Rethinking Business Information as Veritable Catalyst for Organizational Competitive Advantage

Abstract

This study examined business information and the critical role it plays in achieving organizational competitive advantage. The increase in stiff competition among businesses in this era, industrial espionage among other contending factors necessitated the need to critically and creatively ‘think’ and ‘rethink’ business procedures particularly in intelligence, information and knowledge gathering, processing, use and evaluation. This study also brought to the fore the hidden drivers within business information architecture of business intelligence and information consulting with clear identification of areas of attention and implementation to achieve competitive advantage. In highly commoditized and competitive organizations, it will take much effort to determine what separates one organization from its competition. Hence, managers or leaders must establish a strategy that will help them gain in-depth knowledge from customers and those within the organization. Exploratory approach was adopted, where conceptual investigation of literature and secondary data gave credence to the position of this work. Hence, it was concluded that competitive advantage can be achieved when organizations generate greater value for themselves, customers and shareholders due to certain strengths or conditions they have mastered; and take advantage of, or capitalize on the weaknesses and perceived threats of competitors by deploying adequate competitive intelligent strategies to their advantage.