Building a Sustainable Companywide Intelligence Network

Transcription

1 THINK TANK FIVE: COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE AND MARKET RESEARCH GIL 2012: SILICON VALLEY Building a Sustainable Companywide Intelligence Network FEATURING Cintas DAN GOLDENBERG Global Vice President, Growth Partnership Strategy Frost & Sullivan Dan.Goldenberg@frost.com

2 Agenda TIME CONTENT 9:45 Business Intelligence Project Prioritization System A case-based best practice presentation on how the EITS Division of L-3 developed a system to prioritize its BI (market research and ) project portfolio, allocate resources, and reduce redundant requests. FACILITATOR: Dan Goldenberg, Global Vice President, Growth Partnership Strategy, Frost & Sullivan 10:45 Building a Sustainable Companywide Intelligence Network A case-based best practice presentation on how Cintas created a self-sustaining (CI) network that involves the entire workforce. FACILITATOR: Dan Goldenberg, Global Vice President, Growth Partnership Strategy, Frost & Sullivan CO-FACILITATOR: Troy Pfeffer, Competitive Intelligence Director, Cintas 2

3 The Growth Team Membership (GTM) GTM is a subscription program that supports executives within the functions that report to the CEO CEO s Growth Team GTM provides best practices, events, and services that enable executives to address challenges within their companies GTM: Creating Client Value GTM s case-based best practices help executives: R&D/ Innovation Corporate Strategy Sales Leadership Speed the design and implementation of initiatives by not reinventing the wheel Marketing CEO Corporate Development Save money and reduce risk by avoiding mistakes made by other companies Investors/ Finance Competitive Intelligence Competitive Intelligence Market Research Market Research Accelerate problem-solving with a cross industry perspective Improve their functions and companies performance and productivity 3

4 Profiled Best Practice Company Firm: Industry: Headquarters: Geographic Footprint: Ownership: Revenue (2011): Cintas Business Services Cincinnati, Ohio, United States Global Public $3.8 billion USD 4

5 Growth Challenge Problem: Cintas must optimize limited resources and harness employees insights to help the company win new business and defend existing accounts. 5

6 Cintas builds a companywide (CI) network to complement its one-person department CI Network Development Process Establish a CI Program Framework Develop a CI Infrastructure Encourage Network Participation Generate Intelligence Shape an Intelligence Portfolio Drive Portal Adoption Determine the current state and future direction of CI Create an integrated, flexible infrastructure Generate awareness of and engagement with the CI program Maximize CI network productivity Create a portfolio of CI deliverables that balances program resources with stakeholder needs Promote portal usage Interview highperforming sales/service representatives Assess sales force CI needs Develop a tiered network Establish an process Create a centralized portal Conduct a CI Roadshow Communicate an Early Win to the C-Suite Focus frontline staff on gathering information Task managers with filtering information Submit key information to the portal Collect formal and informal stakeholder feedback Develop a suite of CI deliverables Limit access to 1,600 leaders Revoke portal privileges for insufficient use Provide customized features 6

7 Scope program needs by learning how front-line employees use Assessing the Current State and Future Direction of CI Determine CI Structure and Focus Capture Existing CI Insights Establish the CI Program s Framework CI Program Mission The program must support revenue generation and serve the sales force as its primary client. Identifying High- Performing Reps The CI Director works with sales/ service managers to identify highperforming reps. Conducting One-On-One Interviews The CI Director interviews highperforming reps. Operational Focus Concentrate on operational insights Sales Force as CI Producer and Consumer Focus on meeting the needs of the primary producers and consumers of Segment the Producers Divide Cintas employees into groups Kick-Start the CI Program Designate CI Champions from the sales force 7

8 Create an integrated infrastructure that capitalizes on stakeholder capabilities but allows for flexibility in their roles CI Infrastructure Attributes Intelligence Network Participants All-Encompassing Intelligence Network CI Director 30,000 Cintas Employees Flexible Intelligence Process Centralized Platform CI Vendor C-Level Executives 1,600 Intelligence Leaders (managerlevel and above) 25 CI Champions The Intelligence Process in Action Collect Analyze Decide Act 8

9 Encourage network participation with a marketing campaign tailored to specific stakeholders CI Network: Driving Awareness and Engagement Primary Target Audience Desired Outcomes Promotional Tactics Buy-In Early Win with C-Suite : Demonstrate top-line value of CI C-Level Executives CI Champions : Create role models for network participation Intelligence Leaders Engagement CI Roadshow : Inform stakeholders about the benefits of CI 30,000 Employees Awareness Branding : Differentiate the CI program from other Cintas initiatives Campaign : Capture employees attention about the new CI program 9

10 Optimize network productivity by focusing on activities connected to members day-to-day responsibilities Aligning CI Role to Position Employees Focus: Intelligence- Gathering Cintas frontline employees: 1. Identify relevant information 2. Collect a high volume of information 3. Submit competitor information to their managers or the Lock Box The Lock Box Cintas provides locked bins at 275 locations. Employees submit information, and managers review contents monthly. Managers Focus: Value-Added Analysis Sales, service, and general managers: 1. Prioritize submitted competitor information 2. Add context and/or analysis 3. Seek out Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) CI Vendor s Focus: Synthesizing Public Information Cintas works with a CI vendor, responsible for collecting, filtering, and disseminating public information. Intelligence Portal Intelligence Portal Submission Criteria Does the information address a key competitor or CI topic? Is the information potentially actionable? How credible is the information? 10

11 Create deliverables that balance CI program resources with stakeholder needs CI Program Capacity As a one-person function, the CI Director recognizes that he must maximize internal and external resources in creating an deliverables portfolio. CI Portfolio Development The CI Director synthesizes portal information and incorporates stakeholder feedback to develop and refine deliverables. CI Director Dedicated Resources CI Vendor Part-Time Resources Intelligence Leaders/SMEs Stakeholder Needs Marketplace pulse Competitor understanding Deliverable Frequency Required Daily Monthly Required Resources CI vendor CI Director, vendor, leaders/smes Deliverables Daily Intelligence Report Intelligence Monthly Report Capability: Ability to synthesize key internal and external insights Capability: Ability to monitor and synthesize daily public marketplace and competitor developments Capability: Hands-on understanding of competitor and marketplace trends Trend monitoring Customized research Quarterly/ Semi- Annually As needed CI Director, vendor, leaders/smes CI Director Quarterly Business Trends Intelligence Report Semi-Annual Competitive Intelligence Trend Report Competitor Deep Dives Customized Reports 11

12 Drive portal adoption by limiting access and promoting accountability Challenges in Driving Portal Usage Motivating Portal Usage Prior to launching the portal, the CI Director solicits input from external CI peers; this input helps him avoid common challenges, such as: Exclusivity Intelligence portal access is limited to the 1,600 leaders Protection of sensitive insights Ownership Employees generate much of the portal s information Low-utility information and limited personal stake in portal information No consequences for low usage CI Director Vendor Accountability Leaders are responsible for sharing relevant Usage can be monitored by leaders peers Leaders access will be revoked if they do not add content to the portal at least every three months Customization Limited customization for different users Portal users receive customized notifications Users portal dashboards can be tailored to their interests 12

13 Business Results Percentage of Members Intelligence Network Portal Contributions 100% 50% ( ) 34% 67% Months Competitive Activity Response Rate ( ) % 0% Year Year Sales Efficiency (Illustrative) ( ) Efficiency 2 1 x 50% 0.5 x Cintas network has provided important developments to our executive team, better preparing them for analyst discussions Year President, Document Management, Cintas 13

14 GTM Members can access the full 11-page Best Practice Guidebook growth team m e m b e r s h i p growth team m e m b e r s h i p best practice guidebook growth team m e m b e r s h i p Best Practice Guidebook 1 best practice guidebook 2 3 Cintas builds a companywide (CI) Building a Sustainable Companywide Network network to complement itsintelligence one-person department key takeaway: Scope program needs by learning how front-line employees use CI Network Development The CI Director evaluates existing CI efforts and program needs by conducting Process cross-company interviews of leading sales and service representatives guidebook summary Develop a Download the complete implications of a one-person Establish a CI Encourage Network Generate ci function Shape an Drive Portal Program Framework CI Network Intelligence Adoption A one-person CI function necessitates the creation of anparticipation employee CI network. By limiting the size of CI to Intelligence a Director Portfolio role, consumers must share Best Practice Guidebook Firm: Cintas information in order to receive information (i.e., become producers). By involving every employee in the process, Cintas can capture explicit and tacit Industry: Business Services and foster an -focused culture that will define the entire organization. at your Growth Team Headquarters: Cincinnati, United on States Promote Determine the current Ohio,Capitalize varying Generate awareness of Maximize CI network Create a portfolio of portal usage state and Footprint: future and engagement with productivity CI deliverables that Membership client portal. Geographic Global stakeholder capabilities direction of CI and needs the CI program balances program Assessing the Current State and Future Direction of CI Ownership: Public resources with The Guidebook includes: stakeholder needs Revenue (2011): $3.8 billion USD Full content and guidance Determine CI Structure and Focus CI Insights Establish the CI Program s Framework Capture Existing Problem: Business Results: Interview high Create a multi Conduct a CI Focus frontline Collect formal Limit portal Cintas must optimize limited resources and harness employees Improved response rates to activity Key Lessons Learned performing level Roadshow employees on and informal access to 1,600 insights to help the to company win new business sales efficiency Increased sales/service network gathering relevant stakeholder leaders CommunicateIdentifying an Operational Focus CIexisting Program Mission High-Performing Reps and defend accounts. Tools and Resources representatives produce and feedback and communication Enhanced internal best practice-sharing Early Win to the Feature employee-insights, Concentrate on operational Theare program must support revenue generation and who using CI consume information C-Suite Develop a suite of content Solution:effectively The CI Director works with sales/service managers Section as opposed to strategic generated ones, as sales/service serve the sales force as its primary client.insights Resources Required: Task managers with CI deliverables to identify Cintas builds a self-sustaining (CI) network that high-performing reps who demonstrate Revoke portal reps need that information to help defend or Full-time CIinformation Director Assess sales force filtering consistent success in selling or defending their privileges pursue accounts on a daily basis for involves CI theneeds entire workforce. This program includes: and adding Resources CI vendor product/service against a specific competitor. insufficient activity Acquiring a bottom-up perspective on existing CI usage to establish insights Sales Force as CI Producer and Consumer A single CI Engage the entire Customized portal Provide customized the program s framework Submit key Director to Cintas workforce Focus on meeting the needs of the primary features Developing a companywide CI network that capitalizes on information the Applicability of BesttoPractice to Executiveproducers Functions:and consumers of develop and to help generate Conducting One-On-One Interviews portal stakeholder capabilities and tacit knowledge oversee Cintas and captures the explicit Function Applicability CI network processesproductivity by Maximizing CI roles to day-to-day Tapaligning the The CI Director interviews high-performing Competitive Intelligence reps to Output Segment the Producers Output Output Output Output Output responsibilities One vendor gain insight into their use of CI. Questions include: Divide into groups with to focusofonand insights of Cintas 30,000 Improved response An array of Cintas employees Relevant and Establishment the participation A companywide Active companywide Sales Leadership Driving awareness among employees What kind of actionable information is most different CI roles basedtimes on capacity and publiclymarketing available campaign successful sales to competitor deliverables and network CI participation withcia structure tailored capabilities and service reps activities that address key focus at leastvaluable 20% to you? Creating information deliverables that balance CI program resources gaps of What are Cintas unique information advantages Increased sales Kick-Start the CI Program with stakeholder needs leadersagainst regularly Competitor A, B, and C? force efficiency content Designate CI Champions from the Driving network usage of a customized portal contributing How do you win/defend business? to an sales force to galvanize the CI program How do you prefer to access portal? Note: Definition of Competitive Intelligence The continuous monitoring of a company s environment to identify, analyze, and disseminate on opportunities and threats. How often do you search for Source: Cintas; information? 14 Source: Cintas;