Market Research Data Processing is again at the crossroads of change. This paper briefly explores what forces are driving this change and how the world of survey processing will need to adapt and evolve over the coming years. These forces of change can be broadly split into two categories, client driven changes and technology driven advances.
1. The client driven changes
Clients demand better value and
higher quality
Continued growth and globalisation
Clients are becoming more sophisticated in their information needs
2. The technology drivers
More power, better software available Communications technology improving rapidly The impact of the Internet Open standards emerging
Meeting the Challenge
The rest of the paper will explore the impact of these changes and how this challenge can be met. Areas to be discussed will include:
The need for flexible resources, including cheaper overseas resources to manage the peaks and troughs
The recruitment and retention of the right staff “mix”
The blurring of traditional DP / Research boundaries
The need for technical staff to work directly with clients to resolve problems (joined up thinking)
How to cope with the polarisation of skills (and when some staff become de-skilled)
How to provide career options that allow staff to move across boundaries and allow technicians to learn and develop.
The training and cross training of some staff to become familiar with the Microsoft development platforms
The need for professional software development skills (no cottage industry approach)
Business led pragmatic implementation strategies for all of this
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