Strategic and Competitive Analysis: Methods and Techniques for Analyzing Business Competition [Paperback]

Craig S. Fleisher (Author), Babette Bensoussan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 8, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0130888524 | ISBN-13: 978-0130888525 | Edition: 1

This book comprehensively examines the wide spectrum of techniques (classic as well as more popular contemporary ones) involved in analyzing business, competitive data, and information. A consistent format for each technique includes a description, background, rationale and implications, advantages, limitations, process, and related tools. Twenty-four analytical tools are discussed and evaluated with examples to illustrate their most effective application. A unique evaluation process for each model identifies ease of use and practicality. Two-part organization covers analysis and its relationship to competitive intelligence and strategy, and the techniques of strategy and competitive analysis.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From Competitive Intelligence Magazine, Sept/Oct 2002 book review by John McGonagle

In this book, Professor Craig Fleisher and Babette Bensoussan have carefully, usefully and successfully balanced the approach of the academic with the needs of the CI practitioner.
Who should have this? Let me turn this question around. Who doesn't need it? I cannot think of any serious CI professional or even a student of CI who could not use at least one pass through the entire book. It is a real gem and a unique contribution to the CI profession.

From the Back Cover

BASIC APPROACH

• This supplemental book examines the wide spectrum of techniques involved in analyzing business, competitive data, and information in a comprehensive manner with a strong bias toward application.
• Over twenty analytical tools are discussed and evaluated with examples to illustrate their most effective application.
Presents the most applicable techniques across a broad range of applications in the analysis process.

FEATURES/BENEFITS

Consistent format for each technique—description, background, rationale and implications, advantages, limitations, process, related tools.

Coverage of "classic" as well as more popular contemporary techniques.

FAROUT^©—A unique evaluation process for each model identifying ease of, use and practicality.

Designed to be frequently used as a handy comparison and reference source.

Examinations and applications of techniques used in real organizations.

Please see the Prentice Hall Custom Business Web site for the largest
educational database available for the Strategy course.
www.prenhall.com/custombusiness

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 457 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1 edition (April 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130888524
• ISBN-13: 978-0130888525
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 1.1 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #438,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Effectively covers the key bases November 22, 2002

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

As a strategy consultant, I am often asked to provide my clients with well analyzed recommendations and findings. My biggest problem always has been to justify the methods I choose to reduce a wealth of data into something meaningful. For years now, I have relied upon Porter's classics and my strategy texts from my MBA program, but they usually aren't practically oriented. This book, better than any other I have seen, provides a straight forward set of instructions and directions, along with enough examples and charts, to keep me on the straight and narrow with my analyses. I do have a few beefs eith this book - as I do most of the others on my shelf. Unlike my strategy texts, the text isn't the most colourful, and it could have benefitted from even more samples although it is already quite large in size, and you cant read through the book from cover to cover, but I keep it handy anytime I'm applying a strategy method and it works great in that way. The other thing I would have liked is even more coverage of some of the newly evolving technology-focussed methods. These minor shortcomings aside, I'd recommend it to others who, like me, have to rely upon the application of proven methods to regularly produce findings for our business clients.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding one stop source for techniques and "how to" March 24, 2003

By Martin

Format:Paperback

It is rare to find a text that pulls together the many quite different techniques that can be used to analyze a business and the competitive environment in which it operates. This book does that, and more!

The authors have addressed their personal needs as much as the needs of those who will use the benefits of their labours. Now, when asked about a technique or asked for a recommendation as to how to attack an issue, one can turn to this one text and extract the most appropriate tool(s) and make sensible assessments of which of the various analytical tools is most appropriate.

The authors have gone one better - and I suspect that more than one MBA student will appreciate their efforts - they have included a very useful and quite comprehensive outline of financial analytical tools that add to the more "marketing" oriented techniques detailed in the core of the text. The various financial ratios are now at your fingertips. The financial analysis can be woven into the market and environmental competitive analysis.

Oh to have had access to this at an earlier stage of my career.

One of those indispensable tools. A "must have" in the office.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Handbook to Have on My OWN Shelf August 3, 2002

By Katherine Shelfer

Format:Paperback

With this book, I finally have a cost-effective way to introduce a wide range of well-known competitive intelligence tools and techniques to our graduate students in the CI Certificate program. They represent a wide range of knowledge domains, so they need access to this basic information in a convenient format. I've adopted this as a text for the program. (To our former students--you know who you are--BUY THIS BOOK.)