|
December 1999 Volume 1.07
World Wide Web Surveys
by Rodger Gallagher
A new medium
 The
World Wide Web (WWW) provides a new medium for undertaking market
research. Allowing data from respondents completing a questionnaire
to be captured directly, appears to provide a low cost alternative
to other types of fieldwork, such as Computer Assisted Telephone
Interviewing. WWW or Web based surveys have already been used in
a variety of ways - from political polls through to the complex
surveys used in Customer Value research. But are these WWW surveys
of any use? Do they provide the accurate information needed for
businesses to base decisions on? While many people are familiar
with the need for market research to be based on statistically reliable
sample sizes, fewer people understand that the major drivers of
precision are not associated with the sample size. Such factors
as the sample being random, the questions being structured correctly,
and the interaction of the respondent with the medium, all impact
the reliability of market research data. A poll on the New Zealand
political parties conducted by the Xtra web site is a good example
of how biased data can come from a non-random sample. The poll asked
visitors to the Xtra web site to click on a political party. So
the poll sample was firstly open to those people anywhere in the
world with Internet access who visited the Xtra web site.
And secondly it was completed by those people interested enough
to click on one of the boxes. This sample of course is nothing like
the make-up of the New Zealand voting population. While this survey
was only intended as a bit of fun, the high vote for the Legalise
Marijuana party in the poll that did not line up with the actual
election result does demonstrate what happens when a sample is not
representative of the target population. So for a Web based survey
to provide reliable results it needs to be designed and managed
well, just like any other fieldwork medium.
Satisfaction and Value Surveys
A major limitation in using WWW surveys for customer, employee,
or supplier satisfaction, or value research, is the limited penetration
of access to the Web amongst the general public. With access varying
from 30% to 60%, in many countries a large percentage of consumers
would not be reached by a Web survey. So Web surveys must either
be supplemented by a more inclusive technique or restricted to areas
with a near 100% WWW penetration such as for employee surveys in
companies where every employee has a computer with a Web browser,
or for business-to-business customer surveys in a hi-tech industry.
One company that has used Web based customer satisfaction surveys
since 1997 is Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), a manufacturer of processors
for the computer industry. With hi-tech customers around the world,
AMD has found Web based research to be a cost-effective and reliable
approach. Security and limiting the survey to the target audience
is achieved by generating a unique URL or Web address for each respondent,
then e-mailing it to him or her in an invitation from the AMD Divisional
President. This avoids the need for entering passwords. Although
most of AMD's survey is conducted on the Web, hard copy surveys
are still used for customers without WWW access. Web technology
is also used by AMD for making results available. This covers both
statistical data and verbatim data.
In New Zealand we have found that some clients now have a high penetration
of employees with access to the WWW. This means that Web based employee
surveys can be successfully conducted. A 'click here' link from
an Intranet or Extranet home page allows employees to directly access
the survey. After completion of the survey they are automatically
returned to their corporate home page.
So well designed and managed Web fieldwork has already demonstrated
that it has a role to play as an alternative medium for undertaking
business research.
 ATANASSOV
I've always been amazed at how an orchestra's playing is impacted
by the conductor. The local orchestra in Hamilton is the Waikato
Symphony (WSO). Although I enjoy orchestral music and find it intensely
stimulating, I know very little about it. But the quality of the
WSO's performances varies so much that even I can tell the difference.
And what is quite clear is that the orchestra performs much better
when they have a superb conductor. Last month they performed under
the baton of Joachim Atanassov, an acclaimed Hungarian conductor
who has retired in Rotorua. Atanassov drew a superb performance
from the WSO of Weber, Beethoven, and Dvorak.
It's the same in business. What I've noticed is that when we listen
to the music a business is playing using a People Value Added survey
of an employee attitudes, the best business performance comes from
the departments that have the top managers. This type of information
allows Chief Executives to identify the departments and managers
that need to attend another rehearsal.
The Mission for Your Customers
Continues...
10.0 Educate and Train Management & Staff
This article looks at the need to train management and staff
on what Customer Value Added (CVA) data is saying, and on how to
use it to achieve business gains.
The CVA Process provides market research data in a very concentrated
format known as a Value, Quality, and Cost Profiles. In the same
way that a financial statement of income and expenditure presents
information in a page or so of numbers in columns and rows, a Value
Profile presents research data in a similar format showing means,
ratios, and purchase impact weights. Just as a financial report
requires training to understand the numbers on the report and make
business decisions based on what they are saying, experience indicates
that full use of CVA information only comes after management and
staff are trained in the use of the CVA reporting tools. The best
way of doing this is working with the information in a workshop
setting to develop the tactics needed to move your business ahead.
A typical agenda for this type of workshop would be:
* Chief Executive of business opens the session stating the purpose,
objectives, and outcome. It is important that the Chief Executive
does this as it demonstrates personal support and commitment to
using the CVA information.
* An expert on Customer Value Added then gives an overview of concepts
covering the survey structure and the framework of the reporting
tools.
* Next a breakout session allows the participants to consider where
they feel their company is on the Customer Value Map. This introduces
the Value Trees or Value Map. An alternative is to use the Value
tree builder module of the Customer Value Manager software to build
the module using a data projector.
* Then the actual CVA results are reported along with an explanation
on how they can be used to make business decisions.
* A planning session with breakout teams then develops possible
ideas and tactics using the CVA information to improve.
* The teams then report back to the Chief Executive who concludes
the workshop advising the next steps to be taken and the people
assigned to action them.
Watch the next CVM Update for further ideas on Implementing
the Customer Value Added Process.
Previous Step
9.0...
Next Step 11.0 Establish and Manage
K.P.I. Linkages...
Regards,
Rodger Gallagher
|
