Resource Analysis: IBISWorld U.S. Industry Research Reports
Dan Mandeville / 11 Dec 2011
IBISWorld products
IBISWorld (International Business Information Systems World, pronounced
“eye-biss-world”) is a Los Angeles-based industry research firm producing various business information
products. These include industry market research (for the U.S., China, Australia, the U.K., and global
markets), executive summaries, industry risk ratings, business environment reports, and market
research. This report analyzes their core product, IBISWorld U.S. Industry Research Reports.
Scope
IBISWorld U.S. Industry Research Reports include reports on over 700 U.S. industries. Each
report is for an industry as defined by IBISWorld and designated by an IBISWorld Code. These
industries and codes loosely correspond to five-digit NAICS codes, but there is some variation. For
example, NAICS industries 11131 and 11132 are both covered in the report designated with IBISWorld
Code 11134 (“Orange & Citrus Groves in the US”), a five-digit number not itself used as a NAICS
code. Additionally, some NAICS-defined industries are broken up into several industries by
IBISWorld. For example, NAICS 22111--“Electric Power Generation”--is covered by five separate
IBISWorld reports: Coal & Natural Gas Power (IBISWorld Code 22111a), Nuclear Power (22111b),
Hydroelectric Power (22111c), Wind Power (22111d) and Solar Power (22111e). Special reports are
available for seven other industries not mapping to NAICS: Biotechnology (NN001), Tourism (NN002),
Video Games (NN003), Agribusiness (NN004), Sustainable Building Materials (NN005), Wedding
Services (NN006), and Commercial Real Estate (NN007).
The content of U.S. Industry Research Reports is regularly updated a few times annually. In a random
selection of two dozen reports in December 2011, all but one had been updated in or after June 2011, and
about half had been updated in or after October 2011. IBISWorld’s site FAQ indicates that reports are
updated up to four times a year and their highlights page aimed at academic libraries (see Target users
1
Mandeville
section below) indicates they are updated an average of three times a year while the corporate
membership information states the average at twice annually.
IBISWorld claims that its research reports are “Extensive, objective and easy to digest” and this is
largely true. Each U.S. industry report is generally 30 to 40 pages long and includes nine standard
chapters about the industry, its performance, products and markets, competitive landscape, major
companies, and operating conditions as well as key statistics and a glossary (see Appendix). Though
objectivity may be difficult to gauge when discussing analysis, coverage appears to be balanced and
objective, reports are dated and credited to an author, and sources of tables and figures are all cited. The
reports are full of information but written in a style accessible to the non-expert.
Interface
The interface for IBISWorld’s U.S. Industry Research Reports is both functional and
attractive. The simple site design and functionality make it easy for the user to locate reports by either
searching or browsing, and help functions are prominently featured alongside plugs for IBISWorld’s other
information products.
At the top of the main page of the resource are a side-by-side drop down menu and search box. The
menu allows the user to specify which IBISWorld product to search (defaulting to “All Databases”). The
search is a basic keyword search, and neither advanced search features nor means of narrowing or sorting
search results are evident. Search results are displayed as report titles, inclusive of the IBISWorld
industry code and a link to “Search within this report”. Results are displayed only five at a time, or ten at
a time if the user selects “More Results”, and appear to be listed by relevance (though this is not stated
explicitly). The report titles are hyperlinked to the corresponding full text reports.
The reports are also browsable from the main page. Reports are listed by IBISWorld industry code and
industry name, and the code and name are hyperlinked to the report as they are in the search
results. Though a link to every single one of the reports appears on one page, they are somewhat easily
navigable, being grouped into sectors corresponding to NAICS sectors. Even so, in a large sector (such as
manufacturing, which includes 193 reports), browsing among all the reports could still be a bit of an
2
Mandeville
obstacle.
The reports themselves are visually appealing and easy to read. Chapters and sub-chapters are clearly
delineated and complemented by attractive visuals. The standardized format of the various sections
facilitates comparison of particular factors across different industries. Each report is keyword searchable,
with fulltext available in both HTML and downloadable PDF formats. The full content is not viewable
on a single page in HTML format; each of the nine chapters is viewed on a separate page.
Help functions are prominently featured on the main page. A client assistance phone number and two
support email addresses appear on the main page below the search box and above the browsable list of
reports. IBISWorld’s “About” menu also features helpful contact, FAQ, and Media Center pages.
Comparison
IBISWorld’s U.S. Industry Reports has features common to other industry resources:
industry overview, NAICS codes, similar industries, performance, products, markets, regulation, financial
and other statistics, five-year outlook, etc. But when compared to other online industry resources such as
First Research industry profiles or NetAdvantage industry surveys, IBISWorld’s U.S. Industry Reports
stand out for both breadth and depth of coverage.
IBISWorld Industry Reports, at 30 to 40 pages, are not as long as those in NetAdvantage’s
industry surveys, but the over 700 U.S. industries covered by IBISWorld’s reports vastly outnumbers
NetAdvantage’s 50 or so defined industries. IBISWorld’s coverage is not only more granular when it
comes to defining industries, but is also more comprehensive: several IBISWorld industries may be
treated in a single NetAdvantage report, or be absent from NetAdvantage altogether.
IBISWorld’s coverage of niche industries approaches that covered by First Research, which
describes over 900 industries as defined by NAICS codes up to the fourth, fifth, and sometimes sixth
digit. First Research also includes Canadian industry coverage, as well as industry profiles of American
states and Canadian provinces. However, while the content of First Reseach overviews includes these
and other features not covered by IBISWorld (e.g. “Executive Insight” and call prep questions), their
3
Mandeville
overall coverage and analysis of each industry is not as extensive and in-depth as that in IBISWorld’s
reports.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The product would be very useful to any entity or group needing fast,
thorough understanding of a broad range of unfamiliar U.S. industries. IBISWorld’s U.S. Industry
Reports’ greatest strength is in providing up-to-date, in-depth information and analysis of a broad range of
both large and small industries in the United States. The current state of the industry as a whole is the
focus rather than providing historical data. Coverage is recent but not necessarily up-to-the-minute; focus
is on industry trends rather than events, and news coverage is not a component of the reports. While
international perspectives are also not a primary focus of the U.S. Industry Reports, IBISWorld offers
other products covering industries in certain other countries and globally.
The reports themselves are easily accessible and searchable in both HTML and PDF formats, the latter
being both printable and downloadable. The search functions and display of search results leave a bit to
be desired, but the easy browsing compensates for these shortcomings at least in part.
Target users
While certainly useful for academic purposes, IBISWorld clearly aims its products,
including its U.S. Industry Reports, at companies looking for a competitive edge. It promotes its products
in general as providing “your organization” with insight in order to make “better business decisions”, and
keeping abreast of competitor activity is a key promotion point. The Industry Research Reports
themselves are specifically marketed as “powerful business tools that provide strategic insight and
analysis”. Among their “About” pages is an “Our Clients” page, featuring highlights aimed at sixteen
different client types including accountants, banks, marketers and advertisers, consultants, corporate
strategists, legal professionals, academic libraries, and more.
Value
The value of IBISWorld U.S. Industry Reports should be assessed in terms of how well it meets
the needs of the entity considering it as an information resource. Not all potential clients will have the
4
Mandeville
same needs for breadth and depth afforded by this product, but for those needing access to overviews of a
wide range of U.S. industries, including comprehensive overviews of even niche industries, the value is
great. The value added by other IBISWorld products that might be bundled with their core product
should be factored in to any consideration of the U.S. Industry Reports, and vice versa.
As of December 2011, individual industry reports from IBISWorld sell for $825 apiece and a sixmonth individual membership is priced at $1095. Twelve-month corporate membership and multi-user
access is custom-priced based on total number of users, number of annual downloads, internal
redistribution rights, and other variables. The cost and benefits should be weighed against the values
afforded by other online industry overview resources such as First Research and NetAdvantage.
Examples of Questions Answered by IBISWorld U.S. Industry Reports
5

What are the key external drivers of the water well drilling industry?

What regulations and policies impact flower wholesaling in the United States?

How is the intellectual property licensing industry performing and what is the future outlook?
Mandeville
Appendix: Standard Chapters and Sub-Chapters in IBISWorld U.S. Industry Research Reports









6
About this Industry
o Industry Definition
o Main Activities
o Similar Industries
o Additional Resources
Industry at a Glance
Industry Performance
o Executive Summary
o Key External Drivers
o Current Performance
o Industry Outlook
o Industry Life Cycle
Products & Markets (PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY; SALES &
MARKETING)
o Supply Chain
o Products & Services
o Demand Determinants
o Major Markets
o International Trade
o Business Locations
Competitive Landscape (COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE)
o Market Share Concentration
o Key Success Factors
o Cost Structure Benchmarks
o Basis of Competition
o Barriers to Entry
o Industry Globalization (INTERNATIONAL INSIGHTS)
Major Companies [including description and analysis of companies identified]
Operating Conditions (PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY)
o Capital Intensity
o Technology & Systems
o Revenue Volatility
o Regulation & Policy (FINANCE & REGULATION)
o Industry Assistance
Key Statistics
o Industry Data
o Annual Change
o Key Ratios
Jargon & Glossary
Mandeville