Strategic Operations in Competitive Intelligence: Current and Future Trends Transforming CI

Industries Profiled:
Health Care; Pharmaceutical; Diagnostic; Manufacturing; Biotech; Consumer Products; Medical Device; Biopharmaceutical; Chemical; Clinical Research; Laboratories


Companies Profiled:
Abbott; AbbVie; Bayer; BioMarin; Biotest AG; Cerevel Therapeutics; Clovis Oncology; CSL Behring; Daiichi Sankyo; Genentech; Ipsen; Kala Pharmaceuticals; Inc.; Novartis; Novo Nordisk; Paratek Pharmaceuticals; Pfizer; Regeneron; SCIEX; Sanofi; Servier; Takeda Pharmaceuticals; Vincerx Pharma

Study Snapshot

Best Practices, LLC engaged Competitive Intelligence leaders from 22 Life Science organizations in this study to uncover insights and lessons learned regarding their evolving CI operations.

Key topics covered in this report include:

• Competitive Intelligence (CI) Evolution: Models, Reporting, Performance, and Structural Trends
• Workforce Dynamics: Staffing, Activities, and Training Needs
• AI Impact: Accelerated Integration in CI Organizations

• Shifting Competitive Intelligence (CI) Models: Decentralization on the Rise - The need for handling vast data sets with limited budgets is pushing most CI setups towards decentralization, especially in large organizations. Smaller to mid-sized pharmaceutical companies, however, still find centralized structures more effective.

• New Generative AI Tools Enhance Data Gathering: With the rise of generative AI, CI professionals have seen a shift in required skills. While analytical abilities remain crucial—with only about a third of organizations rating their staff as excellent in data analysis—the use of AI has improved the ability to identify valuable insights within large data sets.

• Shift in CI operating model (2001–2023): A longitudinal view

• Competitive Intelligence functional leadership at large and small companies
• Competitive Intelligence reporting hierarchy
• CI reporting structures in large organizations
• CI reporting structures in small companies
• Competitive Intelligence group composition in large and small organizations
• Current CI operating models in large and small companies
• CI model evolution within the next 24 months
• Reflections on changes to Competitive Intelligence operating models within the next 24 months
• Pros and cons of current CI operating models
• Most effective tactics used by CI groups to coordinate work, data, and analyses within the CI group and for stakeholders
• CI budget sourcing in large and small organizations
• Competitive Intelligence centers of excellence

• Competitive Intelligence staffing levels
• Key stakeholders of the Competitive Intelligence function
• Conducted Competitive Intelligence activities at large companies
• CI activity rankings at large companies
• CI activity rankings at small companies
• Competitive Intelligence leadership qualifications in large and small organizations
• Most critical soft skills and training topics for development of a strong CI staff at large and small companies
• Competitive Intelligence training delivery
• Frequency of CI training
• Competitive Intelligence training scope in large and small organizations

• Current implementation of AI within benchmark CI groups
• Obstacles for AI integration
• Voices from the field: AI implementation and gaps

• Geographic span of responsibility of the CI functions represented in the study
• Roles and levels of CI benchmark partners
• Primary therapeutic areas supported by benchmark CI functions