Competitive intelligence in business process engineering: II Study at digital equipment corporation

Abstract

AbstractBusinesses undergoing reengineering efforts must rely on analytical data and management insight to design and implement processes that most effectively address market needs. These design efforts require endorsement and support by the most senior management and require a fundamentally different approach to market success than past business models and information would dictate. Therefore, competitive and externally‐generated analysis is key to understanding the opportunities, risks, and potential investment profiles that will move a changing organization toward competitive advantage in dynamic markets. This article references a reengineering design process successfully implemented within Digital Equipment Corporation's Computer Systems Division in 1994–1995. In moving from a functional to a product‐oriented business model, Digital employed competitive intelligence (CI) to analyze and evaluate new organizational designs and business process systems by defined market segments and competitors, and by projecting accepted economic principles. CI research efforts included information on competitive positions, potential shifts in product line positioning, tradeoff scenarios from one system type to another, pro forma investment, and market share analyses. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.