Archive for the ‘Corporate Risks’ Category:
In today’s operating environment, competitors are using integrated marketing communication to acquire market share.
Competitive Intelligence helps organizations generate early warning by helping organizations interpret competitor’s de-positioning tactics.
Public Relations is a lethal tool of competitive intelligence which organizations use to influence public perception which results in creating a buzz in the market which helps in retaining market share.
Public Relations is a communication tool which motivates behavior resulting in improved market share.
Competitive Intelligence is a tool used to help clients manage issues by combining influences of public attitudes, public perceptions, public behavior and public policy.
This way we see that a simple tool of public relations in competitive intelligence gives a greater RoI which help companies in positioning themselves as a brand.
In the long run it is about incubating a brand and sustaining it and eventually creating a differentiation based on quality, service and competence.
In the normal day to day positioning of organizations, PR helps a company to reposition itself.
Using competitive intelligence, public relations is used to create third party endorsements which results in manipulating public behavior.
What matters is that does the market hold our organization in positive light and this is possible by subtly manipulating market perception using an emotional connect to our brand.
Competitive Intelligence uses poll technique combined with demographic and psychographic profiling based on analysis of information to find out what images and messages will resonate with target audiences to be competitive, organizations monitor competition, spread disinformation and rally citizen groups to raise issues thereby de-positioning competitors in the minds of the wider target audience.
Competitive Intelligence can be used for managing public relations and mitigating crisis and neutralize competitor’s grass roots activist groups. It also helps us identify radicals, opportunists, idealists and realists’ activist groups of competitors which they use to spread this information.
Competitive Intelligence enables us to manage the corporate risks of social activist groups which can be achieved in the following manner i.e. isolating the radicals, cultivating and educating the idealists into realists and finally co-opting the realists. The ‘radicals’ used by competitors may have the agenda of generating political empowerment and social justice that can be marginalized and discredited.
The idealists used by competitors are exposed to reeducation and psychological persuasion using competitive intelligence. Pragmatic realists and opportunists are manipulated through trade-offs and perceptions of “partial victories”.
Competitors manipulate citizen groups and fake grass roots mobilization, in other words it means Astroturfing. Some competitors may use viral marketing techniques but if we have our counterintelligence in place, we can prevent competitors from manipulating market perception.
Information
Information is data joined in revealing ways. Information collection is a very important part of intelligence cycle.
Information can be collected through passive intelligence and semi active intelligence and active intelligence.
When we collect information, we need to evaluate sources of information. We need to list the sources we have found and type of information the source provides.
Collection of information results in using different kinds of sources and for this we need to classify sources and rate them. We need to understand whether the source provides facts or does the source provide information from experts who are sure of their facts or does the source just provides personal opinion. Classifying sources on the basis of whether it is a fact or authority or opinion or not verifiable sources helps you understand the authenticity of the information you have collected.
In planning stage when you work on key intelligence topics, you need to understand whether the information you require is available in passive intelligence or semi active intelligence or active intelligence. Now the sources that you have identified are they facts or expert information from experts or just a personal opinion. When you verify the information you need to segment the information as facts and authority and opinion and unconfirmed sources.
This is just the start of the information collection journey.
Organizations face complex problems during extraction and analysis of data using open source intelligence emissions.
One of the major problems is the influence of white noise on the accurate perception. If a company is exposed to white noise and conflicting stimuli and data, it creates a deep interference with accurate perception even after better information becomes available later on during analysis stage.
For instance, a person exposed to distorted and hazy picture will make pre-conceptions of the information and will develop more confidence in it. This means initial impression of information will have more impact on subsequent perceptions.
When the image becomes clearer, new data is imbibed into the previous image but we maintain the initial perception and develop resistance to changed image until the contradiction becomes so strong and obvious that it forces itself upon consciousness.
Most of the companies perceive that the early information required to make an initial interpretation is sufficient, but we should not forget that early but incorrect impression tends to endure.
The amount of information to nullify a hypothesis is significantly greater than the amount of information required to make an initial judgments.
The difficulty companies’ face is not in acquiring new perceptions or new ideas, but that already established perceptions meet with resistance.
On availability of very little information, many companies tend to form their assumptions that are not rejected or changed unless rather firm and extensive evidence forces them to reconsider the analysis.
Hence, the impact of pre- existing assumptions and expectations on perception of inputs leads to the ambiguity of the inputs and results in dissonance.
The company’s analysts own pre- conceptions exert a big impact, despite striving for objectivity.
Corporate Risks deals with such highly ambiguous situations as here analysts suspend the pre- existing notions for as long as possible and efficiently extract and analyze valid information from the information emissions in the environment.
In intelligence, we need to join the dots. So how can we join the dots?
We need to separate information from white noise. White noise is like quick sand, the more we delve into it without being focused results in organization seeing an incorrect picture. The problems in data extraction may present a different picture because of the ability or inability of the operator who is gathering information.
We need to strike a balance between what we want to achieve and what the information reflects.
Written on June 28th, 2010 by Rishabha Singh Rathoreno shouts
Lack of information sharing by the federal authorities with the state and law enforcement agencies brought out a gap wherein individual interest was sought out rather than collective efforts to synthesize the information. A major fatality of this disconnect was 9/11.
A need to synthesize information across federal, state and local jurisdiction became imperative. So to bridge an important aspect of intelligence sharing; provisioning of actionable intelligence be shared at all levels gave birth to Fusion Centers: As an Additional Organization in Intelligence Community- a Vibrant Component of National Security
“Effective Terrorism – related prevention , protection , preparedness , response and recovery efforts depend on timely , accurate and actionable information about whom the enemies are , where and how they operate , how they are supported , the targets the enemies intend to attack , and the method of attack they intend to use.”[1]
Before 9/11, intelligence community played a major role in fighting against terrorism with minimal involvement from the state and local law enforcement agencies.
“The concept of intelligence /information fusion has emerged as the fundamental process to facilitate the sharing of homeland security related information and intelligence at a national level, and, therefore, has become a guiding principle in defining the ISE.”[2]
The skeleton of Intelligence fusion center would be in purview of Traditional Intelligence cycle so the actionable intelligence could be determined for the creditability of a potential threat and regularly review the security vulnerability in the state and local region in coordination with the federal agencies.
With actionable intelligence in hand, the intelligence agencies can provide basket of intelligence products for the ease of decision makers for punitive strike against any threat at any state of emergency.
There are multiple fusion centers across different states with their minimum requirement. To highlight the mission of Fusion Centers; Terrorism Early Warning Center, Los Angeles, California will find a same chord among the agencies at federal or State or Local Law Enforcement Agencies.
Mission of Terrorism Early Warning (TEW) Center, Los Angeles, California:
The TEW is charged with being the focal point for ;
“analyzing the strategic and operational information needed to respond to and combat terrorism and protect critical infrastructure.”[3]
It is monitoring of environment external and internal to the state for any potential threat which may result in catastrophic effect. The creditability and evaluation of information would depend upon open source information in relevance to a target value. It establishes a concurrence of alarms and response mechanism for a punitive mitigation of threat at various levels. In case of emergency a more effective and directive approach can maximize the advantage against the potential terrorist attacks.
“The TEW also works to identify precursor events when assessing trends and potentials, with a focus on prevention and mitigation”[4]
Fusion center embodies the core collaboration among different stakeholders to become an effective tool to enhance information and intelligence sharing.
Evaluations of the recent activities of this intelligence organization by;
- Influence on Government[5]: An Increase in partnerships with Federal agencies with the state fusion centers would result in an increased risk of mismatch between Federal and state government. The U.S. Constitution acknowledges a delicate balance between Federal and state governments, which helps to prevent the accumulation of excessive power in either the States or our central government.
- Information is accessed, used, and shared between Federal, state and a local official has civil liberties implications. To help ensure protection of civil liberties during the course of information sharing, A need of specific training on Criminal Intelligence Systems Operating Policies, Intelligence Oversight and Information Handling, and civil liberties and privacy standards training provided by the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Chief Privacy Officer.
- Redress centers are deployed in various agencies towards justification and penalization of any misuse of civil liberties.
- Incorporating various agencies, departments would foster relationship and communication. The integration process would increase the efficiency and provide a framework to increase the efficiency
Future of Fusion Center:
Fusion center would help in reducing the gap among different intelligence agencies and provide a fully functional and integrated intelligence network working in multi leveled coordination mechanism.
A set of new organization and new networks would extensively increase the operational excellence of intelligence via intensive training, improved social network analysis, and, interdisciplinary and improved interagency collaboration at the state and federal levels and resulting in recognize the rising potential threat and groups.
Harman’s comments at April’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing that
“It is unlikely that the next President, DHS, the FBI, or the wider Intelligence Community will prevent the next terrorist attack. Instead, a diligent police or sheriffs’ officer somewhere in America – during the course of his or her daily work – will see something or someone out of place, and guided by timely, accurate and actionable information, will connect the dots that will unravel a plot in-the-making.”
Fusion centers are force multipliers. They leverage financial resources and the expertise of numerous public safety partners to increase information awareness and help our law enforcement agencies more effectively protect our communities.
This enables states and localities to better utilize limited financial resources to make effective, risk-based decisions about public safety matters and mitigate threats to the homeland.
[1] Gilmore Commission “Fourth Annual Report to the President and Congress,” White House Office of the Press Secretary, December 15, 2002:3.
[2] United States Department Of homeland Security, “Presidential Directive (HSPD) #8.” White House Office of the Press Secretary, December 17, 2003: paragraph ©.
[3] U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness,2005
[4] James P Royal ( Sergeant , Los Angeles police Department ), Los Angeles , Ca., February 16 , 2005
[5] Civil Liberties Impact Assessment, DHS
Human beings are psychologically isolated, like an experiment with animals in cages, when they are placed in a ‘locked in’ security environment. Without frequent supervision to ‘open the door’ and refresh the air, make personal contact and inspection, the quality or awareness of security personnel tends to deteriorate. Behavior that people would not normally express in an open office environment comes out in a closed or ‘private’ cell. Too often security is allowed to become a ‘closed shop’ where aberrant behavior plays uncontrolled. People have social inhibitions in order to interact and do tasks best; when people are confined in an area, behavior can fall to the lowest common denominator. The same in prisons, in restricted areas, in homes, in zoos. Public or business behavior is not the same as Private behavior. What a security involved organization wants is for its staff’s Public behavior to continue unchanged when in a private environment but still engaged there by their employer to carry out tasks.
People’s mental and emotional cycles influence each other: humor, alertness, grumpiness, seriousness. A grouchy or feared boss is avoided and communications kept at minimum; with poor communications, problems that arise are hidden and are not expediently dealt with. On a separate subject, when in a group, the menstrual cycles of females tend to converge to be the same after long periods of time spent together. In a team, everyone influences everyone else, even if only subtly. In security people get slack, their clothing can lose neatness as does their mind, hygiene can deteriorate, the office can become untidy and littered, the standard of conversation morally decline. Who doesn’t wash up used crockery? Boredom, just as is the case with caged zoo animals, finds a sexual outlet: in the case of humans, pornography can be sought on the internet or from magazines. These may just be expressions of trying to stay alert and interested over long periods of time, however they also show a lack of self control. Security is all about having self control as it is only by having that ability and extending it, can control be efficiently achieved over an external environment.
As has been found beneficial to the running of an office, so in security, it is a good idea to have in every team at least one person who has a useful invigorating ability such as: an outgoing personality; doesn’t get bored; has a healthy sense of humor; someone who is alert; someone who is serious about their job. They are like air-conditioning to a stuffy room. Alertness to danger is one of the spin-off abilities that is gained from martial arts training. The mindset of all security personnel, even those who are armchair intellectuals could benefit from some encouragement to engage in martial arts training.
I am not in favor of banning security personnel from using the internet; banned due to the possibility that they may misuse the internet. Somewhere along the line you need to trust security as their role is to watch and protect: so that sufficient trust exists and business can confidently proceed at maximum efficiency, with the working ability to keep low the number of natural crises and malevolent intrusions.
If clients are international, they may for instance, happen to vote or make choices that infuriate terrorists. Suddenly from being under no known threat, your client is in serious danger of being attacked. Security staff can know this immediately from internet news and take the appropriate actions. It they are not on the net they are in the dark and reliant on information coming through the usual channels, slow and uncertain. Maybe too slow to help their newly endangered client.
To function, security should have no restrictions on information input and definite restrictions on information output, which they themselves should have the ability and desire to police, and they are paid for that. Incompetent security staff should be replaced. Their incompetency known from random inspections: so random inspectors are a required role. Organizations have security or internal police, but, as Nero might have, or should have in his case, asked: Who guards the guards? Money must also be spent on inspectors of those ‘guards’ or security office staff. Guards are guardians, they require self motivation and self control. Without such qualities of character, they are in the wrong job and should be identified early for removal before they do too much damage from crises that they do not meet adequately as expected, or from crises that they themselves cause.
Macro Risks of Globalisation [ Domino Effect ]
1. Retrenchment from globalisation
2. Oil & Gas spike
3. Infectious diseases in the Developing world
3. Trans-national crime and corruption
4. Chronic diseases of the Developed world
5. Middle East instability
6. Heatwaves and droughts
7. Natural catastrophe : cyclone, earthquake, extreme inland flooding
8. Interstate and civil wars
9. Fiscal crisis in advanced economies
10. Food insecurity
11. Failed and failing states
12. International Terrorism
13. Loss of fresh water
14. Collapse of NPT
15. Emergence of Nanotechnology risks
16. Extreme climate change
17 Liability regimes
18. etc.,
www.corporaterisks.info
Advisor, Corporate Risks
riskmitigator@yahoo.com
Assistant Professor, MBA Competitive Intelligence & Corporate Warfare program
Key Success Factors for Future Competitive Success
Key Success Factors [KSFs] could be:
1. Product attributes
2. Competencies
3. Competitive capabilities
4. Market achievements
Having greatest impact on future competitive success in the markets.
1. It could be technological expertise or scientific research in high technology industries such as pharmaceuticals or telecommunications.
2. It could be proven ability of an organisation to develop its production process where new emerging technology results in the organisation attaining higher manufacturing efficiency and achieve reduced production costs.
3. It could be an ability of an organisation to achieve economies of scale and through learning curve effects.
4. It could be quality control expertise
5. It could be high utilisation of fixed assets
6. It could be access to skilled workforce
7. It could be higer labor productivity
8. It could be achieving lower costs in product design and engineering
9. It could be an ability of an organisation to provide tailor made solutions.
10. It could be a strong distribution network
11. It could be strong sales and marketing capability of an organisation
12. It could be depth in organisation’s product line or product selection
13. It could be its brand name
14. It could be its timely technical assistance to customers
15. It could be customer service
16. It could be product innovation capability
17. It could be design expertise
18. It could be quicker delivery time capability
19. It could be logistics and supply chain management capability
20. It could be strong e-commerce capability
21. It could be suitable locations
22. It could be patent protection.
These are some of the Key Success Factors on which the future competitive success of an organisation depends.
www.corporaterisks.info
Advisor, Corporate Risks
riskmitigator@yahoo.com
Assistant Professor, MBA Competitive Intelligence & Corporate Warfare program
STRATEGIC INFLECTION POINTS – PERFUME
1. L’heure bleue – 1912
Blend of roses, irises, vanilla and musk.
Positioned as Romantic perfume.
The Baccarat glass bottle reflects this romanitcism. Art Nouveau swirls at the shoulders of the bottle and delicately drawn label, the design suggests sensuality.
2. Chanel No 5 – 1921
Remains the essence of Simplicity.
It is square, with a plain wedge stopper and a minimal white label.
9 stages involved in sealing the fragrance in the bottle, including the placement of the wax-drawn CC at the neck.
3. Zenobia – 1924
The design of this bottle is resonant of nostalgia for the 19th century.
Every element is intended to suggest a sweet, natural, floral fragrance, from a rather syrupy name, Sweet Pea Blossom, to the combination of pastel colors used on the label and the pink bow tied around the neck of the bottle.
4. Jabat – 1939
The stopper is finished in the shape of a knotted bow and the base of the bottle resembles the skirts of a petticoat fanned out across the floor.
5. Jean Paul Gaultier – 1993
The perfume is moulded in the shape of a woman’s torso, pinched and pushed into shape by a corset.
6. DNA – 1993
The bottle is shaped like the double helix form of DNA.
www.corporaterisks.info
Advisor, Corporate Risks
riskmitigator@yahoo.com
Assistant Professor, MBA Competitive Intelligence & Corporate Warfare program
Strategic Inflection Points – Cars
Few things map the development of design better than a car.
1. De Dion – Bouton Model Q – 1903
2. Model T Ford – 1908
3. Rolls Royce 40/50 – 1907
4. Citroen Traction Avant – 1934
5. Auburn 851 Speedster – 1935
6. Volkswagen Beetle – 1939
7. Citroen 2CV – 1948
8. Bentley R-type Continental – 1952
9. Mercedes – Benz 300SL – 1954
10. Fiat 500 – 1957
11. Buick Roadmaster – 1957
12. Cadillac Eldorado Convertible – 1959
13. Chevrolet Impala – 1960
14. Citroen DS – 1960
15. E-Type Jaguar – 1961
16. Volvo P1 800 – 1961
17. Porche 911 – 1963
18. Ford Mustang – 1964
19. Pontiac GTO – 1964
20. Ferrari Dino 246GT – 1969
21. Mazda RX7 – 1978
22. Volkswagen Golf GTi – 1976
23. Audi Quattro Sport – 1983
24. Renault Espace – 1984
25. Ford Ka – 1999
www.corporaterisks.info
Advisor, Corporate Risks
riskmitigator@yahoo.com
Assistant Professor, MBA Competitive Intelligence & Corporate Warfare program
Strategic Inflection Points – Wristwatches
1. Oris Big Crown – 1910s
2. Waltham – 1920
3. Cocktail watch – 1930
4. Bulova Accutron – 1960
5. Oyster Perpetual – 1965
6. Speedmaster – 1969
7. Lasser digital – 1970s
8. Gold watch – 1970s
9. Casio digital – 1990s
10. Seiko Kinetic – 1990s
11. Omega Seamaster – 1995
www.corporaterisks.info
Advisor, Corporate Risks
riskmitigator@yahoo.com
Assistant Professor, MBA Competitive Intelligence & Corporate Warfare program
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