“Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.”
— Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
As opposed to popular belief that market research is losing relevance in face of the abundance of available data, the truth is actually reverse. While there are multiple data sources, the challenge lies in filtering what is relevant to your organization and the business problem at hand.
As an Analyst with Greyhound Research, I also lead consulting assignments. My role has pushed me to go beyond basic skills such as research, resource management, pre-sales support among other areas and has encouraged me to actively innovate at every step of the research & consulting lifecycle.
- Collaborative Project Management is the key to successful delivery. A project from ideation to delivery must be managed systematically including consistent client servicing, clear vendor communication and coordinated teamwork. We champion these aspects at all times and work in tandem with our clients and vendors to deliver value.
- Business outcomes before research objectives. While working on research projects it is important to have a holistic idea of the expected outcomes for the business. My endeavor as project lead is to always look beyond the defined research objectives and focus on the business side impacts of the project. For example a recent customer satisfaction study that we executed for a global cosmetic giant captured more than just the product feedback and helped identify existing supply-chain irregularities.
- Research and Design is a marriage made in heaven. Organizations today grapple with ensuring longevity of research content – visual recall helps solve this issue. We emphasize on using innovative ways of designing our research content through creative infographics and presentations. An example would be complimenting a blog with a graphical data-point.
- Redefine client-vendor relationship, work as partners. It is imperative clients and research organizations work in a symbiotic manner, and take time-out to work through project roadblocks together. For each project we strive to create synergies between our project team and the client team. In case of operational project challenges, we encourage both parties to engage in interactive discussions that help align thoughts, get fresh perspectives and start over again.
Greyhound Research today exhibits this new culture of research (Read more on Why We Matter?). Against popular perception of large research organizations driving better value, my personal experience tells me otherwise. I believe that it is smaller firms that are highly focused on delivering value and driving innovation around client business outcomes. In a few words, an organization must always think holistically when outsourcing research projects and practice prudence when measuring the offered outcomes for the business problem and the associated business unit.
Whats your Standpoint?
Do you agree with my thoughts from above? Are you able to maximize outcomes from research projects your organization is currently undertaking? Please leave your thoughts in comments below or send us a quick note on connect@greyhoundgroup.com and it’ll be a pleasure to catch-up!
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About the author: Manasi Parvatikar is an Analyst with Greyhound Research, an independent IT & Telecom Research & Advisory firm. Manasi focuses on emerging consumer technologies and trends that are transforming our everyday lives. To read more about her, click here