Market Intelligence

Profile of the Market Intelligence focus group

The framework shown on the right serves to structure the topic of market intelligence within the focus group. The left-hand side of the framework is based on Porter's five forces model. The competitive arena represents the realities of the market and the possible sources of information. Market intelligence enables companies to absorb information from the competitive arena. The information is analysed and processed within the company in order to make decisions based on it, which in turn influence the competitive arena. Within this cycle, the process of evaluating and preparing information in the company is divided into three fields of action: information, organisation and execution. The information field of action includes the creation and maintenance of the information basis available to the company. The organisation field of action involves anchoring market intelligence in the company's organisational structure and processes. The third field of action considers how market intelligence activities can be supported, for example through the use of suitable methods and tools or through automation. Within these fields of action, different levels of implementation progress were observed during the study. A low level of implementation progress does not rule out the use of market intelligence. It is possible to generate important insights even at a low level of maturity in the three fields of action. As implementation progresses, it is possible to successfully scale the generation of insights.