Integration of business intelligence with corporate strategic management

Abstract

The traditional model of competitive intelligence and its operationalization inmost organizations appears to be inadequate to address the intelligence challenges arising fromthe speed of change in the environment, increasing data complexity, and growth of internationalactivities. To address this challenge, this article borrows concepts from open innovation,applying them to all CI activities. We are suggesting going beyond the traditional model of anin-house CI unit with activities largely conducted by the units personnel and moving towards across pollination approach whereby others in the firm contribute to all CI activities including,for example, the selection of key intelligence topics and being involved in analysis andeventually towards a full open intelligence model in which key stakeholders and externalexperts also assist the organization in all aspects of competitive intelligence activity. Inproposing a more open approach for intelligence, the authors recognize the concern that CIprofessionals will have regarding sharing intelligence and intelligence activities outside the CIunit and outside the organization. However, as pointed out in this article, organizations aroundthe world have been moving quickly towards an open innovation model generally concludingthat the benefits associated with opening up all elements of the innovation process, includingR&D, outweigh the risks of intellectual property loss.