3 Problem Analysis & Users’ Needs
3.4.2 Data and information resources of text mining-based competitive intelligence systems
Not interesting Little interesting Not very interesting Interesting Very interesting
it illustrates the proportion of interested respondents for each function. For example, 9% of the respondents were not interested in customer feedback analysis, 18% of respondents were not very interested. 18% of respondents considered customer feedback analysis as interesting while 55% of the respondents were very interested in this function.
Figure 3.5 The rating averages of analysis functions
Figure 3.5 shows the RA for each function. By combining Figure 3.3 and Figure 3.5, the researcher can easily understand the stakeholders’ interests in each function.
According to the responses to the survey, the primary function of the TMCISs is to support strategic decision making.
To realize the primary function, the following functionalities are required: analyzing customer feedback, monitoring the market environment, and analyzing competitors. These results helped the researcher focus on realizing the most important functions.
At the same time, the researcher understood the three most important analysis targets of TMCIS: competitors, customers, and business environments.
3.4.2 Data and information resources of text mining-based competitive intelligence systems
Data and information resources (i.e., sources of inputs) are crucial to the development of the TMCISs. The stakeholders’
experiences help to include reliable and useful data and information resources to improve the performance of the
TMCISs. Figure 3.6 is the histogram for comparing the external data resources that were used to collect companies’ own textual data and competitors’ textual data. It is one result of the second survey. Four responses were collected through SurveyMonkey4
As Figure 3.6 illustrates, the stakeholders were moderately interested in social media, for example, blogs, Facebook, and Wikis. Online newspapers, however, were the most interesting external data source. Other data sources specified by the stakeholders included specific webpages (such as online tourist forums), business portals, and magazines. Other data sources for collecting competitors’ data contain specific news portals, newsletters, and product announcements.
.
Figure 3.6 External textual data related to the company vs. the competitors
For the analysis of the company’s internal textual data (the second survey), the emphasis is on customer feedback. The other textual data resources were identified as information given by the business information systems (Figure 3.7). The researcher needed to explore what kind of information is expected to be sources for business information systems for the TMCISs. Figure 3.8 shows the results collected in the third survey. Four responses were collected through SurveyMonkey5
4 http://www.surveymonkey.com
for Figure 3.7 and 3.8.
5 http://www.surveymonkey.com
Figure 3.7 Company’s internal textual data
Figure 3.8 Companies’ internal textual information generated by four types of business information systems
Chapter 2 introduced four types of information systems. The outputs of the business information systems can provide textual information to the TMCISs to further analyze, for example, summaries and special reports [56]. The outputs of the MIS are the most important resources. Figure 3.9 describes the textual information generated by the specific functional information systems, which can make the needs of information resources clearer. Five responses were collected through filling out the printed questionnaire (Figure 3.9).
TMCISs. Figure 3.6 is the histogram for comparing the external data resources that were used to collect companies’ own textual data and competitors’ textual data. It is one result of the second survey. Four responses were collected through SurveyMonkey4
As Figure 3.6 illustrates, the stakeholders were moderately interested in social media, for example, blogs, Facebook, and Wikis. Online newspapers, however, were the most interesting external data source. Other data sources specified by the stakeholders included specific webpages (such as online tourist forums), business portals, and magazines. Other data sources for collecting competitors’ data contain specific news portals, newsletters, and product announcements.
.
Figure 3.6 External textual data related to the company vs. the competitors
For the analysis of the company’s internal textual data (the second survey), the emphasis is on customer feedback. The other textual data resources were identified as information given by the business information systems (Figure 3.7). The researcher needed to explore what kind of information is expected to be sources for business information systems for the TMCISs. Figure 3.8 shows the results collected in the third survey. Four responses were collected through SurveyMonkey5
4 http://www.surveymonkey.com
for Figure 3.7 and 3.8.
5 http://www.surveymonkey.com
Figure 3.7 Company’s internal textual data
Figure 3.8 Companies’ internal textual information generated by four types of business information systems
Chapter 2 introduced four types of information systems. The outputs of the business information systems can provide textual information to the TMCISs to further analyze, for example, summaries and special reports [56]. The outputs of the MIS are the most important resources. Figure 3.9 describes the textual information generated by the specific functional information systems, which can make the needs of information resources clearer. Five responses were collected through filling out the printed questionnaire (Figure 3.9).
Figure 3.9 Companies’ internal textual information generated by the specific functional business information systems
Business information systems can be classified by their specific functions, such as sales and marketing, manufacturing and production, finance and accounting, human resources, supply chain management, customer relationship management, and knowledge management systems. According to the respondents, the most interesting sources of textual information are reports sourced from customer relationship management systems (Figure 3.9).