I am sometimes shocked to see how inefficiently some market research data processing tasks are carried out. Every business has some inefficiencies….

I was surprised to read from the www.mrweb.com daily newsfeed that Digitab, the Kantar-owned DP house based in London, is being wound down over 2018. In many ways, I am not surprised as MRDC, amongst other agencies that offered data processing (DP) services in the 1990s, have needed to change significantly in the last 25 years.

You are ready to do your first online survey or increase the volume of surveys that you are conducting. The obvious thing to do is to use Google to find the right tool. Whilst Google’s algorithms are undoubtedly impressive, when you are searching for a more professional online survey tool than the one that most people use, it can be tough finding that right software system.

How many times have you heard a customer say to you “I hope you are making a good profit out of our work”? Probably, never. Possibly, once. It’s our business to make sure that we make a profit. If we don’t, we will not exist for long. Whilst running a profitable business is important, it also important to work with clients that trust you

Market research is changing – and, indeed, has changed already. The technology that is available cheaply and the change in the way that business is conducted mean that if you are still conducting research like you were 10 years ago, something is probably wrong with your business…

After many years running businesses in software, data management, market research and data visualisation, I feel that I am well equipped to advise on a lot of things. So, why did I decide to attend the #cmalive marketing conference in Edinburgh last week?

One of the things I like to do once a year is to question the way we do everything. This covers everything that I can think of – how new sales are handled, how purchase invoices are handled, how we answer the phone etc. You name it, I try to question it. It’s a good exercise and can involve everyone too.