Sponsor: SLA CI Division
Co-Sponsor: Aurora WDC
Date: Monday, March 12
Time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Topic: “Benchmarking: A broadly applicable CI tool (and a state of mind)”
Speaker: Martha R. Matteo, Ph.D.- Fellow and former President of Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals
Cost: Free for SLA members and Non-SLA Members
Register: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/504587822

Planning for the future is driven by company goals as well as underlying assumptions about the state of the business and the external environment in which it operates.  Benchmarking is a powerful tool for clarifying and validating those underlying assumptions.  When used effectively, it enables the planning team to focus on the relevant and critical few issues that will drive success.  This session will show how benchmarking analysis of the external environment, in the context of internal issues, can be used to eliminate blind spots and open the path for management consideration of unfamiliar or uncomfortable options.  The benchmarking process can range from very formal, involving interviews and confidentiality agreements, to a straightforward analysis of secondary sources.  The choice is driven by the issues to be addressed.  Examples will be drawn from across this range, with emphasis on the nature of the problem and the ultimate business impact of the benchmarking exercise.  Caveat:  the process should be done in a way that follows ethical guidelines and presented with maximum transparency, to minimize surprises for those expected to act upon the findings.

Ms. Matteo is the founder of the C(T)I function and former director of Knowledge Management and R&D Planning at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc; Board Member, BioXcel.