structured way adds value to every business and organisation’s future development and competitiveness’ – but we already knew this: timely, organised, authoritative, quality information leads to quality decision-making in any context. so what is the book about? i think it is about a five-phase process model for competitive intelligence which moves from planning to collecting, managing, analysing and disseminating information to corporate target groups. of the 12 short chapters, four are devoted to the model, and the others are an amalgam of knowledge management and project management tips, advice on positioning competitive intelligence professionals within organisations and, in the final chapter, brief comments on tools and methods for collective analysis and decision-making. Case studies from the authors’ own experience are used sparingly and with insufficient detail to quantify the value to the organisation of following the model. Perhaps there is a problem with the model? in its description of external and internal information sources it reads more like a knowledge management primer explaining tacit and explicit knowledge than a convincing argument for funding the competitive intelligence function. it is arguable that today the most valuable competitive intelligence comes from engaging with customers and seeking feedback on products and services both provided and planned, and not from brainstorming with fellow employees and scanning the social media postings of competitors. Perhaps i am being a little harsh. Maybe i should make allowances for what might have been lost in translation from the swedish. But i was looking for impact, a clear indication of the quantitative and qualitative benefits of a professional and systematic approach to the creation of ‘actionable intelligence’. Maybe i should have looked elsewhere.