Russia’s Accession to the WTO and its Impact on Her Energy and Commodities Industries

Russia’s WTO negotiations date back to the year 1993. The membership is expected to finally come into effect this summer. What lies ahead for Russia, its key trading partners and most important industries? What does the decrease of tariffs mean for the trade between Russia and the EU27? How will the Russian and foreign industry players be effected within Russia? How will this impact Russia's Energy and Commodities industries?

Intelligence Organization – February 2012

Intelligence Organization – Leveraging Human Networks and Information Sources for High Impact Market Intelligence

A successful MI program builds its high impact on a tightly networked strategy. The old truth “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” very much applies to running an MI program that makes a difference. Indeed, the Global MI Survey 2011 indicated that companies with world class MI do not have more resources than the rest, but their intelligence organization is simply more networked and works closer to management.

A case study featuring T-systems reveals how a Market Intelligence program can be run as a service center.

Latin America - October 2011

Market Intelligence for Latin America

“Latin America is growing in global strategic importance while remaining a region of diverse economic opportunities and challenges. Most countries in the region made significant progress in achieving sustained economic growth, placing Latin America ahead of other regions with an average 4.6% estimated growth for 2011.”
Marisol Argueta de Barillas
Senior Director, Head of Latin America
World Economic Forum on Latin America 2011

Market Sizing - October 2011

Strategic Purpose of Market Sizing – Introduction & Case Studies

Knowing the size of your addressable market is fundamental to any strategic business or marketing plan. You will need realistic and reliable data. Yet information is not always easy to attain in emerging economies, particularly if your target market is rapidly evolving, or if you are introducing a new prouct category, or sell primarily through distribution channels. What are some ways to achieve a reliable measure of the market?

Global Survey - June 2011

Market Intelligence in Global Organizations: Survey Findings in 2011

The Global Market Intelligence Survey 2011 by GIA is the largest MI survey ever conducted. The survey results provide evidence for both executive decision-makers and MI professionals about how widespread MI is globally, how companies are benefiting from it, and how the activity has been resourced.

For the first time, the differences between companies that have world class Market Intelligence (approximately 10% of the surveyed organizations) and those that haven’t are analyzed. Notably, decision-making in companies with world class MI is substantially more efficient than in companies in general. Companies with world class MI also work closer to decision-makers, use their budgets and teams more effectively, and have more extensive internal networks.

Asia-Pacific - June 2011

Market Intelligence for Asia Pacific 2011

Asia-Pacific holds a wealth of opportunities for different industries - from outsourcing production to take advantage of lower costs, to reaching out to new target customers. However, diversity at both regional and local level poses a significant challenge to navigating the markets, and to defining a successful growth strategy. When assessing market opportunities or planning strategies for Asia Pacific, reliable market intelligence must be brought into play to ensure this diversity is taken into account. Business strategies must be tailored to each sector and country according to local market characteristics.

Africa - April 2011

Market Intelligence for Southern Africa

There are periods in the dynamics of global power when the shift in trends is of such a scale that it is almost impossible to perceive the full impact of the moment. This was certainly the case with the phenomenal rise of China as a major global economic power. And it is happening again with the rise of Africa as a priority investment destination, as it moves into a similar position that China was in three decades ago, when that country began opening its economy to global forces.

Asia: Greater China - April 2011

Market Intelligence for China

Market Intelligence in China requires constant monitoring and quality assessment. The information avail able from traditional channels is often too general or inaccurate to be of any real use, but by diversifying information sources, worthwhile, qual­ity material can be found and utilized effectively.

World Class Market Intelligence - February 2011

Building a High-Impact Market Intelligence Product Portfolio

The deliverables of a world class intelligence program have been organized into four types of service areas: Intelligence portal, market monitoring, rapid response research, and strategic analysis and advisory. The eventual intelligence product portfolio is always company-specific and will combine elements from all of the above service areas.

Manufacturing & Industrial - January 2011

Sustainable Manufacturing in the Far East Countries

Sustainable Manufacturing (SM) is essentially the harnessing of technology to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing operations in terms of emissions to the environment and the depletion of non-renewable resources. It is not a technology in itself nor is it a methodology that can be implemented and followed. The simplest view of it is as a set of strategic planning concepts and it is happening now. What is the outlook for Sustainable Manufacturing in the SEA markets?

Intelligence Scope - December 2010

Intelligence Scope – Determining the purpose, target groups and focus areas of an intelligence program

Having a corporate intelligence program in place is becoming increasingly standard in international companies. Many of them would benefit from taking a step back and considering where the intelligence efforts will add most value.

Market sizing - November 2010

Market Sizing – Introduction & Case Studies

Knowing the size of your addressable market is a fundamental step in any business or marketing plan. But to begin, you will need realistic and reliable data. Yet this is not always easy to attain in emerging economies, particularly if your target market is rapidly evolving, or if you are introducing a new product category, or sell primarily through distribution channels. What are some ways around the scarcity of data?

Asia-Pacific: India - November 2010

Market Intelligence for India

India is a complex market due to the regional diversity, rural-urban divide, presence of a large unorganized market, and multiple legal and administrative systems. Companies that have understood the nuances of handling India’s complex business environment have been successful. This white paper seeks to help illustrate some of these nuances, and offer some possible solutions to overcoming the inherent MI challenges in India.

World Class Market Intelligence – June 2010

MI Trends 2015 – The Future of Market Intelligence

The intelligence industry towards 2015 is heading to more sophistication, integration to business processes, impact to decision making, and visibility. This GIA White Paper looks into the trends and anticipated developments of the industry to help companies develop their MI programs accordingly. The findings are based on an MI trends survey conducted by GIA among 146 executives and intelligence professionals globally during May 2010.

Energy, Resources & Environment – June 2010

How to Profit from Biogas Market Developments

Biogas is increasingly viewed as a viable alternative to both traditional as well as other renewable forms of existing transportation fuel, from gasoline and diesel to ethanol and biodiesel. A company with the right expertise and timing can capture its share of the billions that are invested in the infrastructure in the coming years.

Where do the greatest market opportunities lie? Which technologies will be utilized in different regions? Which new players are entering the biogas market? The answers are all in this GIA white paper.

Strategic Analysis – May 2010

How Social Media is Redefining Benchmarking

This white paper provides an overview to benchmarking and explains its process and key concepts. Various types of benchmarking methods are introduced and the purposes and benefits of each are clarified.

It is shown that social media is fundamentally changing the way benchmarking is conducted. Social media can make benchmarking more effective, easier to carry out, and change the process from being project-oriented to a continuous one.

A case example from Nokia provides practical insight on using social media for benchmarking.

MI for Strategic Planning – April 2010

Delivering Maximum Strategic Value with Market Monitoring

This White Paper presents market moni­toring as the very bedrock for the entire Market Intelligence process, but further divides it into two: Market Monitoring System (MAMOS) and Early Warning and Opportunity System (EWOS).

The former specifically helps compa­nies in implementing a strategy (most currently existing market monitoring processes in companies worldwide are of this type), while the latter is designed to support the formulation of strategy in particular.

Telecommunication, Technology & Media - April 2010

Native or Web Application? How Best to Deliver Content and Services to Your Audiences over the Mobile Phone

Content publishers and service providers looking to serve consumers over the mobile phone must make crucial decisions between web or native application interfaces.

This white paper "Native or Web Applications? How Best to Deliver Content and Services to Your Audience over the Mobile Phone" reveals different approaches in building applications for mobile phones and the trends that will influence developers' and publishers' interface choices, based on findings from a survey conducted amongst 87 mobile publishers and service providers worldwide.

The white paper was presented at our webinar with guest speakers Howard Steinberg, Business Development Director - Mobile from IAC Publishing and Vladimir Katardjiev, Software Architect from Ericsson Research Labs who shared their insights on mobile developments and web technology.

Russia & CIS - March 2010

Market Intelligence for Russia and CIS

“Now it is a very good time to enter into the Russian market. There are some niches and free space in the market due to the crisis. There is market share to be captured. According to my estimations this easy-to-enter market situation will last a year or two...”  

“...Mentally and culturally Russian people are Europeans, which means more comfortable conditions for Western businesses here.”

The wealthiest market per capita of all BRIC countries, Russia combines the best of Europe and Asia. Together with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), it offers rich mineral resources as well as intellectual and creative potential. How does one conduct Market Intelligence on its opportunities while avoiding its risks? Download the white paper to find out more about doing business in Russia.

World Class Market Intelligence - January 2010

How to Develop a World Class Market Intelligence Function

This GIA White Paper presents a pragmatic approach to setting up an intelligence function from the ground up. Following best practices, the set-up process may only take months as has been demonstrated in the Outotec case example. On the other hand, bringing the intelligence function to world class levels calls for efforts especially around ‘decision-point intelligence’ and ‘intelligence co-creation’, both areas that typically require years of methodical development work.

Private Equity - January 2010

Private Equity Firms See Agriculture, Education, Renewable Energy and Services as Hottest Asian Investments for 2010 and beyond

Private Equity (PE) leaders in Asia may differ in their growth expectations for 2010 and beyond, but they all agree that PE Investments will shift from traditionally attractive sectors such as Information Technology, Consumer and Retail, Financial Services and Real Estate. What are the fundamentals driving this trend and what strategies will PE firms pursue?

Intelligence Software - November 2009

How GIA’s Intelligence Plaza® Adds Value To Microsoft SharePoint™

Managing the intelligence process efficiently is a key challenge for
intelligence professionals. Many types of IT tools have been developed to tackle this challenge and recently SharePoint™ has emerged as a player in the field. Since SharePoint is not an MI application by itself, however, it is not an optimal solution to manage the intelligence process. Often, the optimal solution is to use a true MI application - such as GIA’s Intelligence Plaza^® - for managing the intelligence process and then leverage SharePoint’s capabilities to reach a broader audience or specific business processes.

World Class Market Intelligence - October 2009

Global Market Intelligence Survey 2009

As a result of the recession into which the global economy slipped in 2008, budgets have been cut in most corporate functions, with intelligence activities being no exception. Yet simultaneous with the thinning resources, demand for high quality market information has probably never been as pressing as during the previous year. This paradox largely defines the spirit of the responses to GIA’s Global Market Intelligence Survey 2009, conducted on six continents during August and September 2009.

Central & Eastern Europe - October 2009

Market Intelligence for Central & Eastern Europe

Despite the fact that the CEE countries are experiencing an economic slowdown, the region remains an attractive consumer market as well as a target for FDI. The CEE countries have a lot in common from the cultural and historical point of view; however, one must be aware that there are quite significant differences in business environment and, above all, availability of reliable MI data. Local knowledge and approach are thus of the highest importance and crucial for anyone wishing to enter the local market.

Latin America - November 2009

Market Intelligence for Latin America

Latin America promises to be an engine of future growth for the world economy. Industries such as telecommunications, financial services, consumer goods, manufacturing and healthcare are advanced and face increasing domestic competition, as consumers increasingly demand first-class products and services. While development in the region has been rapid over the past few years, it has been disorganized. As a result, there are stark disparities between the private and public sectors and many countries within the region are at different stages of development.

Asia Pacific: China - September 2009

Market Intelligence for China

China has seen unprecedented levels of growth and development since it started on its market-led economic development in 1978. To be successful and profitable in this huge market, however, requires understanding of the potential, risks and opportunities. How do you capture Market Intelligence that will help you understand the impact, establish new opportunities and create practical strategies for the China market? The new GIA White Paper, Market Intelligence for China, gives you an overview of China, and outlines the challenges and recommended solutions for conducting Market Intelligence in China.

Energy, Resources & Environment - September 2009

The Chinese Wind Energy Market

Wind energy is expected to account for 20% of global electricity consumption by 2010. Will China indeed become the global wind energy market's supply chain hotspot if current trends persist? What makes China's position in the global wind energy market unique? This GIA white paper, The Chinese Wind Energy Market, outlines developments in the Chinese wind energy market, and discusses the Chinese wind energy market drivers, restraints, regulations and key players.

MI for Supply Chain Management - August 2009

Green Supply Chain Management in Asia-Pacific

Environmental regulations are becoming more consistent globally, as those passed in one region have knock-on effects on supply chains in other regions. Companies across many sectors, especially those in fast moving consumer goods and food & beverage, are under pressure to publish sustainability reports and enforce environmental standards. This GIA whitepaper outlines sustainable practices in the manufacturing and logistics industries, and the role of sustainability in the Asia-Pacific.

MI for Supply Chain Management - June 2009

Market Intelligence for Supply Chain Management

This paper explores the functions and definitions of Supply Chain Management (SCM) and explains how Market Intelligence overlaps with a firm’s SCM goals. We look at how MI offerings can better match the needs of SCM professionals. The better information that is available, the more efficiently the SCM function can be accomplished, enabling strategic decision-making for all levels of corporate supply chain management.

World Class Market Intelligence - January 2009

World Class Market Intelligence – From Firefighters to Futurists

This GIA White Paper introduces and discusses Global Intelligence Alliance’s “World Class Market Intelligence Development Framework”. The model finds its base in GIA’s extensive consultative experience, and also relies on research into how hundreds of large organizations conduct intelligence activities on a global scale.

Africa - April 2009

Market Intelligence for Africa

Quality information in Africa is mostly unregistered or even considered classified in some areas. There are no universal standards and protocols. In many cases, local economic and financial reporting and information systems are opaque.

World Class Market Intelligence - January 2009

Market Intelligence as a Key Success Factor in an Economic Downturn

This paper presents a three-phase model for companies to adapt to a recession and ties in Market Intelligence efforts to the process by presenting concrete case examples of what types of MI output companies could consider to help tackle a downturn. Methods are presented and discussed as to how intelligence activities can be made increasingly efficient and impactful; Both important pre-requisites for justifying the investment in intelligence efforts during financially tough times.

MI for Product & Innovation Management - 2008

Market Intelligence for Innovation & Product Life-Cycle - Case Examples

The case companies presented in this White Paper are Pirelli Tyre, DSM, and Boehringer Ingelheim. On top of the interview-based company cases, brief examples are presented on how the corporate world has managed to make use of ideas from nature in their innovation processes - a discipline called biomimicry.

MI for Marketing & Sales - 2008

Market Intelligence for Sales and Marketing - Case Examples

The case companies presented in this White Paper are Cisco Systems, De Telefoongids, MAG Industrial Automation Systems, and Tetra Pak. The text is based on interviews with intelligence executives in each company.

World Class Market Intelligence - 2008

Global Market Intelligence Survey 2008

The GIA White Paper “Global Market Intelligence Survey 2008” uncovers linkages between organizational decision-making and Market Intelligence operations. Differences by industries and regions were measured along with key success factors of MI. Responses were collected from 439 participants on five continents, making the survey the most comprehensive study that has been conducted in area of Market Intelligence to date.

MI for Strategic Planning - 2008

MI for the Strategic Planning Process - Case Examples

Market Intelligence for the Strategic Planning process in five large companies will be presented and discussed in this GIA White Paper 1/2008. The case stories are based on interviews with representatives of the case companies that have been conducted in November 2007 – January 2008.

MI for Product & Innovation Management - 2007

Market Intelligence for Innovation and Product Life Cycle Management

In this paper, the product life cycle process has been used as the core framework within which the utilization of Market Intelligence for innovation and product development has been explored. There are several phases and decision points in the process, and various types of MI output will therefore have to be available to serve the specific decision support needs.

MI for Marketing & Sales - 2007

Market Intelligence for Customer Processes

This White Paper discusses the kinds of Market Intelligence support that the corporate customer processes (marketing & sales planning and management, marketing process, sales process, and the account management process) typically require both on a continuous basis and periodically.

World Class Market Intelligence - 2007

Market Intelligence in Large Companies - Global Study 2007

The “Market Intelligence in Large Companies – Global Study 2007”, conducted by the Global Intelligence Alliance member companies, moves forward on the popular 2005 version of the same study. It is now one of the most comprehensive, if not the most comprehensive, global Market Intelligence review based on interviews. Representatives from 281 companies were interviewed in order to identify the present status, organization, IT tools and future outlook of Market Intelligence activities.

MI for Strategic Planning - 2007

Market Intelligence for the Strategy & Planning Process

Developing a Market Intelligence capability that provides valu­able input to organizational strategy and planning processes is of major importance in today’s turbulent business environments. The purpose of this White Paper is to demonstrate why and how Market Intelligence should be integrated with corporate strategic planning processes. Three different sub-processes are presented that should interact in order to provide this capability: the Fu­ture Watch process, the Planning Process and the Early Warning and Opportunity system, all of which can be supported through systematic Market Intelligence.

World Class Market Intelligence - 2006

Creativity, Curiosity & Involvement: Missing Factors Needed for Creative Intelligence Analysis

Creativity is an essential part of product innovation and strategy development. Therefore, it is, or at least should be an important part of industry analysis, competitor understanding, and customer understanding, and intelligence operations in general. The prevailing analytical thinking concept with its historical and well known analytical models has helped us develop an understanding of the existing and future business environment. It can, however, also provide obstacles when we try to interpret new signals from the business environment and try to develop inherently new perspectives of the present and the future.

World Class Market Intelligence - 2006

Intelligence Needs Analysis

Various methods exist for analyzing information needs in an international company, the most of which can be used individually or by combining a number of methods into a cohesive whole. One proven fact is, however, that the analysis has to be conducted in a proactive way, as information users generally do not come and tell about their information needs.

World Class Market Intelligence - 2006

Intelligence Product Development

Intelligence activities are rather complex and abstract by nature, which is why the output of an intelligence operation should be built into “intelligence products”; an area still rather unknown in research literature. The idea is to clarify what the intelligence process produces and how this happens. The production processes of intelligence output should be defined as sub-processes under the entire intelligence system.

World Class Market Intelligence - 2006

Early Warning / Opportunity Systems for Intelligence

This paper provides an overview of the Early Warning System (EWS) concept and describes a methodology for developing Early Warning Systems. It argues that the historic ‘Early Warning’ concept is outdated, passive, and reactive. In its place, this paper proposes an Early Warning /Early Opportunity System which is a more proactive and positive approach because it also incorporates business opportunities.

World Class Market Intelligence - 2006

CI in Large Companies - Global Study

This interview study was conducted in eight countries and in the Asia-Pacific region in the spring of 2005 by seven Global Intelligence Alliance (GIA) members. The survey respondents were responsible for Competitive Intelligence (CI) in their respective companies - one of the top 50 or top 100 firms in the country under study.

Intelligence Software - 2005

Recipe For Success in a Competitive Intelligence Intranet

Establishing “Competitive Intelligence (CI) intranets” has become commonplace in international companies. Behind this development is the idea of a “virtual CI community”. By using technological CI tools installed in the corporate intranet, people located around the world share business information in order to make well-informed business decisions.

World Class Market Intelligence - 2005

Developing SI Capabilities Through Scenario Planning

To date the new millennium has been marked by increasing uncertainty and rapidly accelerating change in the business environment of many organizations. Major change drivers in the macro environment including, continuing globalization, fast technological change, increased liquidity of wealth and fundamental changes in traditional values and cultural structures are well known. But as drivers in the macro environment interact with each industry’s own trends and uncertainties we find that the range of imaginable futures for individual firms has grown manifold in comparison to earlier decades.

World Class Market Intelligence - 2005

Developing an Intelligence System

An intelligence system is defined as ‘the organizational means by which information is systematically collected, analyzed, and disseminated as intelligence to users who can act on it’. It plays a crucial role in committing the organization to Competitive Intelligence from the early stages of development and incorporating organization members’ insight and understanding of the business in the CI operations. In this way, it helps to better respond to the actual intelligence needs of the company’s decision-makers.

World Class Market Intelligence - 2004

Key Success Factors of CI

This paper examines and discusses the key success factors in developing a functional intelligence program for an organization. A critical success factor in Competitive Intelligence can be defined as an item related to intelligence process that is key for ensuring the success of the process.

World Class Market Intelligence - 2004

Measuring the Benefits of CI

Users of information usually expect tangible benefits from using CI products or services. They want CI output that supports their personal objectives. Therefore, CI products and services should focus on real and identified business objectives – such as getting more customers, developing better products and introducing new products to the markets in a timely manner.

World Class Market Intelligence - 2004

Introduction to Strategic Intelligence

Strategic intelligence (SI) is an important tool in informing and supporting strategic management activities in different stages of the strategy development. In short, Strategic Intelligence can be defined as “a systematic and continuous process of producing needed intelligence of strategic value in an actionable form to facilitate long-term decisionmaking”. Customers of SI include individuals involved in strategic decision-making.

World Class Market Intelligence - 2004

Introduction to Competitive Intelligence

Competitive intelligence can be defined as knowledge and foreknowledge about the external operating environment. The ultimate goal of each intelligence process is to facilitate decision-making that leads to action.