Choosing an area to study is often one of the easiest parts of a competitive technical intelligence ( CTI ) problem. In reality, this gets to the heart of what competitive intelligence and business analytics ( BA ) can deliver. Below is a partial list.
Research & Development
- Where should we invest?
- What programs and new ideas should we support?
- Which programs should we slow down or terminate?
- What technologies fit our company’s risk tolerance?
- What pathways are blocked? Which pathways are open and free (white spaces)?
Competitive Analysis & Strategy Analysis
- Are there strategic threats we should be aware of?
- What areas are my competitors investing in?
- What is/was my competitor’s R&D structure?
- What is the creative potential of my vendors?
- Can we block competitors? Building IP fences!
Business Development & Licensing
- Are there patents we should be licensing to control our destiny?
- What Technologies should we be acquiring?
- What Companies/Universities should we partner with?
Strategic IP Management
- Identify key areas of IP areas
- How should we manage our IP?
How else can we use competitive technical intelligence and business analytics? Please post your thoughts.