Archives for October 2015

1. Web page

It seems obvious, but one of the places where we can find most information about a competitor is the official website. We should monitor the news section or the blog where they update the content, track the products they offer, features, prices (if present), etc. Moreover, it is a good place to detect if that competitor is present in social networks and have direct links to such accounts.

2. Social networks

Nowadays, organizations have a huge need to be present in social networks, as it is one of the main ways to “make noise” and attract potential customers. Also, if the organization wants to position itself as an expert in their industry, they must generate enough content to demonstrate their knowledge and worth.

3. Patents (Espacenet, WIPO, Google Patents…)

Patents are a very reliable information source about technological developments being implemented by competitors. In addition to specific developments, they offer a glimpse of the direction it is taking technologically.

4. European projects, public financing programs (CORDIS…)

In case that the organization to monitor participates in European projects or other public funding programs, you can find information about subsidies that have been granted, project themes and institutions with which they collaborate.

5. Identify “key” people of the organization and seek talks, conferences, publications…

Knowing who the key people of our competitor are, both at technological and commercial level, can lead to detect information that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. For example, it may happen that a patent does not include the name of the competitor, but if we know the name of technological leaders in our competitor, we can detect interesting patents. Another example is to detect congresses, conferences, lectures or publications in which these people are involved.

6. Knowing where and to whom they sell

There are tools on the market (usually not free) that, monitoring the movements on ports and duty offices, are able to detect the movements of competitors in different countries. So, you can know in which countries and to which organizations your competitors sell their products.

7. Monitor their suppliers

If we know what the main suppliers of a competitor are, we can anticipate basing on their movements. Its situation, sales, movements, etc. can help us envision how their relationship with our competitor evolves.

8. Get fiscal information

There are multiple tools that offer information about taxation and other aspects of business, based on data from business registers. Thus, we can know the incomes of a competitor, how many people they have on staff or the evolution of these data.

If you want to monitor your competitors and do not know how, you can contact us and we will help you. Also, you can try a professional software like INNGUMA for free requesting a demo.

Support – Quick response to incidents and doubts that may arise

No matter how well made software is there may be problems in some of its features or plugins. A quick response in these cases is essential as when our tool fails the world does not stop and the information keeps being generated. It is therefore important that the provider attends notices or claims and fixes problems soon. It must also be willing to clarify any doubts that may arise regarding the operation of the tool, leading the technical aspects understandable to the client’s level.

Updates – Enhancements and new features continuously

Software that does not evolve is software likely to die. The disciplines used on a CI tool (such as Big Data, text mining, semantic analysis, etc.) are fields that are constantly evolving, so that developments become obsolete soon. Knowing the state of the art of these disciplines and having its own development team are essential to maintaining a competitive and adequate to modern requirements tool.

Maintenance – Performing invisible tasks to improve system performance

A CI tool has to generate a lot of content, the databases are filled, and the more users generate more traffic … Therefore, the preventive maintenance tasks that are invisible to the user, are essential for the system to maintain fluency.

Accessibility – Continuous access the system without server crashes

Whether it is a cloud based solution as if it is in the client server, the CI tool must be always accessible. There must be the necessary mechanisms so that if the server falls, it has alternatives until the problem is solved.

Suggestions – Acceptance of suggestions for improvement and the development of new features

A good provider should have a product roadmap with its development in the short, medium and long term, but should also be open to the needs and suggestions of its customers. Therefore, the provider should consider the submitted proposals, although it may not always carry them out.

Customization – Being able to customize the tool to the client’s needs

Each organization has its own needs, so one solution is not always adequate for everyone. Therefore, the supplier must be open to make changes to the tool to meet customer requirements, both aesthetically and functionality.

If your provider does not provide you all these services, perhaps you should think about changing. If you have any questions, you can contact us and we will help you. Also, you can try a professional software like INNGUMA for free requesting a demo.