Competitive intelligence—
Gaining insight to enhance decision-making

Typically, customers will use Attaain company databases to identify competitors in their market, and then select a subset of relevant companies for tracking. "It's as easy as clicking on ‘Track This Company,'" Scott says. "Users can also locate companies of interest by SIC code, a brand name or a product category such as diabetes drugs." Results can be shown on a dashboard and delivered via an e-mail alert. Some users also track their own company to keep tabs on how it compares to the competition.

Better information

Companies gain more reliable information and efficiency by automating the tracking process. "We have a computer system manufacturer who used to try to keep track of competitor announcements on an ad hoc basis," Scott says. "The company was looking for developments such as the launching of a new computer or monitor, but it was easy to miss an event. Now they group all the competitors together, and AttaainCI keeps track of what is happening." For business development, companies can also track their own customers, putting them in a better position to spot new business opportunities and respond if the customer is expanding or is making significant product or staffing changes.

AttaainCI can also prepare summary reports, and users can share information confidentially among selected colleagues. "Users, who come across briefings or other documents that they want to pass along to others in their company, can upload them into AttaainCI to help provide a more complete picture of the target company or topic they are tracking," Scott adds. "Having a single repository for such intelligence that assists with even one more sale or a slightly shorter sales cycle can make a big difference."

Once a company has relevant information in hand, whether about the market, competitors or the company itself, it should be used to support decisions.

"If a company is getting angry postings from customers on their blog, as was the case with Netflix recently, something needs to happen," emphasizes Naylor. "It remains to be seen whether the CEO's apology is enough to mollify the Netflix customers. But if a company is going to provide a venue for customer interaction or collect any kind of information, the information should be used and not just filed away in a repository." Placing the collection and analysis process within an enterprise program will help avoid that outcome.