Services: Competitive Intelligence

Business Challenge

A major financial services firm, charged with providing executive management with more sophisticated strategic decision support, sought to fortify its competitive intelligence (CI) function. It was challenged by an existing CI team that was widely distributed across disparate corporate business units and that lacked cohesion. Furthermore, it wished to improve the skills of its CI professionals by introducing advanced analytic techniques and other CI best-practices.

Approach

Outward Insights recommended a one-year subscription to the Competitive Intelligence Executive Coaching Center. In a customized program, we provided the CI education, support and best-practices required to gain the intelligence, coherence and skills the client sought. Specifically, using the abundant resources of the Coaching Center, the financial services firm was able to offer its CI professionals advanced analytic methods training, actionable documentation and templates, and continuous advanced skills-building to improve the quality of its CI deliverables and overall contribution to high-stakes CI-related projects.

Results

The financial services firm has improved the impact and increased the value competitive intelligence has among senior decision-makers. CI practitioners from disparate business units now seamlessly collaborate on strategic projects and share a common set of deliverable formats and analytic methods designed and learned by utilizing the Coaching Center. As a result, the CI function has increased its visibility within the organization and is regularly sought after by senior management for assistance with high-impact intelligence requirements.