Services: Competitive Intelligence

Think for a minute about the many ways your company monitors internal performance, sales reports, balance sheets, R&D reports, inventory updates and more.

Now compare this with how your company monitors external industry activity. Is your outward-looking analysis as robust as your internal performance metrics? Do you have a concerted effort to forecast future developments that anticipate likely activity in coming months? Repeatedly, we find, many organizations do not have time to address such issues.

Yet, the most dramatic threats and opportunities come from outside your company.

Outward Insights offers a variety of services and solutions to help gain early warning of external threats and opportunities so you can preempt and seize, rather than react, to market changes.

CI Consulting

More and more, companies are realizing the need for a robust, intelligence function. However, developing and designing one that reflects the unique nature of your company's culture, organization, strategy and objectives can be challenging. Outward Insights has designed dozens of high-performance CI functions, and we know what works - and what doesn't - in effective CI programs. Whether you start with an intensive needs and capabilities assessment - in which we design and deliver a turn-key intelligence function suitable for your organization - or a short CI diagnostic assessment, Outward Insights will pinpoint what your organization needs to establish and maintain a world-class intelligence function. In all our engagements, our recommendations are guided by decades of utilizing CI best practices and real-world experience in building and improving corporate intelligence systems. Details

CI Training & Education

Public education courses can be helpful if you're seeking an introduction to CI, however not sufficient if you plan to use CI as a strategic business tool. For the more advanced practitioner looking to expand his/her knowledge base, we offer on-site, customized training in all facets of CI, in person or via a collection of remote, web-based modules.  Highly customized to answer your most pressing issues, the session(s) include an emphasis on analysis and delivery techniques for a senior-level executive audience. Cost-effective, particularly for multiple participants, our courses enable your company's CI practitioners to learn new skills, develop a shared tool kit, and team-build around a common specialty. Details

CI Outsourcing

Even the most effective competitive intelligence programs require additional staff and resources from time to time.  Whether it be due to a surge in CI projects, budget cuts, or shortages of particular CI expertise, CI functions from aren’t always able to effectively manage their workload.  Outward Insights can help companies manage the ebbs and flows in their CI resource needs.  Our expert team of consultants is able to integrate seamlessly with an existing CI staff to provide short-term assistance when necessary.  Our team becomes part of your team, contributing to the completion of high-profile CI projects and the ongoing demand for competitive insights.  And, in doing so, we transfer skills so that short term staffing needs become opportunities to upgrade the skills and competency of your entire CI program. Details

Competitive Intelligence Executive Coaching Center™ [Login]

An industry first, we offer the Competitive Intelligence Executive Coaching Center, a unique, subscription-based online service that provides direct and daily access to CI best-practices information, collaborative IT tools, and on-going education.  A yearly subscription is a significant value as it provides the benefits of on-demand CI program guidance, education, and technology at a fraction of the cost of generic public training programs and expensive, hard-to-use software. Furthermore, since we remain in the background as your trusted advisor, you can shine within your organization concurrent with building your skills and expertise. Available when you need it, our expertise can guide you through your most challenging, high-visibility projects in real time.  Details.