A Technology Watch/Competitive Intelligence–based Decision-Support System optimised with Genetic Algorithms

To survive and prosper in a highly competitive environment where uncertainty and ambiguity are the norm, today’s firms are faced with the need for new information management methods and tools. Two of the most prominent strategies that take information and its treatment as a value-generating element in firms’ decision-making are Technology Watch and Competitive Intelligence. In addition, one of the fundamental components that a system based on these strategies must have is an efficient method of Information Retrieval. The present study describes a Competitive Intelligence–based decision-support system that uses a Genetic Algorithm. The system contributes to improving information retrieval through search optimisation, thus enhancing the performance of this knowledge-generating tool for organisations.