What is Competitive Intelligence (CI) and What It Should Include

Market research typically addresses specific questions at a point in time. Competitive Intelligence, by contrast, is an ongoing discipline that provides a comprehensive view of an organization’s operating environment. It extends beyond competitors alone and can focus on products, customers, employees, lost prospects, marketing, sales, and broader environmental factors that influence business performance.

Competitive Intelligence is not market research, espionage, or ad-hoc internet searching. It is a legal, structured, and increasingly essential capability that enables organizations to make more informed strategic and tactical decisions. When implemented and managed effectively, Competitive Intelligence delivers early insight into emerging opportunities and risks, allowing organizations to respond proactively rather than reactively.

A critical element of any successful intelligence program is the ability to transform data into actionable intelligence. Information by itself has limited value unless it is strategic, unbiased, measurable, actionable, and repeatable. Without this foundation, intelligence efforts often fail to produce meaningful results.

This online course provides a practical understanding of Competitive Intelligence and how it can be leveraged across the organization. Participants will learn what constitutes an effective intelligence program, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to use intelligence to support better decision-making and sustained competitive advantage.

Obtain your Course Completion Document

After successfully passing a course assessment, you will receive a Course Completion document confirming completion of that course. Once you have collected all required Course Completion documents for a specific SME roadmap, submit them together in a single email to glenb@market-awareness.com, and you will be issued a personalized Subject Matter Expert (SME) certificate.

After viewing this course you can take the test below.

A password is required to take the online test. To obtain your password, click here and your email will be verified to see if you're a current subscriber at the Academy. If verified, your password for taking tests will be emailed to you.