Competitive Intelligence
competitive intelligence竞争情报
竞争情报是关于竞争环境、竞争对手、竞争态势和竞争策略的信息和研究。它既是一种过程（对竞争信息的收集和分析过程），也是一种产品（包括由此形成的情报或策略）。一般简称为CI（Competitive Intelligence）。
Competitive Intelligence 中的Intelligence，该词不仅仅有"情报"的含义，还带有"智谋"之义。非常广义的解释就是一个组织感知外部环境变化，秉作出反应，使该组织更好地适应环境变化这种行为或能力。竞争情报是关于竞争环境、竞争对手和竞争策略的信息研究，是市场剧烈竞争和社会信息化高度发展的产物，既是企业发展的重要基础，也是情报研究工作的延伸和发展，已成为信息界和企业界关注的热点。竞争情报的内容包括情报收集和情报分析。一般由四个方面组成：
1、理解竞争性质，包括行业竞争特性，竞争场所等；
2、理解竞争者，包括识别竞争者收集竞争者情报，推断对手的竞争策略等；
3、分析竞争形势，包括竞争态势和地位分析，优势、弱点、机会、威胁（SWOT）分析，未来竞争动向和趋势推测等；
4、制定制胜的竞争战略，属竞争情报的应用，主要是配合决策人员等。
竞争情报是关于竞争环境、竞争对手、竞争态势和竞争策略的信息和研究。它既是一种过程（对竞争信息的收集和分析过程），也是一种产品（包括由此形成的情报或策略）。一般简称为CI（Competitive Intelligence）。
竞争情报英文全称Competitive Intelligence,简称CI。它最早出现于20世纪50年代，崛起于20世纪80年代，是国家竞争战略、军事情报体系应用到商业领域的产物，如今已经广泛、深刻地影响着全球商界。
根据SCIP（美国竞争情报专业人员协会）的定义，竞争情报是对整体竞争环境和竞争对手的一个全面监测过程。它通过合法手段收集和分析商业竞争中有关商业行为的优势、劣势和机会的信息，围绕企业竞争战略，最终直接或间接支持决策。某种意义上可以说，竞争情报具有三大核心功能：
* 预警系统（监测、跟踪、预期、发现）
* 决策支持（竞争方式、生产决策、新市场、技术研发）
* 学习系统（借鉴、比较、管理方法和工具、避免僵化）
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"Competitive Intelligence (CI) is both a process and a product. The process of Competitive Intelligence is the action of gathering, analyzing, and applying information about products, domain constituents, customers, and competitors for the short term and long term planning needs of an organization. The product of Competitive Intelligence is the actionable output ascertained by the needs prescribed by an organization."
Key points of these definitions:
Competitive Intelligence is an ethical and legal business practice. (This is important as CI professionals emphasize that the discipline is not the same as industrial espionage which is both unethical and usually illegal).
The focus is on the external business environment.
There is a process involved in gathering information, converting it into intelligence and then utilizing this in business decision making. CI professionals emphasize that if the intelligence gathered is not usable (or actionable) then it is not intelligence.
The term is often viewed as synonymous with Competitor analysis but Competitive Intelligence is more than analyzing competitors — it is about making the organization more competitive relative to its existing set of competitors and potential competitors. Customers and key external stakeholders define the set of competitors for the organization and, in so doing, describe what could be a substitute for the business, votes, donations or other activities of the organization. The term is often abbreviated as CI, and most large businesses now have some Competitive Intelligences functions with staff involved often being members of professional associations such as the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals.
The Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) is an organization for those who are interested in learning more about Competitive Intelligence. Established in 1986, they provide education and networking opportunities for business professionals, and provide up to date market research and analysis. “Members of the SCIP have backgrounds in market research, strategic analysis, science and technology.”³