To begin with, the most elementary types and the base of the strategic intelligence are the data, the information and the intelligence.
First of all, in general the data relate basic descriptions of things, events, activities and transactions recorded, classified and stored but are not organized according to any specific meaning. They can be numeric, alphanumeric, figures, sounds and images.
Second, the information corresponds to the data that has been organized and has estimated the level of quality, so that they have meaning and value to the receiver. This actor interprets the meaning and draws conclusions and implications.
Finally, for some years there has been a growing demand in the areas of senior management to the decision-making process to be fully effective, efficient, timely, rigorous, transparent and credible in response to rising demands of citizens, customers and public opinion in general.
In this situation, the information resource has not only crowded, but has also evolved as decision support, with a specific methodology for their production, processing and distribution, as previously stated objectives, in order to build future scenarios, anticipate potential conflicts and crisis situations, assess future threats, reduce risks, identify early warning indicators and identify future opportunities, which are the basic elements of what we call intelligence. It conducts to gain a competitive advantage in whichever fields worked in.