Processing ideas: An argument for useful text management software

Low cost, personal computer (PC) based software adapted for competitive intelligence (CI) use can frustrate users because they appear to offer only slightly mare than the sorting and search functions of word processing software. What we would prefer is the capability of finding and manipulating ideas rather than words. The ability to manipulate ideas gives us the machine assisted ability to glean insight from raw text. Those new to the CI field may not yet know what analytical power they would like to possess as CI managers. The mystique of computers and their software sometimes creates the belief that they can do anything: we need only to be smart enough to use them. This thinking leads us to focus on what they can do, instead of what they could do. And we need more power from our software. I asked Bill Meade to comment on the problems associated with our use of text management software. Here he shares his views of our analytical limitations and what software vendors should do about it. Glenn S. Omura.