In Search of Competitors' Technology

I wouldn't farm anything like this out to "teardown consulting firms." Rather, I would scrutinize competitors' Websites, data, and equipment on my own (even purchasing a few samples), and then make up my own mind.

It's good to have anothers' opinion on the subject but I prefer to be alone or keep in-house all competitive informations. If someone know what you want, they know what you want to do. It's a double "tranchant" when someone else is involved. I already did alone and created a "niche" market, which gives me a living. For big businesses is probably better to make the market research on the competition. Other way, they have to build up a tea or department with competent people, Gil.

Correction: a "tea" means "team".

Addition with a short story; Once upon a time, I started to work for a rich boss. I asked him: Why you hire me to work with you? His answer was surprising: If you are the same religion as I am, you work for me a certain time, and after this learning period, you will start your business against me. He gets a part of my business and I loose this part. You are good and I have no fier the loose something with you.

I have already three partners. All three exploited what I wanted to do and did but they never collaborated. Conclusion: When you know something and when you are small, do "alone" what you want to do. When you are big, you have to know something and do it.

When you know something, do what you want but "alone", Gil.

...sounds like old-fashioned "industrial espionage" (spying for profit) to me

We are a electrical transmission equipment manufacturer "busway". I have visited 32 factories producing the same products that I do, from back yard to fully automated, from European to China made. I always think is good to know where we stand in our industry. I soon realized it is not enough, my information was limited to only 1 angle of source "competitor". We start doing the same in a different directions, suppliers, customers, authorities. Its also depend on what industry you are in, in ours, information got out dated in a year or two. Customer's requirement changes, competitors improving, suppliers might not able to keep up by than. On competitor, we collect data more on methods of doing. On customers, we look for critics and feedbacks and on suppliers will be capabilities and reliabilities. We gather all those information to improve not only on our products but also service. Ng

Hi Ban,

In addition to my two comments, I would like to tell that competition is necessary, good or bad. I don't want to be alone in something. However, I was all the time a disruptive individual in my area of work. I never followed others. I always created something different or differently. Different what to do or how to do. I failed many times, not because my way was bad. It was not accepted or better, rejected at the initial moments. Politics are stopping progress and in business we us epolitics to stay in the company, get a higher position or replace someone else. I visited the biggest companies in my industry all around the world, and discovered what was or were wrong, inefficient, and produced waste. I worked to eliminate these negative actions, equipments, and principles. When someone let me do my way, I produced profits for the company and the owner. In the opposite occasions, my efficiency was zero.

The idea is to be "different" and be "unique" which gives you an advantage. At work I want to be alone because others do not understand what I want to do or disagree with my ways to act. For me be different and you become an expert in a very tiny niche area of knowledge, activity, and that pays off, Gil.