About The Helicon Group

Innovation by Global Practice Leaders

In business, we all know that one of the best ways to succeed is to make sure you are on the cutting edge. That is just as true in intelligence as anywhere else. And the very best way to get on that cutting edge is to work with the very best.

Helicon has always been on that cutting edge. Our early adaptation of Microsoft Office Live Meeting to online conferencing solutions that connect Client personnel with Helicon during its training and consulting sessions is just one example of that.

Helicon's partners have helped invent Competitive Intelligence, but they have not stopped there. Their creative thinking and series of important books have continued to mark them as global opinion and practice leaders as well as innovators in Competitive Intelligence and related fields.

Click here to read a thought-provoking opinion piece: “The Economy, Politics, and the Future of Competitive Intelligence”.

Carolyn M. Vella and John J. McGonagle, Helicon's partners, are the most prolific authors about Competitive Intelligence. The titles of their important CI books, and the reactions of the business community to them, say it all:

Competitive Intelligence in the Computer Age (1987)

“An absolutely indispensable playbook for anyone who has to compete during the information explosion.” Editor, Mergers and Acquisitions.

Improved Business Planning Using Competitive Intelligence (1988)

“[C]an be effectively used to get a quick handle on the area of competitive intelligence. . . .” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science

Outsmarting the Competition: Practical Approaches to Finding and Using Competitive Information (US - 1990, US Tape – 1990, Japan – 1992, UK – 1993, Germany 1994)

“[S]o comprehensive that few marketing managers will be able to take advantage of all its suggestions.” Business Marketing.

A New Archetype for Competitive Intelligence (1996)

“The book’s most valuable contribution - and this is a new idea - is its view of intelligence as a business process rather than as a corporate function. A refreshing aspect of the book is that it approaches CI [competitive intelligence] from the managerial/strategic perspective....” Competitive Intelligence Review.

Protecting Your Company Against Competitive Intelligence (1998)

“[A] fine resource for anyone interested in keeping rivals from obtaining the competitive advantage that systematic competitive intelligence can produce.” Competitive Intelligence Review.

The Internet Age of Competitive Intelligence (1999).

“The book offers a solid overview of competitive intelligence in whole....[It] is a worthwhile investment.” Journal of Business To Business Marketing

Bottom Line Competitive Intelligence (2002).

“Here are the essential tools for selecting the right kind of competitive intelligence and assessing its contribution to a company's financial performance.” Business Horizons.

“I highly recommend it to not only CI professionals, but also planning executives and product, brand, and category managers — in fact, anyone who is serious about developing a CI process that will keep their company one step ahead of the competition.” Competitive Intelligence.

The Manager's Guide to Competitive Intelligence (2003).

“[S]hould be on the bookshelf of any professional who is serious about establishing and maintaining a stellar unit.” Competia Online

A finalist for Competia’s “Most Insightful Book – 2004” Award!

To order any of these books directly from Amazon.com, please click on the book’s hyperlink above.

These books reflect the fact that Helicon has over 25 years of experience in every aspect of collecting, analyzing and using all forms of intelligence. For your firm, Helicon can provide onsite custom training and consulting, develop world-class competitive and strategic analyses, and much, much more.

Helicon’s Award Winning Partners

Helicon's partners are among the pioneers and most widely respected practitioners of CI. The Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals has recognized their contributions to Competitive Intelligence by awarding them its two highest awards: the Meritorious Award and the Fellows Award. The Helicon Group is the only firm with two Meritorious Award winners as members. They have spoken on CI and related issues on 6 continents, and have been quoted by dozens of publications around the world, such as Fortune/Your Company, CIO Enterprise, New Zealand Business, and The Wall Street Journal:

When you retain Helicon, you retain their partners. You are not handed off to faceless associates, lower level employees or undisclosed subcontractors.

Carolyn M. Vella, Founding Partner. Ms. Vella has written numerous articles on business and Competitive Intelligence topics for numerous publications, including Mergers & Acquisitions. Ms. Vella is an internationally recognized innovator in Competitive Intelligence, having been a featured presenter in countries as disparate as South Africa, Australia and Mexico. She was the keynote speaker at the first national conference of the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) and a founding member of the SCIP Women’s Leadership Council. In 2003, she was the recipient of the SCIP Meritorious Award. This award is given annually to one individual who has made significant and meritorious contributions to the CI profession. It is the highest award SCIP can bestow.

John J. McGonagle, Managing Partner. In 1998, Mr. McGonagle received the prestigious Fellows Award from SCIP for his contributions to the Competitive Intelligence profession, and in 2007 received the Meritorious Award. He is one of those responsible for designing SCIP's innovative award for team achievement in Competitive Intelligence and for judging the finalists for the Team of Excellence in Intelligence Awards.

Helicon’s partners’ memberships include the Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals (formerly the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals, the International Association For Intelligence Education, and the Association for Strategic Planning.

For more information on Helicon’s partners, please click on “Helicon’s Partners and Affiliates” in the navigation frame on the left.

Ethical and Legal Compliance Guidelines; Subcontracting Policies

Helicon has developed and complies with a rigorous set of ethical and legal guidelines that have governed Helicon’s own competitive intelligence research and analysis assignments since it began providing these services over 15 years ago. In an effort to raise the standards of conduct among CI professionals and practitioners, Helicon has released these to public view. Click on ”Helicon's Legal and Ethical Policies” in the navigation frame for details.

In addition, Helicon's subcontracting policy, which has been in force since it began business and which is now a part of its ethical and legal guidelines, is unique in the industry. Helicon does not subcontract Client Competitive Intelligence work without its Client's prior knowledge and consent. That means that when you retain Helicon, you can be assured that only Helicon’s partners and our affiliates will do your work.

Of course, Helicon uses document retrieval firms and information brokers for narrow, specific tasks, such as on-line data base searches, designed by Helicon. Such firms are only used when they provide the most economical approach for a Client. These tasks are performed under Helicon's direction, and no "load" is ever added to their invoices.

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Pegasus Logo (1980) and text (1980-2009) are both copyrighted by The Helicon Group. CI@Sea^smis a service mark of The Helicon Group.

Articles, reviews and columns from Competitive Intelligence Magazine and SCIP.online are copyright by the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals, and are reprinted or hyperlinked here with its express consent.

Reviews from Competia magazine and Competia Online are copyright by Competia, Inc, and are reprinted with its express consent.

Quotation from Judith A. Leavitt is reprinted with her express consent.

Last updated: August 6, 2010.