Intelligence
What is organizational intelligence?
The Intelligence domain captures and structures the intelligence-gathering activities of an organisation. It spans routine business reporting through to sophisticated competitive and geopolitical intelligence. This domain enables organisations to maintain an adaptive and informed operating model by gathering and analysing internal and external intelligence.
Organizational intelligence informs strategy, risk management, and operational decisions, encompassing open-source, subscription-based, internal, and covert intelligence sources. It ensures that decisions are evidence-based and responsive to emerging trends, risks, and competitive pressures.
Intelligence attributes
Attribute | Description | Example |
---|---|---|
| Name of the intelligence report or activity | "Quarterly Competitor Market Share Report" |
| Description of the intelligence content | "Analysis of competitor market activities and positioning" |
| Purpose of the intelligence activity | "Guide marketing investments for Product Line A" |
| Team or individual responsible | "Head of Corporate Intelligence" |
| Organisational unit accountable | "Corporate Strategy and Market Intelligence Division" |
| List of intelligence sources used | "Public filings, industry databases, competitor monitoring" |
| Type of intelligence | "Competitive intelligence" |
| Update frequency | "Monthly" |
| Applicable legal/ethical restrictions | "Follows GDPR and Australian Privacy Law" |
| Classification of the intelligence | "Confidential" |
| KPIs measuring intelligence usefulness | "Faster response to competitor pricing changes" |
| Risks in collection or use of intelligence | "Reputational risk if intelligence leaks" |
| Suggestions for improving intelligence processes | "Adopt automated social listening tools" |
| Linkage to organisational strategy | "Supports Market Expansion Goal 2025" |
Intelligence source element
Attribute | Description | Example |
---|---|---|
| Name of the intelligence source | "Bloomberg Terminal" |
| Type of source | "Paid research services" |
| Source reliability | "High" |
| Method of information collection | "Automated scraping" |
| Cost associated with the source | "$24,000/year" |
| Compliance check outcome | "Compliant" |
Intelligence application element
Attribute | Description | Example |
---|---|---|
| Area where intelligence is applied | "New market entry" |
| Key decisions informed | "Launch decision for Product X" |
| Roles that use the intelligence | "CEO, Head of Sales, VP Strategy" |
| Outcomes from applying intelligence | "20% increase in speed of market response" |
Relationships to other domains
Related Domain | Description |
---|---|
| Enables more informed strategic planning and scenario analysis. |
| Provides tactical competitive and market awareness. |
| Early warning for emerging operational and strategic risks. |
| Enables dynamic KPI recalibration based on real-world signals. |
Enumeration tables
Intelligence type
Enumeration Value | Description |
---|---|
Business reporting | Internal reporting and dashboarding activities. |
Competitive intelligence | Systematic monitoring of competitor activity. |
Market intelligence | External market trends and customer movement insights. |
Regulatory surveillance | Monitoring of regulatory developments and changes. |
Security intelligence | Physical, cybersecurity, and operational security threats. |
Insider threat monitoring | Identifying risks from within the organisation. |
Geopolitical analysis | Intelligence on political or geopolitical developments. |
Corporate espionage | Covert activities focused on competitor secrets. |
Agency intelligence feed | Information provided by national or private agencies. |
Social media and OSINT | Open-source intelligence gathered from public channels. |
Dark web monitoring | Monitoring unindexed or hidden internet spaces. |
Frequency
Enumeration Value | Description |
---|---|
Continuous | Real-time, continuous updates. |
Daily | Updated every day. |
Weekly | Weekly updates. |
Monthly | Monthly cycles. |
Quarterly | Once every fiscal quarter. |
Annually | Annual reporting. |
Event-driven | Triggered by events. |
Ad-hoc | Irregular, on-demand reporting. |
Confidentiality level
Enumeration Value | Description |
---|---|
Public | Freely available to anyone. |
Internal | Accessible to all employees. |
Confidential | Restricted to select personnel. |
Restricted | Limited to certain executives or departments. |
Secret | High sensitivity, limited circulation. |
Top Secret | Highest sensitivity, exceptional access control. |
Source type
Enumeration Value | Description |
---|---|
Public data | Freely available data sources. |
Paid research services | Purchased data and analysis products. |
Regulatory filings | Mandatory disclosures from competitors. |
Informal networks | Personal or industry insider networks. |
Third-party subscription | Licensed access to structured datasets. |
Dark web sources | Data from unindexed or illicit sources. |
Social media | Monitored public social channels. |
Government intelligence | Data from government agencies. |
Corporate whistleblowers | Internal sources revealing hidden issues. |
Surveillance systems | Technical surveillance like CCTV or IoT monitoring. |
Reliability rating
Enumeration Value | Description |
---|---|
High | Consistently accurate and verified. |
Medium | Generally trustworthy, may require validation. |
Low | Suspect reliability or mixed accuracy. |
Unverified | Unknown reliability. |
Collection method
Enumeration Value | Description |
---|---|
Manual research | Human-led research and analysis. |
Automated scraping | Automated bots collecting data. |
Sensor-based collection | Internet of Things or physical monitoring. |
Third-party acquisition | Commercial data purchases. |
Human intelligence | Intelligence gathered from interpersonal sources. |
Signals intelligence | Technical intercepts or monitoring. |
AI-generated summarisation | Artificial intelligence generated summaries and insights. |
Compliance status
Enumeration Value | Description |
---|---|
Compliant | Fully legally and ethically compliant. |
Not applicable | No applicable compliance obligations. |
Non-compliant | Currently breaching regulations. |
Under review | Pending compliance clarification. |
Application area
Enumeration Value | Description |
---|---|
Strategic decision-making | Supports corporate strategy refinement. |
Tactical operations | Informs frontline operational decisions. |
Mergers and acquisitions | Insight into acquisition targets or threats. |
New market entry | Aids geographic or segment expansion planning. |
Product development | Input to product roadmap decisions. |
Risk management | Early warning system for business risks. |
Competitive response | Enables counter-actions to competitor activity. |
Brand reputation management | Manages corporate reputation risks. |
Fraud prevention | Detects or prevents fraudulent activity. |
Usage guidance
The Organizational Intelligence schema supports structured representation of intelligence-related activities across an organisation. It is designed to capture routine business reporting, proactive competitive intelligence, regulatory surveillance, and high-sensitivity intelligence operations (including agency feeds and, where applicable, covert intelligence gathering).
This domain allows organisations to model both the intelligence inputs (sources and collection methods) and the outcomes (decisions influenced and measurable impacts), enabling a more deliberate and traceable application of intelligence within strategic and operational processes.
Organizational Intelligence is often under-represented in traditional business architecture, yet it is crucial for resilience, competitiveness, and risk mitigation. Its structured inclusion enhances transparency in decision-making and enables more accountable and adaptive corporate governance.
Typical uses
Strategic decision support: Embedding intelligence into board-level decisions on market entry, M&A, and risk posture.
Competitive positioning: Providing evidence-based insights to anticipate competitor movements and market shifts.
Regulatory compliance assurance: Tracking regulatory developments and reducing the risk of non-compliance incidents.
Operational risk mitigation: Using intelligence inputs to prevent disruptions from geopolitical, cyber, or supply chain risks.
Internal security: Monitoring insider risks and safeguarding sensitive assets through structured intelligence programs.
Recommended practices
Classify intelligence appropriately: Use the confidentialityLevel attribute rigorously to manage access and legal compliance.
Document source provenance: The sources array ensures clarity on where intelligence is derived, supporting both transparency and auditability.
Link to business decisions: The applications section clarifies how intelligence directly supports business outcomes and avoids the trap of ‘intelligence for its own sake.’
Embed performance indicators: By integrating measurable outcomes, organisations can track the value generated by intelligence functions and justify continued investment.
Balance ethics and effectiveness: The schema allows for full-spectrum intelligence modelling—from compliant public reporting to covert intelligence activities—while explicitly capturing legalAndEthicalConsiderations for internal accountability.
Typical misapplications
Overuse in low-risk environments: Organisations operating in low-competition or heavily regulated markets should balance effort invested in intelligence activities with actual business need.
Confusing intelligence with information: Organizational Intelligence focuses on actionable insights and forward-looking analysis, not on static documentation or archival records, which are more appropriately captured under the Information domain.
Neglecting governance: Intelligence activities—particularly those involving external surveillance or internal monitoring—should be subject to clear internal governance, which can be supported through proper use of owner and legalAndEthicalConsiderations fields.
Complementary relationships
The Organizational Intelligence domain is most effective when linked to:
Domain | Contribution |
---|---|
Strategy | Enables evidence-based strategic foresight and responsive planning. |
Market | Supplements structured market data with dynamic intelligence inputs. |
Risk Management | Strengthens proactive risk identification and mitigation. |
Performance | Enhances performance feedback loops with forward-looking risk or opportunity indicators. |
Examples
Example: AI-Augmented Market Pulse Daily Digest
{
"intelligenceID": "ORGINT-005",
"title": "AI-Augmented Market Pulse Daily Digest",
"description": "Daily summarisation of real-time market movements, key competitor product mentions, and public sentiment towards flagship products, using AI-based social media and news stream analysis.",
"purpose": "Enable agile tactical adjustments in marketing, pricing, and public relations based on current market signals.",
"owner": "Head of Tactical Market Intelligence",
"orgUnitTitle": "Marketing Intelligence Team",
"sources": [
{
"sourceName": "Social Media Listening Platform",
"sourceType": "Social media",
"reliabilityRating": "Medium",
"collectionMethod": "AI-generated summarisation",
"cost": "$9,000/year",
"complianceStatus": "Compliant"
},
{
"sourceName": "Real-Time Financial News Aggregator",
"sourceType": "Paid research services",
"reliabilityRating": "High",
"collectionMethod": "Automated scraping",
"cost": "$15,000/year",
"complianceStatus": "Compliant"
}
],
"intelligenceType": "Market intelligence",
"frequency": "Daily",
"legalAndEthicalConsiderations": "Only public information sources monitored, strictly avoiding personal data harvesting.",
"confidentialityLevel": "Internal",
"performanceIndicators": [
"Reduction in campaign adjustment lead time by 40%",
"Improved accuracy of market reaction predictions to promotional events by 20%"
],
"risks": [
"High volume of noise in public sentiment signals",
"Potential bias in algorithmic content selection"
],
"improvementOpportunities": [
"Expand regional language models for greater market coverage",
"Introduce explainable AI summaries to improve marketing trust in insights"
],
"strategicAlignment": "Supports real-time marketing agility objective under Commercial Effectiveness Program.",
"applications": [
{
"applicationArea": "Tactical operations",
"organisationalDecisionsInfluenced": "Real-time bid adjustments, campaign pivoting, competitor counter-offers.",
"intelligenceConsumers": [
"VP Marketing",
"Head of Brand Strategy",
"Campaign Managers"
],
"measurableOutcomes": [
"15% uplift in digital conversion rates",
"20% reduction in ineffective ad spend within six months"
]
}
]
}
Example: Monthly Regulatory Change Digest
{
"intelligenceID": "ORGINT-003",
"title": "Monthly Regulatory Change Digest: Financial Services Sector",
"description": "A structured summary of regulatory updates impacting financial service providers across Australia, the UK, and the EU, including enacted and proposed legislation.",
"purpose": "Ensure ongoing compliance and proactive adaptation of operational processes to new regulatory requirements.",
"owner": "Regulatory Compliance Intelligence Lead",
"orgUnitTitle": "Regulatory Affairs and Compliance Department",
"sources": [
{
"sourceName": "Official Government Gazettes",
"sourceType": "Public data",
"reliabilityRating": "High",
"collectionMethod": "Manual research",
"cost": "No cost",
"complianceStatus": "Compliant"
},
{
"sourceName": "Thomson Reuters Regulatory Feed",
"sourceType": "Paid research services",
"reliabilityRating": "High",
"collectionMethod": "Third-party acquisition",
"cost": "$12,000/year",
"complianceStatus": "Compliant"
},
{
"sourceName": "Industry Association Updates",
"sourceType": "Informal networks",
"reliabilityRating": "Medium",
"collectionMethod": "Manual research",
"cost": "Included in membership fees",
"complianceStatus": "Compliant"
}
],
"intelligenceType": "Regulatory surveillance",
"frequency": "Monthly",
"legalAndEthicalConsiderations": "Sourced exclusively from publicly available and licensed data channels. Strict compliance with intellectual property rights.",
"confidentialityLevel": "Internal",
"performanceIndicators": [
"Reduction in non-compliance incidents by 30% YoY",
"Zero regulatory fines post-implementation of digest system"
],
"risks": [
"Delayed reporting of regulatory changes with immediate effect",
"Inaccuracies arising from secondary data interpretation"
],
"improvementOpportunities": [
"Integrate direct API feeds from regulators",
"Automate mapping of regulatory changes to internal policies"
],
"strategicAlignment": "Supports Compliance Excellence Program and reduces operational risk exposure.",
"applications": [
{
"applicationArea": "Risk management",
"organisationalDecisionsInfluenced": "Product compliance checks, internal policy updates, operational workflow adjustments.",
"intelligenceConsumers": [
"Chief Risk Officer",
"Head of Legal",
"Operational Compliance Managers"
],
"measurableOutcomes": [
"100% policy updates within 10 days of regulatory publication",
"Reduction of manual compliance audits by 40%"
]
}
]
}
Example: M&A Strategic Target Watchlist Quarterly Summary
{
"intelligenceID": "ORGINT-006",
"title": "M&A Strategic Target Watchlist Quarterly Summary",
"description": "Assessment of strategic fit, market positioning, and risk profile of top 10 potential acquisition targets in the SaaS sector, based on financial disclosures, insider signals, and market reputation.",
"purpose": "Enable the executive committee to maintain a proactive acquisition pipeline aligned to the growth strategy.",
"owner": "Director of M&A Strategy",
"orgUnitTitle": "Corporate Development Office",
"sources": [
{
"sourceName": "Company Financial Filings",
"sourceType": "Regulatory filings",
"reliabilityRating": "High",
"collectionMethod": "Manual research",
"cost": "No additional cost",
"complianceStatus": "Compliant"
},
{
"sourceName": "Venture Capital Portfolio Tracker",
"sourceType": "Third-party subscription",
"reliabilityRating": "High",
"collectionMethod": "Third-party acquisition",
"cost": "$22,000/year",
"complianceStatus": "Compliant"
},
{
"sourceName": "Industry Insider Forums",
"sourceType": "Informal networks",
"reliabilityRating": "Medium",
"collectionMethod": "Manual research",
"cost": "Low, <$5,000/year",
"complianceStatus": "Compliant"
}
],
"intelligenceType": "Business reporting",
"frequency": "Quarterly",
"legalAndEthicalConsiderations": "Complies with anti-trust pre-merger review processes and fair competition standards.",
"confidentialityLevel": "Restricted",
"performanceIndicators": [
"Improved pre-diligence pipeline coverage to 95% of relevant targets",
"Reduction in acquisition timeline by two quarters"
],
"risks": [
"Potential loss of confidentiality in target tracking",
"Shifts in market dynamics making quarterly summaries obsolete quickly"
],
"improvementOpportunities": [
"Incorporate AI valuation modelling into watchlist ranking",
"Expand non-financial risk screening (e.g., ESG controversies)"
],
"strategicAlignment": "Directly supports non-organic growth objectives under Strategic Expansion Agenda 2030.",
"applications": [
{
"applicationArea": "Mergers and acquisitions",
"organisationalDecisionsInfluenced": "Prioritisation of acquisition targets, deal timing, early-stage engagement strategies.",
"intelligenceConsumers": [
"CEO",
"Chief Strategy Officer",
"M&A Committee Members"
],
"measurableOutcomes": [
"Two successful acquisitions from proactive pipeline per annum",
"40% higher post-acquisition strategic alignment scores"
]
}
]
}
Example: Insider Threat Behavioural Monitoring Weekly Report
{
"intelligenceID": "ORGINT-004",
"title": "Insider Threat Behavioural Monitoring: Weekly Report",
"description": "Early detection report on anomalous behavioural indicators within high-risk departments, focused on preventing data leakage and fraud incidents.",
"purpose": "Support the protection of sensitive intellectual property and reduce internal fraud risks.",
"owner": "Chief Security Intelligence Analyst",
"orgUnitTitle": "Enterprise Security Operations Centre (ESOC)",
"sources": [
{
"sourceName": "Endpoint User Activity Monitoring System",
"sourceType": "Surveillance systems",
"reliabilityRating": "High",
"collectionMethod": "Sensor-based collection",
"cost": "$35,000/year licensing fee",
"complianceStatus": "Compliant"
},
{
"sourceName": "HR Access Control Logs",
"sourceType": "Internal monitoring",
"reliabilityRating": "High",
"collectionMethod": "Sensor-based collection",
"cost": "Internal resource cost only",
"complianceStatus": "Compliant"
},
{
"sourceName": "Anonymous Whistleblower Hotline Reports",
"sourceType": "Corporate whistleblowers",
"reliabilityRating": "Variable",
"collectionMethod": "Manual investigation",
"cost": "Internal case management resource",
"complianceStatus": "Compliant"
}
],
"intelligenceType": "Insider threat monitoring",
"frequency": "Weekly",
"legalAndEthicalConsiderations": "Strict alignment to employee monitoring policies, privacy by design, and regulatory employment protections.",
"confidentialityLevel": "Restricted",
"performanceIndicators": [
"Time-to-intervention reduced from 15 to 5 working days",
"Incident containment effectiveness rate increased by 60%"
],
"risks": [
"False positives leading to reputational harm or employee dissatisfaction",
"Regulatory scrutiny around employee privacy rights"
],
"improvementOpportunities": [
"Introduce AI behavioural baselining to reduce false positives",
"Expand early-warning signals with passive sentiment analysis"
],
"strategicAlignment": "Supports zero internal data breach objective under Corporate Security Strategy 2025.",
"applications": [
{
"applicationArea": "Fraud prevention",
"organisationalDecisionsInfluenced": "Suspicious activity investigations, internal access rights management, training and cultural interventions.",
"intelligenceConsumers": [
"Chief Information Security Officer",
"Head of Corporate Ethics",
"Head of Human Resources"
],
"measurableOutcomes": [
"Reduction in unreported incidents by 50%",
"Decrease in fraudulent account access events to zero per quarter"
]
}
]
}
Example: Covert Competitor Product Testing Operation
{
"intelligenceID": "ORGINT-007",
"title": "Covert Product Testing and Reverse Engineering Summary",
"description": "Technical analysis of competitor flagship product performance and supply chain components, obtained through covert market purchases and reverse engineering activities.",
"purpose": "Provide early visibility into proprietary product features, material sourcing strategies, and cost structures of a primary market rival.",
"owner": "Head of Special Competitive Operations",
"orgUnitTitle": "Strategic Intelligence Unit",
"sources": [
{
"sourceName": "Anonymous Product Acquisition Network",
"sourceType": "Informal networks",
"reliabilityRating": "High",
"collectionMethod": "Manual research",
"cost": "$45,000 per quarter",
"complianceStatus": "Under review"
},
{
"sourceName": "In-house Engineering Teardown Reports",
"sourceType": "Internal monitoring",
"reliabilityRating": "High",
"collectionMethod": "Manual research",
"cost": "Internal resource cost",
"complianceStatus": "Compliant"
},
{
"sourceName": "Secondary Component Supply Chain Disclosures",
"sourceType": "Public data",
"reliabilityRating": "Medium",
"collectionMethod": "Manual research",
"cost": "No additional cost",
"complianceStatus": "Compliant"
}
],
"intelligenceType": "Corporate espionage",
"frequency": "Ad-hoc",
"legalAndEthicalConsiderations": "Strict legal review conducted prior to engagement; internal ethical risk logged due to aggressive market tactics.",
"confidentialityLevel": "Top Secret",
"performanceIndicators": [
"6-month competitive feature advantage maintained in key product lines",
"Reduction in cost estimation errors by 25%"
],
"risks": [
"High reputational risk if operation exposed",
"Legal exposure depending on jurisdictional interpretations"
],
"improvementOpportunities": [
"Transition from physical acquisition to cyber-focused competitive monitoring",
"Engage legal counsel earlier in operational planning"
],
"strategicAlignment": "Supports Product Leadership Strategy by securing proprietary product roadmap insights.",
"applications": [
{
"applicationArea": "Competitive response",
"organisationalDecisionsInfluenced": "Next-generation product timing, component supplier renegotiations, targeted IP strategy.",
"intelligenceConsumers": [
"Chief Product Officer",
"Chief Technology Officer",
"IP Counsel"
],
"measurableOutcomes": [
"Acceleration of internal product innovation by two release cycles",
"Increased gross margin by 8% via early supplier targeting"
]
}
]
}
Example: External Threat Environment Advisory from Intelligence Agency
{
"intelligenceID": "ORGINT-008",
"title": "Government Advisory: High-Risk Cyber Threat Environment Notification",
"description": "Confidential advisory bulletin from national intelligence agency highlighting increased threat activity from specific hostile nation-state actors targeting critical infrastructure sectors.",
"purpose": "Inform board-level cyber security posture adjustments and operational contingency planning in response to rising external cyber threats.",
"owner": "Chief Security Officer",
"orgUnitTitle": "Corporate Cybersecurity and Risk Office",
"sources": [
{
"sourceName": "Australian Signals Directorate Cyber Bulletin",
"sourceType": "Government intelligence",
"reliabilityRating": "High",
"collectionMethod": "Third-party acquisition",
"cost": "No direct cost",
"complianceStatus": "Compliant"
},
{
"sourceName": "Joint Industry-Government Threat Sharing Program",
"sourceType": "Public data",
"reliabilityRating": "High",
"collectionMethod": "Manual research",
"cost": "Included in membership fees",
"complianceStatus": "Compliant"
}
],
"intelligenceType": "Agency intelligence feed",
"frequency": "Event-driven",
"legalAndEthicalConsiderations": "Restricted internal dissemination per agency guidelines; no redistribution permitted.",
"confidentialityLevel": "Restricted",
"performanceIndicators": [
"Zero successful external cybersecurity breaches during elevated alert periods",
"Mean time to threat response reduced by 50%"
],
"risks": [
"Potential for over-response to non-specific advisories",
"Risk of internal leaks of restricted advisory content"
],
"improvementOpportunities": [
"Enhance internal cross-functional threat escalation workflows",
"Develop pre-approved operational responses aligned to threat escalation levels"
],
"strategicAlignment": "Supports business continuity and cyber resilience targets under Enterprise Risk Framework 2025.",
"applications": [
{
"applicationArea": "Risk management",
"organisationalDecisionsInfluenced": "Crisis simulation drills, temporary service isolation protocols, executive briefings on external threat levels.",
"intelligenceConsumers": [
"Board Risk Committee",
"Chief Information Security Officer",
"Regional Operations Managers"
],
"measurableOutcomes": [
"Enhanced operational uptime during external threat campaigns",
"50% reduction in threat response cycle times"
]
}
]
}
Schema Reference
Schema file available on GitHub: https://github.com/Orthogramic/Orthogramic_Metamodel/blob/main/schemas/intelligence.schema.json
Suggested Strategic Empathy Updates
Given that strategic empathy relies on "emotional insight" and "stakeholder awareness," the Intelligence domain (which likely handles data, analytics, and insights) would play a crucial supporting role.
Attribute | Type | Description | Example |
| Boolean | Ability to analyze stakeholder sentiment from various data sources (e.g., social media, internal communications). | True |
| Boolean | Identification and mapping of key internal and external stakeholders and their relationships. | True |
| Boolean | Capability to incorporate cultural nuances and contexts into intelligence analysis. | True |
| Boolean | Ability to extract emotional and unspoken insights from qualitative data. | True |
Relationships:
Intelligence to Strategy: Provides inputs for
stakeholderEmotionalInsight
,politicalAcuity
, andunspokenDynamicsAwareness
within the Strategy domain.Intelligence to People/Customer: Supplies data for
employeeEmpathyIndex
andcustomerEmpathyScore
.
The Orthogramic Metamodel license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0), ensuring it remains open, collaborative, and widely accessible.