Definition and Purpose of 1. Enterprise Research

Enterprise research is a process of systematically collecting, analyzing and utilizing competitive intelligence, which refers to any information related to the benchmarking enterprise, including its products, price, market share, marketing strategy, financial situation, innovation ability, organizational structure, human resources, culture, values, vision, goals, etc. The purpose of corporate research is to help organizations understand their position in the competitive environment, assess their strengths and weaknesses, identify potential opportunities and threats, develop effective strategies and action plans, and enhance their competitiveness and profitability.

The importance of enterprise research is that it can help enterprises achieve the following objectives:

Improve market sensitivity, timely identify and seize market changes and demand opportunities, to avoid benchmarking enterprises to seize the opportunity or lag behind the market development;

Improve strategic flexibility, adjust their strategies and actions in time according to the behavior and trends of benchmarking enterprises, and enhance their competitive advantages or reduce their competitive disadvantages;

Improve the innovation ability, find their own shortcomings and room for improvement through the analysis of the products, services, technologies, processes and models of benchmarking enterprises, stimulate their own innovative thinking and actions, and improve their product quality and service level;

Improve risk management capabilities, through the analysis of the financial situation, legal issues, social responsibility, reputation, etc. of the benchmarking enterprise, predict the strength of the benchmarking enterprise changes and possible crises, formulate emergency plans and countermeasures, reduce their own risk exposure and losses.

The Process and Method of 2. Enterprise Research

The process of enterprise research generally includes the following five steps:

Determine benchmarking enterprises: benchmarking enterprises refer to enterprises that provide the same or similar products or services, meet the same or similar customer needs, and compete for the same or similar market share in the same market or industry. For example, according to the substitutability of products or services, benchmarking enterprises are divided into direct benchmarking enterprises, indirect benchmarking enterprises and potential benchmarking enterprises. According to the division of the market, benchmarking enterprises are divided into overall benchmarking enterprises, subdivided benchmarking enterprises and regional benchmarking enterprises. According to the evaluation of competitiveness, benchmarking enterprises are divided into major benchmarking enterprises, minor benchmarking enterprises and marginal benchmarking enterprises. The purpose of determining benchmarking enterprises is to narrow the scope of enterprise research, select the most important and influential benchmarking enterprises as the object of research, and avoid wasting time and resources on irrelevant or unimportant benchmarking enterprises.

Collecting Benchmark Enterprise Information: Benchmark enterprise information refers to any data, facts, perspectives, evaluations, forecasts, and other materials related to benchmark enterprises. Such information can be obtained from a wide variety of channels and sources, including public and private, formal and informal, proactive and reactive, internal and external, among others. There are many ways to collect information about benchmarking enterprises, for example, using the Internet, databases, newspapers, magazines, books, reports, papers, etc. to obtain public information; Using surveys, surveys, observations, experiments, tests, simulations, etc. to obtain non-public information; Using customers, suppliers, distributors, partners, employees, former employees, industry associations, government agencies, experts, media, benchmarking enterprises themselves and other sources of access to information. The purpose of collecting information on benchmark enterprises is to obtain as much accurate, timely, useful, and lawful information as possible, thereby providing a robust data foundation and evidence base for subsequent analysis and evaluation.

Analyzing the information of benchmarking enterprises: the information analysis of benchmarking enterprises refers to the collation, induction, classification, comparison, explanation and evaluation of the collected information of benchmarking enterprises, so as to extract the characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, strategic intentions, future behaviors, etc. There are many ways to analyze the information of benchmarking enterprises. For example, SWOT analysis is used to evaluate the advantages, disadvantages, opportunities and threats of benchmarking enterprises. Using the five-force model to evaluate the competition degree, attractiveness and profitability of the industry in which benchmarking enterprises are located; Using value chain analysis to evaluate the core competitiveness, cost structure and profit source of benchmarking enterprises; Using strategic group analysis to evaluate the strategic positioning and target market of benchmarking enterprises, competition mode. The purpose of analyzing the information of benchmarking enterprises is to extract valuable, meaningful and enlightening information from a large amount of complex and chaotic information.

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses and strategic intentions of benchmarking companies: The evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of benchmarking companies refers to comparing and judging the performance and capabilities of benchmarking companies in all aspects, and determining the strengths and weaknesses of benchmarking companies relative to themselves, as well as the core competitiveness of benchmarking companies And weaknesses. The strategic intention assessment of the benchmarking enterprise refers to the analysis and inference of the benchmarking enterprise's goals, vision, values, strategic choices, action plans, etc., and determines the strategic direction, focus, priority, motivation, logic, etc. of the benchmarking enterprise. There are many ways to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages and strategic intention of benchmarking enterprises, for example, using the competitive advantage matrix to evaluate the market share, growth rate, profit margin, customer satisfaction, brand awareness, product quality, service level, innovation ability, cost efficiency, etc. of benchmarking enterprises; using the strategic map to evaluate the financial objectives, customer objectives, internal process objectives, learning and growth objectives of benchmarking enterprises, and corresponding strategic measures and indicators. The purpose of evaluating the strengths and weaknesses and strategic intentions of benchmarking enterprises is to objectively understand and evaluate the strength and intentions of benchmarking enterprises from their own perspective, and to provide reference and basis for subsequent prediction and response.

Predict the future behavior of benchmarking enterprises: the prediction of the future behavior of benchmarking enterprises refers to the prediction and estimation of the actions and measures that benchmarking enterprises may take in a period of time in the future, including the markets that benchmarking enterprises may enter or withdraw, the products or services that they may launch or withdraw, the price or promotion strategy that they adjust or change, the scale or scope of expansion or contraction, and the partners or objects of cooperation or competition, A rule or law, etc., observed or violated. There are many ways to predict the future behavior of benchmarking enterprises, for example, using scenario analysis, constructing different scenarios according to different assumptions and conditions, and analyzing the possible behavior and results of benchmarking enterprises under each scenario; Using trend analysis, according to the historical data and current situation of benchmarking enterprises, analyzing the development trend and change law of benchmarking enterprises, and predicting the future performance and level of benchmarking enterprises; Using game analysis, according to the interests and preferences of benchmarking enterprises, the decision-making model and behavior strategy of benchmarking enterprises are analyzed, and the optimal choice and reaction of benchmarking enterprises are predicted. The purpose of predicting the future behavior of benchmarking companies is to proactively predict and estimate the actions and impacts of benchmarking companies from a future perspective, and to provide a basis and direction for subsequent responses and countermeasures.

Formulate coping strategies: coping strategies refer to the advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises, strategic intentions, future behaviors, etc., and formulate corresponding strategies and action plans to achieve their own goals and interests. There are many ways to formulate coping strategies. For example, using Porter's competitive strategy, according to their competitive advantages, choose cost leadership, differentiation, or centralization strategies to improve their market share, profit margin, or loyalty; using Ansoff's product-market matrix, according to the current situation and development of their products and markets, choose penetration, development, diversification, or differentiation strategies, to improve their product quality, service level, market coverage, or customer satisfaction; to use blue ocean strategy, according to their ability to innovate, choose to create, reshape, expand, or protect the strategy to improve their competitiveness, value, cost, or risk. The purpose of developing coping strategies is to develop and implement effective strategies and actions in a targeted manner in order to achieve one's own goals and interests.

3. Champ Consulting's expertise and experience in corporate research

Shangpu Consulting is a professional management consulting company, providing consulting services in strategy, operation, organization, human resources, market, finance, etc. to help customers improve their performance, enhance their competitiveness and achieve sustainable development. Champu Consulting has a wealth of expertise and experience in corporate research, providing customers with the following services:

Planning and design of enterprise research: According to the needs and objectives of customers, Shangpu Consulting formulates the purpose, scope, object, method, time, budget, etc. of enterprise research, and provides customers with clear plans and programs of enterprise research.

Collection and analysis of benchmarking enterprise information: Shangpu Consulting uses its own professional team, powerful network, extensive resources and efficient tools to collect and analyze a large number of accurate, timely, useful and legal benchmarking enterprise information for customers, and provide customers with comprehensive reporting and presentation of benchmarking enterprise information.

Evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses and strategic intentions of benchmarking enterprises: Shangpu Consulting uses its own professional knowledge, rich experience, and advanced models to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses and strategic intentions of benchmarking enterprises for customers, and provide customers with in-depth analysis and explanation of the strengths and weaknesses and strategic intentions of benchmarking enterprises.

Prediction of the future behavior of benchmarking enterprises: Shangpu Consulting uses its professional skills, innovative thinking and scientific methods to predict the future behavior of benchmarking enterprises for customers and provide reliable prediction and estimation of the future behavior of benchmarking enterprises for customers.

Formulation and implementation of coping strategies: Champ Consulting formulates and implements coping strategies for customers according to their goals and interests, and provides suggestions and support for effective coping strategies for customers.

Learning Resources and References 4. Enterprise Research

Enterprise research is a discipline with both theory and practice, which needs to constantly learn and update knowledge, improve skills and accumulate experience. In order to help interested readers improve their ability and level of enterprise research, this article recommends the following learning resources and references:

Books: Benchmarking Enterprise Intelligence Analysis (Craig S. Fleisher, Babette E. Bensoussan, Mechanical Industry Press), Benchmarking Enterprise Analysis: Strategic Thinking and Action (Liam Fahey, Hugh Courtney, Mechanical Industry Press), Benchmarking Enterprise Intelligence: How to Obtain Information from Benchmarking Enterprises and Use It (Leonard M. Fuld, translated by Renmin University of China Press), etc.

Journals: Journal of Competitive Intelligence (Competitive Intelligence Magazine), Competitive Intelligence Review (Competitive Intelligence Review), Quarterly Journal of the Association of Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP Quarterly), etc.

Websites: Association of Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals (Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals), International Competitive Intelligence Association (International Association for Intelligence Education), Competitive Intelligence Academy (Academy of Competitive Intelligence), etc.

Courses: Benchmarking Enterprise Intelligence Analysis (Coursera), Benchmarking Enterprise Analysis (edX), Benchmarking Enterprise Intelligence (Udemy), etc.