Data Processing Facing the Challenge in a Commercial Market Research Agency

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Data Processing Facing the Challenge in a
Commercial Market Research Agency

• Garj Basi
• September 2003
• ASC conference Warwick

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Agenda

• Background
• Facing the challenge - Agents of Change
• Commercial
• Technical
• Making the change
• 10 point action plan
• Conclusion

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Background

• BMRB ...
• Commercial Market Research agency
• Custom and syndicated research
• Media, Stakeholder and Social research
• CAPI, CATI, CAWI, Scanning
• Part of the Kantar group and WPP
• DP team of 35 spread across London, Manchester
  and Bombay
• SPSS software

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Facing the Challenge

• Structural Changes
• The challenge of change is arriving from two
  directions.

Technology
Data Processing
Commercial
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Business Pressures

• Value for money essential in a price sensitive
  industry
• Error free results to schedule
• Globalisation
• Clients
• Suppliers
• Agencies
• Clients becoming more sophisticated
• Legislation

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Technology as a Force of Change

• Computing power
• Storage
• Processing power
• Communications

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Technology as a Force of Change (2)
They have the internet on computers now !?!
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Technology as a Force of Change(3)

• Internet
• Web based data collection
• Operational efficiency
• Publishing and dissemination of results
• DP going mainstream!

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Summary of the Challenges 1

• Fast and timely delivery for clients
• Lower costs
• Integration into client systems
• 24/7 support
• Use the tools and formats the client wants us to
  use
• Scaleable
• Flexible

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Summary of the Challenges 2

• Project management skills
• High levels of technical competence in a variety
  of technical fields
• Communicate internally and externally, at all
  levels
• Knowledge of IT and software development

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Making the change

• BMRB is part way through implementing changes in
  this area
• Here is our 10 point plan of action

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The 10 point Action Plan

• 1. Managers who Manage
• 2. Excellent Technicians who can also communicate
  effectively
• 3. Flexible offshore processing resource
• 4. Project Management skills
• 5. Technical and managerial careers

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The 10 point Action Plan(2)

• 6. Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
• 7. Secondments
• 8. Peer Observation, Mentoring programs (BMRBs
  EPDP programme)
• 9. Gap Analysis Of IT Skills
• 10. Refocus IT providers and align software and
  DP functions
• - Overall strategy for dimensions

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Conclusion

• Change has begun
• Learning new IT related skills
• New organisation structures set up
• Old skills starting to die out
• DP skills shortage no longer exists

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Conclusion(2)
DP Function
Project Management
Technical Expertise
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What to Outsource?
Organisational transformation driving cultural
change. (Dimensions, Quality)
x
Value Creation
Application of technical, professional skills to
business needs. Projects, Solutions, Client
contact.
x
Added Value
Value for money
Delivering transactional services quality
speed value consistency