This work is primarily focused on using Competitive Intelligence (CI) in practice. Its purpose is primarily to use methods CI in a small family business to increase its competitiveness. For this purpose, the work used methods to analyze the information obtained, especially Porter's five forces model and SWOT analysis. These two methods allow analyze the business environment, evaluate its current position and define the competition. In order to increase the competitiveness, the work also analyzed the company website and their competitors, according to predefined criteria, mainly based on generally accepted WCAG 2.0. The contribution of this work in general is a practical demonstration of the possibility of using techniques CI in a small family business. In concrete terms it is mainly the evaluation of individual analyzes carried out, their conclusions and recommendations drawn from it and the "Draft strategy for increasing the competitiveness of businesses." This with the aim to improve the company's market position, enhance its competitiveness and improve its strategic planning. Due to the fact that CI is a theory today already quite well known and described in detail in many scientific studies and articles, in this work is described and defined only very briefly in the second chapter. The main part is devoted to collecting and analyzing information on the industry and competitors and their subsequent evaluation and making recommendations. The penultimate chapter is devoted to design a strategy to increase competitiveness.

This thesis concentrates on Competitive Intelligence which is not well known in the Czech region. On the other hand, it has been a rapidly increasing discipline. The main aim of this thesis is to suggest how to use the methods of Competitive Intelligence in small and medium-sized companies. The theoretical part summarises the terminology of Competitive Intelligence. At first the strategic management is being defined, as it is the basis of practical usage of the Competitive Intelligence methods in companies. The definition of small and medium-sized companies in the Czech business environment is also included in the theoretical part, because the importance of this kind of enterprise constantly grows even in the conditions of the global economics. This part of the thesis is a background research resulting from the available range of the specialized literature and other related sources. The empirical part of the thesis works in detail with the problem of Competitive Intelligence in three retail companies which focus on different business segments. The main aim is to suggest an appropriate solution in the area of monitoring the relevant information resources and other processes of the intelligence cycle. The target company is the one whose information collection and distribution was -- according to the analysis -- considered insufficient. The methods of the analysis include for example Michael Porter's Five Forces Model, SWOT analysis and the analysis of the existing processes of collecting and sharing information in the examined companies. The contribution of this thesis is that it explains the available IT tools and applications which provide systematic monitoring of relevant information sources or collect and distribute information with practical functions responding to demands and needs of MSP. The suggested solution also defines the qualified person responsible for realization of CI processes and it describes the specific activities that the qualified person should perform. The thesis should simplify the process of finding the most appropriate methods in the area of Competitive Intelligence, used in medium-sized and primarily small companies.

This thesis deals with the use of the social Networks for Competitive Intelligence theme in Provident Financial. The main objective of this thesis is to propose the set of recommendations for the effective use of social networking of the company. The recommendations are based on the analysis made for use of social networking by the competitors. The first part of the thesis deals with the issue of the social networking and competitive intelligence. The theoretical part of the thesis explains the social Networks concept and presents the selected Czech and World social Networks and explains the CI concept. The practical part of the thesis presents Provident Financial, the current condition of social networking and company CI. The main competitors are analyzed by the social networking activities. This analysis of the competitors is summarized into one report containing the benchmark ratings. The results of the benchmarking serve as a basis for the set of recommendations for the effective use of social networking of Provident Financial.

The focus of my work will be the company called "Krouzky o. p. s.". I have been working here for the past four years. I will concentrate on their understanding of competition and practices against it. I will explain the concept of CI by breaking it into processes and cycles. I will also provide the needs for CI specialists, who focuses on the competitive intelligence. The practical part will consist of a detailed analysis of the competition. I will use a linked database system Albertina for the data collection. My goal is to compare the competitiveness of companies that exist in the common market. In the decision process I will be using different factors and metrics. I will show all results clearly in form of a table. In the fifth chapter I will focus purely on strategic approaches and methodologies of the company "Krouzky". I will put together a questionnaire for the owner of the company "Krouzky" Mrs. Marie Ruzickova. My questions will be about the perception of competition, analysis of the company, the use of ICT and also identifying the strategic processes and methodologies that the company uses to differentiate itself from the competition. This chapter is a secret part, because Mrs. Ruzickova, the owner and director of the company does not wish to reveal her strategic processes and know-how of the company. As a professional CI specialist I will create a second questionnaire for the employees of the company, to obtain multiple views for myself and based on my findings to be able to make CI recommendations for the company. I will be able to filter out the questionnaires from the employees, from the management personnel. I will also be using freely accessible information available through the public database of commercial companies. My goal is to create a list of the best CI recommendation, based on the obtained data, to allow the company "Krouzky" to be more competitive.

The thesis aims on methods and strategies usable for information retrieval on the internet as we know it today and points at how the requirements on knowledge of end-user and abilities to use different information sources have been changing; in other words it points the increasing demands on information literacy. The document is divided into three parts. The first one briefly provides an introduction to strategies of information retrieval. The second part deals on theoretic basis with tools and information sources for searching on the both surface and deep web. The author also focuses on social web and its special attributes from the searcher's point of view. The third part represents a practical utilization of knowledge from previous parts. Practical part demonstrates on model examples a nature and kind of information we can retrieve from particular resources.

This work analyzes the possibilities of using of Competitive Intelligence in nonprofit organizations and suggests a method of implementation of Competitive Intelligence in the existing nonprofit organization. In the theoretical part I write about the nonprofit sector in the Czech Republic and selected countries of the European Union and I briefly describe the term Competitive Intelligence. In the practical part I use a questionnaire to analyze the possibilities of using of Competitive Intelligence in the nonprofit sector and after that I perform PESTEL and PORTER analyses of the SOS Children's Villages. In the end I use a multi-criteria evaluation to select the best method of the implementation of Competitive Intelligence in the analyzed organization.

The music industry worldwide is rapidly evolving as a result of commercial, technological and demographic developments. The magnitude of the strategic impact of these developments on the South African music industry is evaluated in terms of internal and external factors, such as the intrinsic industry growth levels, ability to adapt to change, the consumer buying power, audio-visual piracy and counterfeiting, literacy, employment and the prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Collected data from public domain and proprietary music industry sources are transformed and presented in terms of the competitiveness of the South African music industry, from which key points for strategic leverage are identified. These key points of strategic leverage include education and training, relevant music industry research, the formalisation of the music industry strategy process and the development of alternative marketing, sales and distribution channels. In comparison to specific benchmark countries, the South African music industry has significant technological and socio-economic challenges and opportunities that need to be addressed in order to become a competitive co-evolutionary participant in the world music industry. South Africa, as an emerging world player, is ideally positioned for the development and implementation of new technological and commercial systems, such as the download distribution channel. This however, requires the collaborative participation of government departments, educational institutions, public and private enterprises. In particular, in-depth research on the local music industry is needed, which should include the collection of relevant statistical data. This study presents suggestions for some strategic interventions, including an application of the Porter DNA-model. / Dissertation (MMus (Music Technology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Music / MMus / unrestricted

A pesquisa realizada teve por objetivo identificar como os principais executivos dos hospitais de Caxias do Sul compreendem o conceito de Inteligência Competitiva (IC) e de que forma vislumbram a utilidade de sua aplicação no segmento hospitalar; além disso, a pesquisa teve o intuito de determinar como os hospitais estudados se preocupam em avaliar o ambiente de negócios e de que forma esta preocupação se concretiza em coleta e análise de informações para a tomada de decisão, com vistas a verificar se podem ser encontradas práticas de IC, mesmo que intuitivas, nos locais pesquisados. Para tanto, partiu-se da definição de IC e de alguns termos relacionados, como monitoramento ambiental e vigília. A pesquisa teve caráter qualitativo exploratório, baseando-se na aplicação de entrevistas individuais em profundidade com os principais executivos de seis dos sete hospitais da cidade. As entrevistas foram analisadas por meio da técnica da análise de conteúdo. Os resultados mostraram diferenças entre os hospitais cujo maior financiador é o Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) e aqueles que dependem prioritariamente das operadoras de planos de saúde, especialmente no que tange ao interesse pelo ambiente de negócios, presente fundamentalmente no segundo grupo. Como fontes para a coleta de informações do ambiente de negócios, os entrevistados destacaram órgãos regulamentadores, classe médica, outras instituições, normas de certificação, clientes e meio acadêmico. Como técnicas de coleta das informações foram mencionadas as visitas, a participação em congressos e cursos e o uso do benchmarking. Mesmo com a utilização intuitiva de alguns dos princípios de IC, a aplicação de seus conceitos e a conquista de seus benefícios foi percebida como incipiente no contexto analisado. Em um cenário caracterizado por grandes preocupações com custos e dificuldades para definir preços que contemplem as necessidades hospitalares, pensa-se que a IC tornar-se-ia grande aliada da gestão ao disponibilizar as informações mais relevantes sobre o ambiente, possibilitando melhor percepção das ações dos movimentos do mercado para a tomada de decisão e a inovação. / This study aimed to identify how the CEOs of the hospitals of Caxias do Sul, Brazil, understand the concept of Competitive Intelligence (CI) and how they perceive its utility in the hospital segment. In addition, the study focused on determining how concerned these hospitals are about evaluating business environment and how they collect and analyze information for decision-making, and determining whether CI-related activities, even intuitive ones, can be found on these companies. Methodology to achieve proposed goals has been based on qualitative research, exploratory type, with the application of in-depth interviews with the CEOs of six out of seven local hospitals. The contents proceeding from the interviews have been undergone to a content analysis. Results showed differences between the hospitals whose major funder is the Brazilian Public Health System SUS and those that depend heavily on health care operators, especially in regard to interest in the business environment, mainly perceived in this second group. As sources for collecting information of the external environment, respondents highlighted regulators, physicians, other institutions, certification standards, customers and academia. As techniques for collecting information were mentioned visits, participation in conferences and courses and the use of benchmarking. Even with the intuitive use of some of the principles of CI, the application of its concepts and benefits was considered incipient in the context examined. Anyway, in a scenario where hospitals have strong concerns about controlling costs and difficulty to set prices that address their needs, it can be assumed that CI can become a significant ally of management, enabling better understanding of the actions of competitors and the market moves to the decision-making and innovation.

This diploma thesis deals with the process of introducing Competitive Intelligence into a selected agricultural company in order to help the company improve its market position and gain a competitive advantage. After evaluating the current situation of the company, there is a problem to be solved. After the theoretical part, the CI process is proposed to the company, including the phases that the company has to go through during the implementation. Then follows the use of selected methods for the analysis of the most important competitor. In conclusion, the whole proposal of the solution is summarized, including benefits for the company and possible shortcomings.

This diploma Thesis deals with the introducing of the Comptitive Intelligence process and creating a proposal for the implementation of this process to the selected company. The first part contains a description of the theoretical framework, followed by the review of the current situation in the company and the reasons why the Competitive Intelligence process should be implemented. The next part is focused on the proposal of the whole process. The conclusion of the thesis sumarizes the whole proposal and its benefits of this thesis for the company.