As commercial software products for Competitive Intelligence (CI) have begun to emerge and gain acceptance, potential users find themselves overly dependent on information supplied by the software makers. Reviews and surveys are published from time to time, but CI is not a "one-size-fits-all" process and the software that supports it must be highly customized. This new book is the first to propose a systematic method firms can use to evaluate CI software independently, allowing them to compare features, identify strengths and weaknesses, and invest in products that meet their unique needs. Authors Bouthillier and Shearer demonstrate their 32-step methodology through an evaluation of four of the most popular CI software packages. In addition, they identify important sources of information about CI software, map information needs to intelligence outcomes, and describe key analytical techniques.

2003/211 pp hardbound

Assessing Competitive Intelligence Software
1-57387-173-7 $39.50