Making it work Why technology alone cant guarantee success Tim Macer Managing Partner Tim Macer Services.

www.macer.co.uk

Making it work Why technology alone can’t

guarantee success

Tim MacerManaging Partner

Tim Macer Services

www.macer.co.uk

Making it work: why technology alone can’t guarantee success

AGENDA

1. Barriers to acceptance2. The challenge for MR3. The challenge for DP4. Putting it all together

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1. Barriers to acceptance

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The risks

The software doesn’t do all you need

Bugs in the software

Hardware not up to scratch

Communications links inadequate

Costs run away or exceed the budget

The people

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Managing the risks

Software doesn’t do what you needevaluate and test in full

Bugs in the softwareagain, test very thoroughly

Hardware not up to scratchand test again

Communications links unreliableand test again

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Managing the risks

Costs run away or exceed the budgetBudget carefully and add contingenciesGet a good lawyer

The peopleGood people will succeed even with weak

technologyThe strongest technology will fail if the

people are not fully behind it Listen carefully…

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Barriers to acceptance

Ignorance

Poor understanding

Resentment

Fear

Cynicism

Passive resistance

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2. The Challenge for MR

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The challenge

New technology, like SPSS Dimensions, is inevitably going to make things easierfaster and more universally available

This will undoubtedly challenge accepted working practices

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A brief history lesson

MR got in early on technology

The early programs were difficult to use and took time to learn

Researchers tired of trying to use the programs and do their day jobs

Specialists were hired to learn and use the programs: DP was born

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MR as a commodity

The cross tab became everything

Research agencies became production lines

Time stood still, while elsewhere...

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MR is being squeezed

Companies often have all the data they wantCheap or DIY data collection on the web

means research agencies must give added value

MR must wise up on knowledge management and database integration

Management consultants are top-slicing the consultancy workAgencies must move up the food chain to

become knowledge consultants

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“Design and analysis time is becoming

increasingly restricted. As the logistics get

faster, clients want all aspects to be

faster. But how will we think faster?”Ray Poynter, Millward Brown Intelliquest“We’ve got five years”, ASC Conference, September 2000, London

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The ‘production line’ model is doomed

Until now, MR agencies have been able to mark up the cost of fieldwork to pay for the ‘thinking time’

As the cost of gathering data falls to near zero, where is the revenue going to come from?

MR must be explicit about the value it is adding

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Work faster, work smarter

Researchers must lose their virginity when it comes to technology

The new technology will help them to get closer to their clients

IT is too valuable for it to be the preserve of any one department

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A multi-disciplinary approach

New technology, like Dimensions, won’t work if it is simply molded around existing working models

Set up an implementation strategy team, involving all the operational units

Support for the new technology must come from the top

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“Every time I have seen it go wrong it is

because senior management did not

understand the technology. Expecting

the systems or DP department to come

up with the answers is very likely to

give you a systems led solution rather

than a research led solution.”John O’Brien, Chairman, BMRB International, on implementing new technology, interviewed in Research World, March 2001 (Esomar)

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The software gets simpler: the system gets more

complex

The standard ‘turnkey package’ is on its way out

Plan your migration to the new system with care, or get expert help

Be prepared to customize the software

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3. The Challenge for DP

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Is DP doomed?

DP must develop new skills to support the researchers in becoming more client focused and more technology dependent

The DP team must become more focused on the changing needs of its own internal clients

It must order some more chairs

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A new set of skills will be needed

New technical skills inKnowledge managementDatabase integrationInterface customization, e.g. VB scripts,

Java

And communication skills to educate, advise, encourageanalyse, problem solve and

troubleshoot

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How can we ease DP into its new role?

It’s time for DP to come out from under the rock

Recognise DP professionals as experts

Plan and provide adequate training and skill development

Stop calling it DP

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4. Putting it all together

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Plan for a successful migration

Set up a cross-departmental ‘task force’

Get top management involved ‘hands on’

Work hard to break down any traditional barriers and recognise genuine concerns

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Customize the software

Be prepared to customize the software at the implementation stage

Customization should be an ongoing process

DP should be reskilled to be able to perform this task

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Take everyone along

Keep everyone in the picture through frequent, lively communication

Run demos and seminars to ensure everyone understands

Ensure communication can flow in both directions and listen to people’s concerns

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Build new skills

Plan effective training from the beginning

Train tasks and skills, not technology

Recognise that the whole organization needs to learn, though feedback

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And…

And remember, those extra chairs are for people to sit on,

not for somewhere to rest a pile of crosstabs.

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Questions?