Intelligence direction uses the products of information requirements development and information requirements management and combines them with the functions of collections management, production management, and dissemination management. All of these efforts must be aligned to ensure that the focus remains on the efforts to obtain information to satisfy PIRs.

How does this work with the DIKW pyramid?

So, as raw data is being collected from various tool sets (data), we will need to start refining the data into usable information (information). Usable knowledge (or intelligence) can be gathered information for KPIs or understanding patterns or behavior against an established baseline. As intelligence is information that can be acted upon, this knowledge can provide decision makers with cognizance of the situation and enable the wisdom for developing options on the way forward.