Every competitive intelligence professional should find some time every week to identify and check in on organizations that match their objectives and provide helpful resources. Membership in a few is a good idea, but aside from that, resources that range from podcasts and training to conferences and networking events make them a vital part of your work. Here are five to consider:
The Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) website is a good first step that can lead you to a wealth of resources and networking opportunities. Membership in this group is a ready-made networking opportunity, including an online community and regularly scheduled face-to-face events all over the world. The site also provides access to training and career resources.
Market Research and Intelligence Association is a Canadian organization focused on market intelligence and survey research, including competitive intelligence and several related fields. That breadth can be helpful in helping you identify other fields related to your group’s focus—as well as how it might be categorized by others—as you identify kindred spirits in the industry.
Association for Strategic Planning offers articles, research reports, and other materials related to the strategic planning field, for both the private and public sectors, including not-for-profits and academia. The organization also offers a professional certification program and face-to-face events at various locations throughout the United States.
Institute for Management Consultants USA offers certification through 20 chapters across the United States, as well as professional learning resources and communities focused on a variety of consulting fields. The organization also hosts a variety of professional events, including roundtable discussions, networking opportunities, and conferences.
Special Libraries Association’s Competitive Intelligence Division, provides a variety of online webinars and other resources related to source collection. Live webinars, video archives, and other materials from many competitive intelligence-related fields are available on the website, including a presentation by Cascade Insights based on our book, Going Beyond Google: Gathering Internet Intelligence.
By Sean Campbell
By Scott Swigart
