The science, not art, of business intelligence

The intelligence process starts with management articulating the need for information that will allow it to make a critical decision. As our case study demonstrates, effective business intelligence results not from luck, but from a systematic process. The intelligence analyst deduces a target's most likely actions or intentions using a hypothesis-based approach. This approach allows the analyst to form and test a theory about the target's actions. Testing a set of hypotheses causes the analysis to identify, plan, and seek out market signals that betray a competitor's actions. By implementing the intelligence plan, the analyst is able to collect the necessary facts to deduce a competitor's actions, allowing his or her company a decisive advantage in the marketplace. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.