Good competitive intelligence

helps managers construct up$-$to$-$date strategic profiles of rivals.

enables more accurate predictions about how long it will take a rival to copy most of what the strategy leader is doing.

points to those things that every firm in the industry needs to attend to in order to retain customers and weather the competition.

entails drawing the conclusion that companies seem destined to struggle because of their position.

helps in determining whether a rival is gaining or losing market share.