What information do you need?

You will need a range of company and industry information. This will include:

  • company reports and documentation such as annual reports, strategic planning, competitor information
  • industry and market reports (Identify the industry. You can find the ANZSIC Code here which can be helpful to use for your searches)
  • news sources discussing the industry and companies
  • industry and company data

Try using the library database Connect 4 - Annual Reports to find full-text annual reports for any companies listed on the ASX since 1992.

Research Strategy for Five Forces Analysis

This table directs you to our different library databases where you can analyse the five forces.

Five Forces
Where to research: Selecting and searching in databases.
Buyers

1. IBIS World Industry Report menus:

  • Products & Markets: Major Markets, Demand Determinants
  • Competitive Landscape: Basis of Competition

2. Business Source Complete OR ABI/INFORM Collection OR ANZ Newsstream OR Factiva - use keywords to search news articles and trade publications

3. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - economic and financial statistics
Suppliers

1. IBIS World Industry Report menus:

  • Products & Markets: Supply Chain
  • Major Companies: Major Players
  • Competitive Landscape: Cost Structure Benchmarks

2. Use company's public investor relations webpage to identify suppliers
Competitive rivalry

1. D&B Hoovers Company Information:

  • Advanced: Competitors, Closest Industry Peers, Closest Companies
  • Industry Information: Challenges, Trends & Opportunities

2. IBIS World Industry Report menus:

  • Major Players
  • Competitive Landscape: Basis of Competition, Barriers to Entry, Market Share Concentration
  • Operating Conditions: Capital Intensity
  • Industry Life Cycle
  • Industry Outlook

3.Business Source Complete and/or ABI/INFORM Collection - locate company profiles (includes information on competitors)
Potential new entrants

1. IBIS World Industry Report menus:

  • Competitive Landscape: Barriers to entry & Cost Structure Benchmarks
  • Operating Conditions: Regulation & Policy, Industry Assistance, Technology & Systems
Firms with substitute products

1. Business Source Complete OR ABI/INFORM Collection OR ANZ Newsstream - use keywords  to search news articles and trade publications

2. IBIS World Industry Report menus:

  • Competitive Landscape: Basis of Competition
  • About this industry: Similar Industries, Related International Industries