Venn Offers Workshops on Competitive Intelligence With Leading Expert
MONCTON– This fall, Atlantic Canadian companies will have the chance to learn from world-renowned competitive intelligence expert, Dr Jonathan Calof.
Moncton-based Venn Innovations has launched a series of workshops featuring Calof with the support of ACOA and regional partners Innovacorp (Nova Scotia), Genesis Centre (Newfoundland and Labrador) and PEI Business Women’s Association. The workshops will take place in both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia next month.
These workshops are designed to teach companies to build strategies that consider internal and external factors that will impact their operations.
“Companies can’t succeed on great resources, strategy and management alone. They can only succeed if the external environment cooperates with them,” says Calof. “Being intentional and strategic about how competitive intelligence is gathered and utilized can literally mean survival for an organization.”
Calof told Huddle via email that companies can expect to learn what competitive intelligence is, how to analyze it, and “distilling it down to what matters” to inform future operations and planning.
“As an example, a metal manufacturing company in New Brunswick might look to understand what is happening in Chinese manufacturing that can drive raw material prices over the next 12-18 months [or] if many customers are in the U.S. what does ‘America First’ mean for them?” said Calof.
“[Participants will learn] an understanding of how the various concepts can apply to their business. They’ll then develop an intelligence plan that makes sense for their organization as a starting point.”
Venn Innovation CEO Doug Robertson said in a release that workshops will give companies in the region and opportunity to get insight and training to help them reach beyond the region.
“Connecting entrepreneurs to critical resources for growth and long-term sustainability is a significant focus for us,” he said. “This initiative will give companies in our region the opportunity to get world-class training, insight and advice here at home that will enable them to reach their global markets.”
Workshops take place Oct. 16 in Nova Scotia and Oct. 23 in New Brunswick.