Competitive intelligence report template
A source-backed competitive intelligence report template for recurring reviews.
Use a concise structure for executive summary, verified changes, implications, evidence, uncertainty, actions, and monitoring follow-ups.
Executive summary
Three to five changes that can affect a current decision.
Evidence cards
Observed change, source, date, before/after context, and confidence.
Decision queue
Implications, owners, questions, and the next source to monitor.
1. Review period and intelligence requirement
Name the time window, recipient, decision question, competitors in scope, and material-change threshold. This prevents the report from becoming an undirected news digest.
2. Executive summary
List only the changes that may alter positioning, packaging, launch, sales, or product conversations. Use one sentence for the observation and one for the implication.
3. Verified change records
For each change, include company, category, observed date, source URL, before/after evidence or precise source excerpt, corroborating sources, confidence, and analyst note.
4. Implications and actions
Separate what the evidence proves from what the team should investigate. Assign an owner only when an action is warranted; “continue monitoring” is a valid decision.
5. Coverage and blind spots
Record unavailable sources, stale pages, conflicting signals, and areas where internal sales or customer evidence is needed. A visible blind spot is safer than false completeness.
Frequently asked questions
Questions to resolve before you change the workflow.
How long should a recurring CI report be?
Short enough for the decision owner to review. A weekly brief may contain three to ten meaningful changes; supporting evidence can live behind links or expandable records.
What makes a CI report credible?
Clear scope, dated sources, separation of fact and interpretation, disclosed uncertainty, corroboration for high-stakes claims, and a consistent review method.
Continue the workflow
Related pages
Source-backed competitor monitoring