The Handbook of Market Intelligence: Understand, Compete and Grow in Global Markets, 2nd Edition

Chapter 8Intelligence Organization – The People and Resources that Generate the Impact

INTRODUCTION: INTELLIGENCE ORGANIZATION AS A KEY SUCCESS FACTOR OF WORLD CLASS MARKET INTELLIGENCE

“Intelligence organization” refers to the people and information resources that make the intelligence process happen. Appointing someone as the owner of the corporate intelligence activity typically is the starting point of forming an intelligence organization, but the person needs an MI team, information sources, and an internal MI network to support their work. Figure 8.1 illustrates the elements in an intelligence organization. We will briefly introduce them, and explain the evolutionary path that an intelligence organization typically follows after its initiation.

Figure 8.1 An intelligence organization is the combination of internal and external resources (human resources and sources of information) that runs the cyclical intelligence process

Source: Global Intelligence Alliance.

1. At the heart of an intelligence organization is the MI leadership – the owner of the activity and the one(s) responsible for steering and managing the daily operations. Organizing the leadership of the intelligence program is the natural first step on the MI development path.
2. The MI leadership will next set up an MI team. In many of today’s lean organizations, this does not necessarily mean increasing headcount, ...