Competitive Intelligence

Course Description and Objectives

The course is centered on advanced industry and market analysis. Competitive intelligence is the continuous monitoring of competitive forces and rival’s business models in a certain industry. Information collected through competitive intelligence activities are used by top management to take strategic decisions.

This course provides an opportunity for you to develop your personal capabilities. Specifically, you will develop:

• analytical skills: thinking, problem solving, and decision-making:
  • Demonstrate primary and secondary research skills;
  • Find and use resources to answer your questions;
  • Form conclusions and recommendations supported by logic and evidence;
• oral and written communication skills including your ability to:
  • Deliver oral presentations to a large audience;
  • Ask questions and present viewpoints in discussions;
  • Write well-structured, clear, and concise documents;
• specialistic skills:
  • how to find and process data on relevant industry variables, as entry barriers, demand evolution, M&A trends, rivals, technological trends, regulations;
  • how to use professional market and finance databases.

To achieve these objectives, a combination of methods will be used in the course.

Methodology

The course is based on case discussion, individual and group-works. Classes will be given on line (synchronous and asynchronous). Given the importance of class discussion, pre-class reading of the business cases is crucial. Laptop or tablet usage is mandatory during academic sessions to take notes and is necessary to do in-class assignments.

Assessment Methods

The valuation (0-10) is based on:

• a final group project (0-5 grades). The group project developed during the course (two sessions will be entirely dedicated to it) and presented online during the last class; groups must be composed by 5 to 8 students (no exceptions are admitted);
• a final individual project (0-5 grades). The individual project will be assigned on May 29 (during the last class). The deadline for delivery is June 15 before midnight (23.59).

Students have the possibility to take up to 1 bonus point (to be added the final written exam grade) thanks to individual in-class assignments (conducted during the online classes). Each in class assignment will be evaluated according to the following scale: 0-0.3.

Students can use their bonus point only if they obtain no less than 6/10 combining the grade of the final group and the individual project.

Students MUST register on the “I-Corsi” web platform.