I_STREAM (Strategic Consortium of Intelligence Professionals (SCIP))

Organizations are investing enormous sums on technology and skills to get value from Big Data. However, Big Data alone won’t help strategy development. Like anything, we have to be careful to separate the hype from the reality.

 In today’s episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we talk with Mark Chussil about: 

• Limits of Big Data - The difference between intelligence about competitors vs. intelligence about competing
• Benefits of Big Data for strategy development - Introducing algorithms and strategy simulations into War Games
• Man vs. Machine - How competitive strategy can incorporate data and algorithms to reduce the impact of bias and guesswork

Many organizations struggle to balance managing the core business with exploring white space opportunities.  Consequently, they tend to kill good ideas that don't fit the core, and see their competitive edge slowly decline. 

In this episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we talk with Tendayi Viki, award-winning author and corporate innovation expert about:
Innovation tools companies can use to design, test, and iterate white space ideas

• Common mistakes that lead to great ideas getting killed too soon
• Why Competitive Intelligence professionals need to monitor Disruption risk
• Good, Bad, and Ugly uses of the Business Model Canvas

As more competitors, sources, and key intelligence topics are added, it’s only a matter of time before competitive intelligence processes get jammed. Whether you work for a startup, a scaleup, or a well-established corporation, budgets are limited, team size is limited, time is even more limited. For an intelligence function to deliver maximum results with minimum effort, it has to have processes that are agile.

In this episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we sit down with Fouad Benyoub, Director of Competitive Strategy at Everbridge. Fouad shares recommendations for building a Lean Competitive Intelligence capability, taken from his all new book The Competitive Intelligence Playbook. We’ll address:

• How and when to build a Minimum Viable CI Program
• How to apply Design Thinking principles to CI processes & programs 
• What CI can leverage from the Lean toolkit (e.g. CI Kanbans) 
• The role of technology (e.g. automation, AI, etc.) in transforming CI processes 

Today, the world is on an unsustainable path. Global temperatures have already risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial baseline used for the Paris goals. The energy system urgently needs to decarbonize – however this also presents tremendous opportunity! In this episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we talk with bp’s Angela McKane about what this means for intelligence professionals, specifically:

• How to identify and make funding decisions on innovations that will drive the energy transition
• The technologies and practices bp uses to distribute intelligence to stakeholders and collaborate across the world
• How bp embraces diverse backgrounds and perspectives in its intelligence team to tackle "bet the company" strategic challenges 

Leaders need a reputable a source of truth on the external environment. Intelligence can play a key role in serving leaders with these actionable and objective external insights. In this special episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we talk live at IntelliCon with Target’s Robert Bunchek about the lessons he's learned building an intelligence capability that anticipates disruption and informs winning strategies in service of Target leaders. Robert shares:

• How intelligence is structured at Target, and how the team uses different forums to engage with leaders
• How Target cascades intelligence to different functions, balancing consistency with autonomy
• Their approach towards linking intelligence to strategy to implementation

Competitive Intelligence teams must align their services to the different levels of their specific business. Everyone has heard of tactical and strategic CI, but this type of dichotomy is missing a major facet of CI. Tactical CI supports sales and its functionality, while strategic CI provides support product marketers in their Go-To-Market strategies by allowing product management teams to prioritize key features for their specific product or service.

In this episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we talk with Datto’s Dustin Ray, Director of Competitive Intelligence about the CI team structure. Dustin shares:

• The business areas/stakeholders the team supports and how the Datto’s team is structured
• How to prioritize, segment, and manage CI work to give it focus?
• How the  impact of technology having how time is spent and how has it changed the value that is delivered to stakeholders.
• How to manage "fire drill" requests for CI help while still supporting stakeholders without getting bogged down.

With Generation Z rising in the workforce and in purchasing power, understanding their attitudes and values has become a priority for Fortune 500 companies across sectors. Amidst a sea of new research on this cohort, what cuts to the core of this generation's unique lifestyle habits and, ultimately, purchasing habits? Compelling insights and continual monitoring can be developed by leveraging textual data at scale, especially from niche and mainstream social channels. Using NLP and analytical strategies with social channel data offers a 24-hour focus group with this cohort to garner insights on everything from traveling preferences to specific product launch reactions.

In this podcast led by Nicole Seredenko thought leader (and member of the Gen Z cohort) from Netbase Quid learn how you can use advanced competitive intelligence and expand the possibilities of how your organization can leverage textual data. This podcast will cover:

• Ways to garner demographic insights via social media data – and cut through the noise
• Leveraging complimentary datasets for robust generational insights
• How the voice of Gen Z enables more effective drug rollout strategies
• Understanding how Gen Z values manifest in their alcohol preferences and habits

Dive into the world of intelligence and strategy with I_STREAM, your gateway to insights from industry leaders and experts. 

Get a sneak peek into the excitement of IntelliCon Euro 2023, where intelligence meets innovation! This event brings together the most diverse global community of competitive intelligence experts for best practice sharing, education & training, and connecting with peers. Visit our website to learn more and register today!

Discover the keys to running an intelligence-based organization in the latest episode of the "Raising the Bar" podcast with Allison De Paoli, featuring SCIP's CEO, Paul Santilli. 

Join us in this special episode as we delve into the SCIP IntelliCon Euro 2023 conference in Prague, focusing on the enriching Academic Track with renowned expert Jonathan Calof. Explore the thought-provoking academic modules presented during the event, featuring discussions on cutting-edge research, trends, and insights in the field of competitive intelligence. Gain a snapshot of the engaging dialogue that unfolded, offering a unique blend of academia and practical intelligence strategies from SCIP IntelliCon Euro 2023.

Step into the future of competitive intelligence with our special episode brought to you from SCIP IntelliCon Euro 2023 in Prague. Join us for an insightful conversation with futurist and the vice-chair of APF (Association of Professional Futurists), Tanja Schindler, as we discuss how innovative frameworks shape the future of strategic foresight and competitive intelligence. Gain exclusive insights into how APF drives transformative intelligence practices in the industry.

Dive into the future of technology and competitive intelligence at SCIP IntelliCon Euro 2023 in Prague. In this podcast episode, join us for an insightful discussion with HPE Fellow & CTO, Lin Nease. Explore the innovative advancements in technology and strategic thinking as Lin shares his expertise. Gain exclusive insights into the role of technology in shaping competitive intelligence landscapes and discover how HPE is paving the way for transformative intelligence practices at SCIP IntelliCon Euro 2023.

Embark on a journey into the cutting-edge world of competitive intelligence technology at SCIP IntelliCon Euro 2023 in Prague. Join us for an exclusive podcast episode featuring Chairman & CEO Ramesh Mahalingam as we introduce and discuss Vizru. Gain unique insights into how this groundbreaking platform is reshaping the landscape of visual analytics and empowering businesses with actionable intelligence. Don't miss this firsthand exploration of Vizru's impact at SCIP IntelliCon Euro 2023.

Welcome to our special podcast series covering SCIP IntelliCon Euro 2023 in Prague! In this concise episode, we recap the highlights and key insights from Day 1. Join us as we revisit the expert sessions, engaging discussions, and groundbreaking moments that unfolded during this premier event in the world of competitive intelligence. Stay tuned for an immersive recap that captures the essence of Day 1 at SCIP IntelliCon Euro 2023.

Tune in for an exclusive Day 2 Recap of SCIP IntelliCon Euro 2023 in Prague! Join us as we unpack the highlights, expert insights, and groundbreaking discussions that unfolded during this premier event for Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals. Get a snapshot of the key takeaways, memorable moments, and the pulse of intelligence innovation as we recap a day filled with thought-provoking sessions and networking opportunities. 

Tune in for the final recap of SCIP IntelliCon Euro 2023 in Prague on Day 3. Join us as we highlight the key insights, impactful sessions, and memorable moments from this premier intelligence conference. Gain a comprehensive overview of the groundbreaking discussions, expert perspectives, and the culmination of a transformative event shaping the future of competitive intelligence.

Unlock the secrets to professional indispensability in this podcast, focusing on strategies to safeguard your role during downturns. The emphasis is on building credibility through high-quality work and unmatched expertise, coupled with aligning your role with organizational goals in the intelligence sector. Tune in for practical tips on enhancing your value and contributing effectively to organizational success.

In this episode of I_STREAM, discover the forefront of AI-driven business intelligence. Uncover how AI seamlessly collects and analyzes real-time data to predict outcomes and offer actionable insights. Explore the role of OpenAI and other generative AI platforms in shaping this transformative landscape. 

Join us for a captivating discussion on the future of business intelligence. Stay Tuned for the full podcast. 

Tune into our new episode of #SCIP I_STREAM and dive into the depths of #IntelliCon Nashville 2024, held on April 22-25. Join us as we unravel the highlights, from keynote speeches to breakout sessions, workshops, and prime networking chances. Discover the invaluable perks awaiting #intelligence professionals of every tier at this conference.

Tune into our new episode of #SCIP I_STREAM and learn how leaders drive organizational success by leveraging data-driven intelligence, empowering teams to take action, and combining data with human insight to tackle complex challenges. 

Tune into our new episode of #SCIP I_STREAM and join Paul Santilli in conversation with Anselm Bossacoma of Open Trends to explore the transformative power of #AI in the #intelligence community. This episode dives into how custom #software #development and user-centric #design are shaping #data analysis and #strategic #decisions.

Tune into our new episode of #SCIP I_STREAM and join Paul Santilli in conversation with Edward Allison of #CompeteIQ to learn about #AI's transformative #power and potential pitfalls in the #competitiveintelligence landscape.

Tune into our new episode of #SCIP I_STREAM and join Paul Santilli in conversation with Beth Elliott and Tony Nagle of #DigWorldwide to explore the art of elicitation that turns everyday interactions into valuable intelligence. 

Tune into our new episode of #SCIP I_STREAM and join Paul Santilli in conversation with Jesper Martell, CEO and founder of #Comintelli, a Swedish #software company specializing in #market and #competitive intelligence. You will gain valuable #insights into how #organizations can leverage #intelligence to drive #innovation, make better #business #decisions, and stay ahead of the #competition.

Tune into our new episode of #SCIP I_STREAM and join Paul Santilli in conversation with Mayur Palta, Lead Solutions Architect at Databricks. Join us as we delve into the world of AI and its transformative impact on Competitive Intelligence. Discover how organizations are leveraging advanced technologies to gain a competitive edge, uncover hidden opportunities, and make data-driven decisions.

Tune into our new episode of SCIP I_STREAM and join Paul Santilli in conversation with Ambika Kashyap, Vice President - Solutioning Expert at EvalueServe. Learn how AI-powered insights are reshaping decision-making, uncovering new opportunities, and confronting modern-day challenges in competitive intelligence. This podcast offers essential perspectives on how organizations can harness the power of data-driven strategies to stay ahead in a rapidly advancing digital world.

Tune into our new episode of #SCIP I_STREAM and join Paul Santilli in conversation with Richard Klavans, Founder and CEO, SciTech Strategies. Discover how SciTech Strategies uses AI to identify promising research areas and how this can be used for business strategy. This podcast also discusses AI’s role in Intelligence development, business resiliency, early-stage research challenges, and research and development expertise.

#SCIP #Intelligence #Podcast #AI #Research #Data

In this SCIP IntelliCast episode, we sit down with IDEX CEO Andy Silvernail.  Andy and SCIP CEO Cam Mackey talk about the role of competitive intelligence in supporting key strategic decisions, how CEO’s needs for decision support are evolving, and what competitive strategy and intelligence pros can do to help our organizations make decisions to best serve customers, reduce strategic risk, and drive profitable growth. 

In this SCIP IntelliCast episode, we talk to former Nike strategy & innovation executive Savi Sharma about how Nike's growth strategy evolved during her time at the firm. When she joined Nike in 2000, it was a $9B company with fewer than 10,000 employees. Fast forward to 2021, where Nike is now a $40 billion company with over 80,000 employees and it continues to grow every day.

Savi will share how she witnessed Nike exhibit ambidexterity, balancing incubating new business models with running profitable operations; and seeing business models that started as bolt-ons eventually becoming integrated as key competitive advantages. 

In this SCIP IntelliCast episode, we talk with SCIP Board member Jay Nakagawa of Dell about his experience leading a team of nearly 20 professionals. Jay will share lessons learned in transitioning from an individual contributor to a servant leader mindset.

He’s also share how he uses one-on-one meetings to keep his team supported, developing and focused. Finally, he’ll give examples of how viewing management as a deliberate discipline has helped him build an engaged, innovative, and productive team. 

It’s often said that our own internal colleagues are one of the best sources of information about competitors, customers, suppliers, etc. But between busy schedules, a globally dispersed workforce, and for the last year a largely remote one, getting relevant information from peers can be extremely challenging.

In this episode of SCIP IntelliCast, SCIP Board member Maureen Nail of Pfizer will share her lessons learned building and maintaining an internal intelligence network, balancing the need for “face time” with the realities of a demanding schedule..

Many have said that we're in a new normal, where the existing strategy and intelligence toolkit isn't up to the task. This fast-paced discussion, with Ben Gilad, Helen Rothberg, and Cam Mackey, skips the hype and buzzwords, and provides recommendations for executives looking to not just survive but thrive through uncertainty. Some of the issues we discussed include:

• Do you believe the “new normal” is here to stay?
• What effect does the pandemic (or any major disruption) have on traditional strategy frameworks?
• Are the “old tools” still effective in this “new normal”?
• What role can CI play in determining what trends/dynamics truly are a “New Normal”, vs. situational?

This episode of SCIP IntelliCast with Babette Bensoussan is all about challenging ourselves with a fundamental question: Are You Making the Best Decisions? 

 Whether we're making decisions for ourselves or supporting decision makers with CI, we need to be familiar with the issues involved in decision making. This can range from biases and listening skills to limiting beliefs and interpretations. Often the issues in decision making are not the information or insights per se, but the way we interpret what we hear.

Join SCIP and Proactive Worldwide President David Kalinowski for our latest SCIP IntelliCast episode.  This fast-paced session will feature moderated Q&A on managing the expectations of internal stakeholders during this unprecedented period. Sample questions include: 

• Why should we worry about managing expectations? What's the harm if we don't during the current crisis due to COVID-19 and the economic fallout?
• What specific expectations should we focus on and what are some practical steps we can take to address them?
• What positive results can we expect to see by properly managing stake holder expectations?

While the average corporate C-suite has 24% more women than 5 years ago, significant gender disparities remain in many industries, functions and levels. For example, fewer than 20% of roles in fields like market intelligence, analytics, or data science are currently held by women.  Join us as we sit down with Zena Applebaum, Director of Customer Insights & Proposition Strategy at Thomson Reuters for an IntelliCast episode on women in CI. 

In our latest SCIP IntelliCast episode, we sit down with CI guru Ellen Naylor for:

• Tips on probing deeper on information requests to surface the real need
• Navigating difficult conversations on challenging subjects with internal/external stakeholders
• How to get intelligence from any conversation
• Elicitation best practices

In this episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we talk with Lohrasp Seify, Data Science leader for Blackline about his experience bringing the disciple of data-driven decision making to organizations. Lohrasp will share lessons learned:

• Centrally collecting data from disparate sources (and not having it collect “virtual dust”).
• Understanding conditions & drivers of events (to determine the likelihood that they’ll happen again)
• Finding insight and meaning in what happened (hindsight) to determine what may happen (foresight)
• What techniques the layperson can borrow from data scientists and use in their day to day decision making

 For training, best practices, and peer connections on competitive strategy & intelligence, connect with us at www.scip.org. 

In the world of digital transformation, slow-moving annual strategic planning processes don’t allow organizations to capitalize on fast-emerging opportunities, or respond to unanticipated risks or competitive threats. In this SCIP IntelliCast episode, we speak with former Siemens executive Dr. Helmuth Ludwig (Global CIO, CEO of Siemens Industry & Siemens PLM ) on how organizations can develop and adjust strategy in a digital age through:

• Data backed personal experiences
• Whole market ecosystem views
• Agile and Strategic Planning

 For training, best practices, and peer connections on competitive strategy & intelligence, connect with us at www.scip.org. 

While many corporate functions, from finance to operations to marketing, have embraced advanced analytics, in many respects the strategy function is lagging. In this episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we sit down with McKinsey's Chris Mulligan, co-author of the new article The Strategy-Analytics Revolution  to talk about: 

• Why Big Data is a boon but also a curse
• The use case for advanced analytics to reduce bias in strategic decisions
• The relevance of frameworks like 5 Forces & Scenario Planning in the context of strategy analytics 
• The role of advanced analytics in predicting the win rate of strategic options

To read Chris' article The Strategy-Analytics Revolution, visit McKinsey's website.    For training, best practices, and peer connections on competitive strategy & intelligence, connect with us at www.scip.org. 

In this episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we sit down with Keith Pigues, CEO of Luminas Strategy, and four-time Chief Marketing Officer and growth leader from great organizations such as CEMEX, RR Donnelley, ADP, Honeywell and Ply Gem. Our conversation is all about Value Proposition:

• The secret sauce of the Differential Value Proposition (DVP)
• Identifying market & customer insights & prioritizing where to act 
• Applying the DVP framework to your Competitive Intelligence function

To connect with Keith or learn more about Luminas Strategy, visit www.luminasstrategy.com.   For training, best practices, and peer connections on competitive strategy & intelligence, connect with us at www.scip.org. 

In our latest episode of SCIP IntelliCast, guest host and SCIP Board Member Maureen Nail, Director of Competitive Intelligence at Abbott has a conversation with Pete Grimm, CEO of Cipher Consulting about:  

• Framing disruption into elements that MI/CI professionals can build an intelligence plan around
• How to communicate with leadership about disruption 
• Future opportunities for telehealth to disrupt healthcare strategy
• How to prepare for disruption, and some tools to help predict it

To learn more about Pete's work at Cipher, visit their website.   For training, best practices, and peer connections on competitive strategy & intelligence, connect with us at www.scip.org. 

In this episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we sit down with Alex Baranpuria, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Ivy Exec, an elite, private online community of 2.5 million+ global business leaders seeking career advancement support. 

With millions of unfilled jobs in the U.S. alone, many strategy & intelligence professionals are thinking seriously about their next professional opportunity. In our conversation with Alex, he shares tips for:

• The crucial first step to take before jumping into any job search
• How to build a resume that will resonate with the hiring organization
• The real purpose of the cover letter
• They key interviewing technique that will help hiring managers remember you long after the interview is over
• How to handle the initial salary discussion

In this episode of IntelliCast, we sit down with Matt Devost, CEO & Co-Founder of OODA LLC.  Matt is a technologist, entrepreneur, and international security expert specializing in counterterrorism, critical infrastructure protection, intelligence, risk management and cyber-security issues. Matt co-founded the cyber security consultancy FusionX, and was previously President & CEO of the Terrorism Research Center. 

Our wide ranging conversation with Matt focuses on the risks that quickly accompany emerging technologies, including:  

• The changing face of counterintelligence in the social media age  
• Steps organizations should take to manage cybersecurity risk beyond the office of the CISO
• Balancing advanced threat intelligence technologies with HUMINT 
• The rising tide of “digital self-sovereignty” to give users more control over how their data is used

With digitalization accelerating in most industries, data volume is exploding and market dynamics are less predictable. The pressure on organizations has never been greater to get the most out of their investments in data. 

In this episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we talk with the team from Primer, a firm that's using machine learning and advanced natural language processing to help governments and corporations solve some of their toughest challenges.  Our conversation with John Bohannon (Director of Science), Krissy Holst (Account Executive), and  Barry Dauber (VP Commercial Sales) touches on:

• Use cases for NLP in different parts of the business
• Identifying and overcoming common organizational barriers to using NLP
• Democratizing AI and NLP so that they can be leveraged by the lay person
• NLP use cases for CI and strategy

Whether it’s a product launch or a brand pivot, you’ll need to be prepared with the data you need to know when to sit back and watch things play out, or reactively respond to ensure that you’re keeping up with the demands of the market. This fireside chat with SCIP's Cam Mackey and  NetBase Quid's  Harvey Ranola will help you:

• Identify themes in your industry narrative and their relevance to competitors in your space to anticipate their movements.
• Set benchmarks to monitor changes in how you and your competitors are being discussed in the news and social media.
• Tailor your strategies to specific demographics and geographic areas.

Between the pandemic, social upheaval, and a volatile political climate, the last two years have seen an enormous amount of change, stress, and uncertainty.  Organizations that can sense and adapt to change will be rewarded with new types of competitive advantage. But Market & Competitive Intelligence professionals need to embrace new ways of thinking and working to help our organizations navigate through uncertainty.  

In this episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we talk with Peter Schwartz, Senior Vice President of Strategy & Chief Futurist for Salesforce about: 

• How can Scenario Planning help us navigate the Pandemic Era?
• Where do most organizations stumble when doing Scenario Planning? 
• How can organizations engage their entire workforce in thinking about the future, not just senior leadership? 
• How do you provide fresh perspectives to one of the best connected CEOs in the world? 
• Is remote work here to stay? What does that mean for businesses and consumers?
• What responsibility do businesses have to the various communities they're connected to?

About Peter: As Salesforce's Senior Vice President of Strategy and Chief Futurist, Peter Schwartz manages the organization’s ongoing strategic conversations around the world.  Prior to joining Salesforce, Peter was co-founder and chairman of Global Business Network. He’s also an author and his first book, The Art of the Long View, is considered a seminal publication on scenario planning.  Peter has served as a script consultant on the films "The Minority Report," "Deep Impact," "Sneakers," and "War Games." 

In this episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we speak with the authors of the new book Gardens of Intelligence – Designing Robust Digital Market & Competitive Intelligence Platforms, Jesper Martell and Gabriel Anderbjörk.  While Gardens of Intelligence is a new-to-world approach, it's backed by decades of experience at successful global organizations like Ericsson. 

Our conversation with Jesper and Gabriel covers: 

• How companies can use Gardens of Intelligence to plan investments in people, technology, and information depending on their unique needs 
• The 3 components every organization needs for an Market & Competitive Intelligence department to consistently deliver value
• The role of artificial intelligence & machine learning in the intelligence cycle
• How organizations' information needs change as they advance
• The rise in importance of managerial skills for MCI professionals

As Gabriel says in this episode, "CI is growing into a management profession, far more than just an analytical profession."

In this episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we talk with Rita McGrath,  best-selling author, sought-after speaker, and  longtime professor at Columbia Business School. Consistently named one of the world’s Top 10 management thinkers, Rita is the author of the best-selling books The End of Competitive Advantage, and Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen.  As a consultant to CEOs, her work has had a lasting impact on the strategy and growth programs of Fortune 500 companies worldwide. 

We talk with Rita about:

• How CI professionals can build a grass-roots movement, rather than waiting around for a "seat at the table"
• The concept of "continuous strategy" and the implications for CI professionals
• Warning signs that your organization's competitive advantage is waning
• A new way of tracking and responding to weak signals

To assess companies' performance and impact in a more holistic way,  Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is an increasingly important lens through which to identify material risks and growth opportunities. In this episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we talk to Vanessa Barnett, who leads the global ESG program for FactSet, about: 

• What ESG is, why it matters, and where it's going
• The types of decisions in strategy and marketing that ESG is already impacting 
• How market & competitive intelligence professionals can get started incorporating ESG into their workflows
• How to understand ESG scores, and their impact on competitiveness

Although strategy and competitive intelligence professionals use a variety of strategic frameworks to contextualize market data, in many organizations, internal transactional data is overlooked and underleveraged.  In this episode of SCIP IntelliCast, we talk with Randy Brown about: 

• Overcoming common challenges in growth strategy development - Recommendations on how CI can work across departments to overcome organizational (and skills) barriers around insights, strategy & execution 
• The value of your internal transaction data - How CI and marketing professionals can use account data already in your CRM to test strategic hypothesis, triangulate against external data you're already using, and identify hidden revenue opportunities
• 3 tools to apply to your transactional data  - How to use RFM (Recency Frequency Monetary Value Analysis),  GMM, and "Ketchup Mustard" analysis to identify hidden revenue and profit opportunities