August 21, 2002
CI profile: Dale Fehringer.
by Bonnie Hohhof
CI profile: Dale Fehringer.
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Summary: As vice-president, Market Intelligence at Visa International, Dale Fehringer is responsible for monitoring and analyzing market conditions, competitors, and opportunities in the rapidly developing Payment Service industry. He first became involved in creating a competitive intelligence group when his CEO was surprised by a competitor’s action. In this profile he reviews some of his accomplishments.
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How did you get into CI?
By accident. Our (previous) CEO had just returned from a business trip and was surprised by something a competitor had done. He called the head of Marketing and asked her to find a way to keep him from being surprised again. She called me and asked me to look into setting up a system for tracking competitors. I contacted SCIP, took a couple of courses, met with the key internal groups, had them define their needs, and set up a CI function.
What has been one of your most interesting CI problems?
One of our competitors was launching new products in selected Asian countries, but we couldn't figure out the pattern. I printed hard copies of dozens of press releases and newspaper accounts of the product launches, took them home, and went over them again and again.
Finally a pattern emerged. I documented it, reviewed it with our Asia country managers, and was able to use it to help predict how and where other new competitive product launches would occur. The country managers in our other regions were very appreciative, and they have since been much more willing to help with CI problems.
What was one of your most unexpected assignments?
A couple of years ago I was subpoenaed to testify by the Department of Justice. When I arrived at their offices for the testimony I discovered they had boxes of my reports, newsletters, and even emails for the past several years. Ever since then I've been careful what I put in writing.
What has been your most valuable resource?
My internal clients. They tell me how I'm doing, share what they need from my CI efforts, and keep me on track.
Is there any particular project that went especially well?
Last year two of our major competitors announced plans to merge. We had been all over it for six months, had analyzed it every which way, and had shared our findings with our senior management. As a result, our public relations department had prepared a response to the merger before it was even announced. On the day of the announcement, they sent it to all Board members and employees within an hour of the announcement. I couldn't help but think that's what the previous CEO had in mind when he asked us to set up a function to prevent surprises.
Is there anything you'd do differently if you had the chance?
A few years ago I hired a CI analyst who had been trained to use competitive intelligence to support sales efforts. At Visa, our CI efforts support strategic management decisions. He could not make the adjustment to thinking and analyzing competitive situations from a strategic viewpoint. I waited too long to change analysts, and as a result, lost a good deal of momentum in my efforts to establish a solid CI function.
How do you keep track of what is going on in your field? Any favorite resources?
Lexis Nexis is a favorite resource. We have LexisNexis do daily searches on our major competitors, and push their results into our email boxes. We also review industry literature and competitor web sites each day.
What advice do you have for someone entering the CI field?
Continuously check with your key clients to see how they value the work you are doing and adjust your actions accordingly.
Background:
As the head of Market Intelligence at Visa International, Dale is responsible for monitoring and analyzing market conditions, competitors, and opportunities in the rapidly developing Payment Service industry. He participated in several early landmark events in the industry including global card acceptance, bank card "duality," BankAmericard and MasterCharge becoming Visa and MasterCard, and the introduction of ATMs, ATM cards, and debit cards. Dale has held a number of positions during his 20 years at Visa, including Member Service, Market Research, and Strategic Planning. He currently leads Market Intelligence efforts at Visa by monitoring and reporting key developments in Visa's target markets, including competitive intelligence. When away from Visa, Dale loves to travel, and his favorite way to travel is by bicycle.
Copyright 2002 Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals
SCIP.online, volume 1 number 14, August 22, 2002.
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