Know Your Competitors. (Competitive Intelligence for the Information Center)

Beginning of article

INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS ARE OFTEN CALLED UPON TO PARTICIPATE in an organization's competitive intelligence program, and they do so in a variety of capacities, playing key roles in the development and maintenance of the process. While they help firms develop effective competitive strategies, information professionals rarely apply the same evaluative techniques to their own operations. This article examines the basic elements of a competitive intelligence program as applied to a library/information center setting.

In the Beginning...

You cannot monitor the activities or develop a comprehensive profile of your competitors if you are not clear as to who they are, so Step 1 in the competitive intelligence process is to identify your competition. Loosely defined, your competitors are any people or institutions with the capability of offering information services to the audience you have targeted as your own. The field is no longer limited by geography, as users can contract with anyone, anywhere--academic or public libraries, information or documentation centers, independent brokers, consultants, direct access databases offered by various vendors, or Web-based resources.

In determining which libraries you will monitor, and to what extent, consider bath your current and potential competitors (i.e., those who, with slight changes, could easily offer products or services similar to your own). The latter category should include competitors from within your organization--other departments, such as marketing, public relations, or IT--as well as those outside, regardless of apparent barriers, such as geography or language.

It is also important to consider what is happening in the field of information and library science. Identify libraries that are considered leaders, …