Reviewed by Margaret Marshall-Hagan Editor, eBulletins Frost & Sullivan

In his introduction, Christopher Murphy says, “Gathering information—and turning this raw data into intelligence by the exercise of judgment—is a permanent and fundamental aspect of business. However, over the last couple of decades competitive intelligence has also emerged as a distinct, recognizable occupational category and evolved into a fully fledged corporate discipline with formal education programs and a global professional association boasting members in over 50 countries.”

As professionals in the field of competitive intelligence, we speak often about the practice of CI, as though it is a universal discipline. In truth, more frequently, we find that not only does the definition of CI often change from company to company and from practitioner to practitioner, but how CI is practiced and the organizational structures can be drastically different as well. These differences may be subtle here in the U.S. but are much more significant in Europe, impacting the way our CI counterparts across the world implement their competitive intelligence efforts.

Indeed, Murphy has written an engaging book detailing the practice of competitive intelligence, as it happens, in Europe. Not a compare and contrast book outlining the differences between European CI and others’, but a guide to gathering data in support of your CI initiatives in Europe and the U.K., because that is where he predominantly practices the art of CI.

Information is at the core of all CI efforts. In the U.S., there are laws that govern the protection of information, as well as the sharing of it. The U.S. Freedom of Information Act provides us with legal access to information with limitations on personal financial data, for instance. Similar legislation has only recently been enacted in the U.K. and the nature of the information is somewhat different than here in the U.S. For instance, Murphy shares the available financial data that is unavailable in the U.S. but is more accessible in Europe.

Touting a systematic approach to collecting intelligence, Murphy outlines the types of data available in the U.K. and where best to find what you’re looking for, all in an effort to help CI practitioners find the intelligence they need to inform company decisions ranging from product launch to competitive risks. Along the way, he identifies gaps and suggests alternative sources specific to Europe. Beginning with the theory of business competition, Murphy educates us on the most common competitive strategies, research and analytical methods and information sources via first hand case studies drawn from his 15+ years of experience.

Chapters cover competitor versus competitive versus cooperative intelligence; How to perform versus conduct CI; a brief review of the classic CI models including Porter’s “Five Forces;” internal business drivers including social, cultural, technological, economic, environmental, political, regulatory and legal drivers; a review of ethics, data collection, search methods and sources including systematic (regular versus one-off corporate document filings), foreign and human source intelligence; observation; the “craft of analysis;” conversion, interpretation and presentation of your findings; forecasting the future; and, finally, disseminating the competitive intelligence…. All with an eye toward conducting CI in Europe.

With the speed of change in technological and legal arenas, and the rapid globalization of business, understanding the nuances of competitive intelligence in locations other than your home country is critical to success. Murphy’s book is a worthy read for this reason.