Competitive Intelligence and the Government Librarian Friday, Jun 19 2009
Competitive Intelligence and the Government Librarian
SLA 2009
Tuesday, 16 Jun 2009
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
This was a very informative session given by Roberta Shaffer, Director of FLICC/Fedlink.
Competitive Intelligence is a process used to gather data – same as what librarians have called Information Analytics.
CI is morphing into business intelligence or in the government – strategic intelligence.
Self-knowledge is needed in order to give us a good perspective before we look outward to competitors within the industry.
90% of our CI comes from open sources.
Roberta talked about collecting a mosaic of data because there will still be spaces between the data.
CI leads to a measurable competitive advantage.
Librarians use trusted sources – CI often uses soft sources – rumors, gossip, op-eds, customer feedback etc.
Librarians need to take ownership of Web 2.0 tools – they are of great value when collecting CI – they are soft sources.
Use of gray literature is important.
Both Library Science and CI take an active approach to information. We anticipate the needs of our users.
We are guilty of having a favorite trend or resource. It is okay to use our favorite – but we have to be open to other resources and other data point to follow.
Roberta says that she follows the drugs approved by the FDA and the illnesses and conditions that they address. Other people look at housing starts or the barrel price of oil as a data point to watch and observe a trend.
Library Science and CI use the same resources and they data intensive.
How is CI used?
- To validate or change a business model
- To create networks, alliances and partnerships
- To evaluate core processes (budgeting, accounting, billing, hiring)
- To pursue R&D (skunk works, M&A, Tech Transfer [very important in gov’t])
- To analyze production systems or workflows
- To prioritize clientele
- To deploy delivery and communications channels
- To enhance customer experience
- To secure brand
Standard techniques in CI analysis:
Framing – how the organization fits in with competitors, industry, etc.
- SWOT: smaller org
- PEST: Political, Economic, Social, Technology
- PEST/LE: above plus Legal and Environmental
- STEEPLED: Social, technology, education, economics, politics, legal, environment, and demographics
Scanning - identify the external factors
STEP: Strategic Trend Evaluation Process
Wireless devices used in industry for tickets etc.
Forecasting - consider a range of future possibilities – not really a librarian activity, usually up to economists and sociologists
- short-term
- transitional
- long-term
Envisioning - select a vision for organization and give it a time frame
Strategic Plan pathway to the vision – tends to be the MBAs area
Business Plan
Emerging Leadership in the 21st Century
- Finland - education innovation – no majors, study based on problem-solving
- Philippines - workforce/work ethic – most productive country
- Korea – most industry is vertical so they own the whole process
- Nigeria – portal between Africa and her raw materials and Europe and US
- Netherlands – a very open society – look at acceptance of gay marriage as a bellwether of openness. Open is good for business, it attracts employees.
- Norway - citizen-empowered government, legislature asks citizenry for input. (but Norway doesn’t have much immigration and is an homogeneous society).
- Brazil – one of the BRIC countries looking to develop a new world currency (other countries are Russia, India and China). Brazil had oil reserves, arable land, leading exporter of soy, oil, minerals, wine production, etc.
Roberta mentioned that David Walker, the former Comptroller General (head of the GAO) said that we need to change the business model for the US government to one of crisis management. Let the states or regional groups of states conduct the other business of running the country.
