COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE AUDIT

This audit will reveal the organization’s vulnerabilities to potential threats regarding:

  • Changes in the competitive environment;
  • External communication and lobbying actions aimed at increasing the influence and competitiveness;
  • Physical heritage protection;
  • Human heritage protection;
  • Intangible heritage protection;

After filling the questionnaire (5x10 questions) you will receive an estimated summary of how your organization undertakes elements of the Competitive Intelligence function.

In order to assess intelligence needs, design procedures or train staff, please contact us.


Monitoring

Are there any competition monitoring departments that do, consistently, at least one scan regularly (monthly)?

Do you monitor legislative changes in order to identify the applied law to your business?

Do you monitor market trends and predictable developments of the market (participation in fairs and exhibitions, subscriptions to journals, conferences, etc.)?

Do you monitor the evolution of the market share distribution between your company and competitors?

Do you monitor the emergence of your competitors’ new products?

Do you monitor of your competitors’ behavior towards your company?

Do you make estimates about the changes in the cost of raw materials you use?

Do you monitor your company’s image on the Internet?

Do you periodically evaluate you competition image on the market?

Do you monitor the media in order to manage the possible occurrence of undesirable events?


Communication and influence

Do you have precise indicators for evaluating the competitiveness of your company?

Are there any procedures for internal communication within the company (about the organization, products and/or services delivered)?

The internal communication policy is effective in creating an image of the company to its employees?

Are there any policies for external communication in order to capitalize the company’s products/services performance?

Is the external communication policy developed at least regionally?

Is the company conducting social activities in the community in which it exists?

Is the company member of a professional association that defends its interests?

Does the company use professional advertising or lobbying?

Is there any internet communication strategy?

Does your company hold any means to restore its reputation in case of attack?


Physical heritage protection

Are your company’s premises closed and guarded during the periods of inactivity?

Is the access to “sensitive” areas (Directors’ office, Development office, Research office, the Secretariat) restricted?

Are there different identity cards required in order to access different areas of the company?

Are the visitors’ accessible routes known and highlighted?

Do you keep the evidence of visitors?

Is physical access to IT equipment (servers, computers, Wi-Fi networks) restricted?

Do you have a designated Security Officer in your company?

Can the software used in your company detect diversion or theft (of products, funds, projects)?

Are the documents printing and copying centralized in your company?

Can the employees remove documents from your company’s headquarter?


Intangible heritage protection

Have you identified significant intangible assets to be protected (own manufacturing processes, patents, licenses, trademarks, software, elements of goodwill)?

Are there clear procedures for accessing important information within your company?

Is the access to the internal computer network logged (knowing who joined and what he did)?

Do you follow clear instructions for classifying important documents in your company?

Do you follow clear instructions for archiving important documents in your company?

Do you follow clear instructions for destroying important documents in your company?

Do you have vaults of special furniture for storing documents that require protection?

Are the soft generated reports seen only by accredited/checked employees?

Are the information presented at fairs and exhibitions analyzed in order not to provide clues to competition?

Is the risk of collecting and analyzing public information by the company evaluated?


Human heritage protection

Are there any programs to motivate valuable staff?

Are there any loyalty programs for employees in your company?

Have you done the needed checks and actions in order to counter the associated risks of corruption deeds in your company?

Were the practitioners, volunteers and temporary employees informed about the rules of confidentiality?

Were your partners regularly informed about confidentiality contract terms?

Do you check the employees’ loyalty towards the company?

Have you inserted non-competition clauses in employment contracts?

Have you inserted confidentiality clauses in employment contracts?

Does the staff know and apply specific rules of confidentiality during work displacements, both domestically and abroad?

Does the staff know and apply the rules of confidentiality regarding work activity?