Competitive intelligence and business strategic planning: a review

This article is a conceptual review of the relationship between Competitive Intelligence (CI) and Business Strategic Planning (BSP). The classical methods of Strategic Planning, such as SWOT analysis and Porter’s Five Forces, and modern technologies, such as ETL, Data Warehousing, and OLAP, are illustrated to show how CI can support BSP and how BSP can support CI. Strategic Planning looks externally at the environment and internally at the organization to make strategic, proactive decisions about the organization’s future. CI processes data from different sources, transforms and organizes it, and provides intelligence that supports Strategic Planning decisions. The integration between CI and BSP enables organizations to address and manage diverse challenges, make strategic decisions, and gain a competitive advantage in an unpredictable market.