There is a common misconception in the market research industry that automation is limited to only wave or tracking studies. However, ‘Automation is not just for Trackers!’ trackers are just one example of a project type suitable for report automation. In this article, we’ll explore the broader advantages of automation and its diverse range of use cases across various research project types.
Automation for Trackers
Brand tracking surveys or multi-wave, continuous tracking studies are longitudinal projects that determine changes in attitudes and behaviours over time and will involve regular intervals of data collection. Automation is incredibly effective in this context because it minimises repetitive tasks. Once the initial set-up is complete for the first wave, subsequent waves can be populated instantly! This not only reduces the potential for human error but also delivers ROI in the short to medium term due to the longevity of these projects.
It’s also important to know that automation isn’t restricted to new projects or the first wave. Even if you didn’t automate it from the outset, you can still start automating it now.
Bellomy Market Research shared their experience of implementing report automation across three Tracking studies. On just one tracking study alone, Bellomy were able to save 300 hours on their report creation.
While it’s true that automation is highly effective for trackers, its benefits extend far beyond this. In fact, automation can bring significant value across a wide range of research types, even one-time, ad-hoc projects!
Multiple Outputs
Any template that contains repetition is a good candidate for automation! This can apply to segmentation studies, multi-market, regional, departmental, category, product etc. Just set up one master report template, and it can be set to automatically re-populate according to the number of reports required, each with its relevant ‘slice’ of the overall data. Even if there is variance between ‘cuts’, the automation can handle that and ‘customize’ each output accordingly. See how Element Market Research benefitted when they ran a annual employee assessment known as a “Pharmaceutical Field Medical Liaison Evaluation.” This required multiple outputs from just one single project. For example, one of these outputs reported on comparisons between employees by just a single metric while another output presented in depth individual reports for each employee in the survey.
Concept/Ad Testing
This is a project where you have a core template/report shell that is reused for future runs of the same survey. While the specific content such as brands, categories, or logos may change with each run, the overall slide structure and design remain the same, ensuring a cohesive and uniform look across all reports.
These types of projects are automated by creating a “blank canvas” template that can be filled with different content each time – for example adjust depending on how many concepts/ads are being evaluated each time. Depending on the complexity of your core report template, more preparation may be required at the outset, but the end result can be tailored to deliver ready-client deliverables.
Ad-Hoc Surveys
Perhaps the biggest myth that needs exploding here is that automated reporting isn’t suitable for ad-hoc reporting. The problem with this common misconception is the mindset and business vision with many charting or reporting environments. Of course each project is different, of course the charts will change, of course you will need to “build the story line” as you go along. But does that really prevent automation from making a difference? Of course not!
Where there is repetition, there is opportunity for automation. Often One-off projects have repetitive sections in their reports such as repeated slides for segmentation which can be fully automated. Or perhaps there is a very short window of time between fieldwork ending and the client/stakeholder requiring the final reports – with automation, the whole reporting process and setup can start during fieldwork with just interim or dummy data, and then when the final data and tabulations are available, the whole deck can be re-populated in a matter of minutes!
Syndicated Projects
A syndicated project refers to a research study conducted by a market research firm, funded by multiple clients or companies. These projects are typically broader in scope and designed to appeal to multiple organisations interested in the same market, industry or demographic trends.
Now, imagine you’re running a project on behalf of several clients – wouldn’t it be great to add value to each client’s report by tailoring each of them to reflect their brand? Automation makes this possible! For example, placing their brand at the forefront of reports, comparing the difference of their brand versus competitors, re-formatting reports with their brand colours, logos etc. With automation, you can add customisation without the cost and time of additional manual effort.
Bottomline
Don’t limit the opportunity for automation in your projects! E-Tabs Enterprise provides a number of methods to optimize project set-up time. As a result of these methods, and particularly once users have familiarized themselves with the software, clients report that project set-up can be completed much quicker using E-Tabs Enterprise versus manual hand-posting of numbers, and when taking accuracy of data entry into the equation, and the various scenarios described above, this provides a compelling reason to consider the software for all types of projects, not just “trackers”. The bottom line – A massive Return on Investment time after time.
“E-TABS ENTERPRISE GOES FAR BEYOND AUTOMATED CHARTING. YOUR IMAGINATION IS YOUR ONLY LIMIT.”
Carla Jordan,
VP, Research Operations, Bellomy