Society for Competitive Intelligence Professionals
The Society for Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) is an international nonprofit organization with a mission to “enhance the skills of knowledge professional in order to help their companies achieve and maintain a competitive advantage.” Established in 1986, there are now over 70 SCIP chapters around the world and members from over 50 nations. The SCIP’s basic functions are to provide educational and networking opportunities for competitive-intelligence professionals. Competitive intelligence (CI), also referred to as MARKET INTELLIGENCE and business intelligence, is the gathering, analyzing, and disseminating of external information that impact companies’ business strategies. Competitive intelligence is not spying; rather it is the legal collection and analysis of information about competitors’ capabilities, vulnerabilities, and plans. Competitive intelligence is conducted using information databases and other “open sources” of information. Information gathered in competitive intelligence is analyzed using a variety of tools, including competitor profiles, financial analysis, SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis, scenario development, win/loss ratios, war games, conjoint analysis, and simulation/modeling. According to a 1998 survey of SCIP members, competitor profiles was the most frequently used CI tool, while SWOT analysis was rated the most effective tool. Competitive intelligence complements company efforts in KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT (KM). KM is a business activity through which organizations generate value utilizing their explicit and tacit intellectual ASSETS. This is accomplished through the dissemination and utilization of knowledge. The practice of KM involves combining explicit assets (information technologies) with tacit assets (competencies and experiences possessed by employees). Competitive intelligence is often perceived as a lessthan- ethical business activity. The goals of the SCIP Code of Ethics for CI Professionals are
• to continually strive to increase the recognition and respect of the profession
• to comply with all applicable laws, domestic and international
• to fully respect all requests for confidential of information
• to avoid conflicts of interest in fulfilling one’s duties
• to provide honest and realistic recommendations and conclusions in the execution of one’s duties
• to promote this code of ethics within one’s company, with third-party contractors and within the entire profession
• to faithfully adhere to and abide by one’s company policies, objectives, and guidelines
