Competitive Intelligence

Personal Statement At present, I am a graduate student at the Information Systems Department with a 3.7 GPA. Over the course of pursuing my master's degree, I have become increasingly aware of the importance of competitive intelligence (CI) in the business world. With this in mind, I have decided to apply to the certification program in CI to enhance my current studies and marketability as an employee once I graduate.

The success of companies such as Google and Apple have proven that knowing what customers want and need -- even if they cannot fully articulate their desires -- is critical to remaining competitive in the new global marketplace. CI as a field enables businesses to analyze and understand what attributes consumers desire in a product or a service in a data-driven and analytic fashion. The organization can then use such information to develop a competitive advantage. CI enables an enterprise to remain 'ahead' of its competitors.

By learning about customers in a manner that transcends the surface and looks beyond the obvious, the organization is able to give superior service and value that likewise goes above and beyond what is currently offered by the market. Simply having good instincts is not enough: strategic decisions must be made in a data-driven fashion. Competitive intelligence is more than merely the gathering of intelligence on competitors, customers, and the market at large.

It is the process of analyzing and understanding what types of data sets useful, and understanding how to use information to create long and short-term goals. This can be a daunting task, given the overwhelming amount of information that is available to analysts. Understanding the tools used in CI in an in-depth fashion is why I seek a deeper understanding of the field.

Studying CI at a graduate level is also required, I believe, because of the ethical questions that often arise in terms of analyzing the information that can be obtained. Merely because information is 'out there,' does it mean it is ethical to use it? Making decisions about the ethics of intelligence-gathering as a process and using intelligence so as not to compromise the values of the organization or the privacy of customers can be challenging.

The information landscape is continually evolving, and to deal with this in a values-based way requires an in-depth discussion with fellow aspiring professionals in the CI field. I seek this in the classroom environment through the process of obtaining my certification. In terms of my future plans and ambitions, in the short-term, I hope to graduate with honors in information systems, along with my certification in CI.

I see myself working for a large, Fortune 500 company and using my expertise to help the company evolve and innovate during this exciting time in the history of business. My long-term goal is to become a Chief Information officer. A CIO must capitalize upon technology and use information to further the goals of.