Intelligence & Watch

Intelligence & Watch is often defined as the information system providing the organization with the anticipation capacity required to make its action more efficient. It is approached according to several typologies:

• Depending on the Intelligence & Watch area where we can distinguish commercial, competitive, financial, legal, technological,...
• Depending on the nature of the information collected, with a distinction between primary level monitoring, tactical monitoring, strategic monitoring,...

The preliminary step in the Intelligence & Watch process is the definition and characterization of the information to be processed. They must reflect the objectives that are assigned to the Intelligence & Watch system. This information could be characterized according to its level of certainty, its form (qualitative or quantitative), its content,...

Subsequently, the actual Intelligence & Watch process could be broken down into 5 phases namely, targeting, stalking, selection, signal processing and action. These phases follow each other in a loop to create a continuous process over time. we are also talking about Continuous Strategic analysis.

The Intelligence & Watch applies to the most diverse fields of activity. It therefore affects a very wide range of businesses, organizations, people and the environment. That said, Intelligence & Watch is a broad term that encompasses various other forms of intelligence. Therefore, depending on what you want to monitor, it is possible to distinguish several types of Intelligence & Watch, such as:

Deals with competitors, their ranges of products and substitutes, distribution channels, cost analyze, corporate organizations and culture, evaluation of the general management of the activity portfolios of the business. It makes it possible to identify competitive advantages and know-how in order to anticipate and facilitate the acquisition of market share.

Assesses the business practices of a targeted activity. Usually its purpose is to collect, process and disseminate information on products and markets. Business monitoring is therefore closely linked to the launch of new products and the detection of new markets. For this reason, particular attention is devoted to market research (qualitative or quantitative). This Intelligence & Watch also concerns the observation of customers, suppliers, subcontractors or distributors. Beyond marketing studies, it is about being interested in the evolution of customer needs over the long term.

Aims to detect movements in the financial, monetary and commodity markets that may affect the company, as well as movements in the securities of the company itself and those of similar competing companies or in which she has interests or with whom she works.

Or regulatory Watch consists in monitoring the evolution of regulations and the legal environment of markets, competitors or customers, in order to prepare, adapt and develop strategies proactive (monitoring of new legislative, regulatory or even technical texts (standards) that may concern the company (social obligation, technical standard,...);

Seeks to monitor the information processed by different media sources targeted according to a specific subject.

Is the set of information collection and dissemination activities leading to reprocessed and analyzed information. This should allow economic decision-makers to understand competitive and economic developments.

Technology intelligence - technological survey - technology monitoring - technological surveillance : seeks to strengthen the capacity for innovation in terms of products, organization and management methods, and to identify industrial opportunities. It concerns fundamental research, scientific and technological achievements resulting from research, products or services, designs, manufacturing processes, materials and sectors, patents and standards, information systems, and the provision of services. It also consists of following technological trends that may influence the future of a company, as well as of its competitors, suppliers, customers or business partners, in order to give oneself the possibility of avoiding perverse effects.

Watch over information and regulations on the environment. An example of environmental watch consists of monitoring the concept of environmental risk. This surveillance is not inherent to a sector or a domain, it is totally transversal.