SIS International Research presents the challenges of global data collection as it has changed in the past forty years. This presentation features a step-by-step process of conducting global data collection today with key analytical methods for European countries, Asian countries, and Latin American countries.

1. SIS International
Custom Research
The Challenges of
Global Data Collection
Presented by SIS International Research
2008
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2. Outline of Presentation
• Global Data Collection – A Perspective
• The Challenge of Global Data Collection - The Situation/Task-Case Study
! Step #1: Review the Previous Research
! Step #2: Contact Your Internal International Offices
! Step #3 Develop a Global Research Plan
! Step #4 Secondary Literature Search
! Step #5 Start “Digging for the Data” with Government Statistic
! Step #6 Develop a List of Questions for the Primary Research
! Step #7 Comparative Interview Methods
! Step #8 Analytical Methods for Global Data Collection
! Step #9 Global Data Collection - Ongoing Tracking Methods
! Conclusions
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3. Global Data Collection –
A Perspective
1970-1980 “The Fieldwork and Paper Era” [US and Europe]
• Growth of Market Research [US and Western Europe]
• Face-to-face Surveys, Door-to-Door Surveys, Focus Groups
• Growth of data processing or tabulating firms/houses
• Growth of Directories [e.g. Encyclopedia of Associations]
• Growth of Trade Journals and Industry Publications
• Growth of Trade Associations [e.g. American Management Association, etc.]
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4. Global Data Collection –
A Perspective (continued)
1980-1990 – “Emergence of the Electronic Age”
[US, Europe, Japan]
• Growth of Telephone Market Research Surveys
• Application of sophisticated focus groups techniques
• Growth of online databases [Dialog, Lexis Nexis]
• Emergence of Search Engines [e.g. Hoover]
• Growth of Corporate Information Centers
• Growth of Document Management and Storage Systems
• Evolution of Electronic Libraries
• Evolution of the Intranet
• Growth of Competitive Intelligence Department/Functions
• Development of Internal Corporate Intelligence systems
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5. Global Data Collection –
A Perspective (continued)
1990-1995 “The Electronic Data Capture Era”
[US and Western Europe, Japan]
• “The Fall of Communism” [emergence of Central European countries –Poland, Hungry and The Czech
Republic]
• Evolution of the CD Rom – massive development of CD Rom products
• Newswire services and database publishers expand with global coverage
• Knowledge Management Systems are developed from Lotus Notes
• “Fax Mania”
• Growth of international market research firms
• Enhanced word processing – Word Perfect, Word
• Enhanced graphic packages – Harvard Graphics, Power Point
• Modem transfer of data
• Emergence of the Internet
• Growth of International data bases [Compass, etc.]
YET – “While the world was beginning to emerge into a Global Market Place, most countries still conducted
research and business in their local language”
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6. Global Data Collection –
A Perspective (continued)
1995-2000 “The Global Superhighway – The Internet Age”
• The Internet allows for linking and the flow of data from North America, Europe,
Latin America, Asia and The Middle East
• Global expansion fuels global market research
• Directories go global
• Aggregators of newswires develop Internet-friendly “search engines”
• Traditional publishers develop Internet products
• Microsoft becomes the global standards
• “A laptop in every home” - global connectivity
• Access to information anytime, anywhere via any language
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7. Global Data Collection –
A Perspective (continued)
2000-2003 “Access to Global Information” – yet another set of issues
• The world has adopted English as the global business language
• 9/11/2001 changed the world – the new world landscape
• “Safe haven countries [North America, Europe, and Modern Asia]
• Countries with terrorism – issues of data security
• Emergence and growth of internet surveys
• Consolidation in traditional market research firms
• Migration of directories, market research studies and government data to online
• Intense competition between the Internet Service Providers
• Downsizing of market research and consulting staffs in corporations and
organizations
• Increased demands for rapid global data collection and interpretation of the data
into intelligence
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8. The Challenge of
Global Data Collection
The Situation/Task – Case Study:
• You have just taken a new position as Manager of Global Research
for a large global manufacturer of medical devices that are
manufactured and sold in multiple markets throughout the world.
• Your task is to “get up to speed” as quickly as possible.
• While the firm has developed a new wound care product in the US,
they are considering the potential manufacturing and distribution of
this device in the European, Latin American and Asian markets.
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9. The Challenge of Global
Data Collection (continued)
The Situation/Task – Case Study:
• Where do you start?
• How do you locate the appropriate primary and secondary sources in
each country or region for each product line?
• How do you identify the current and potential manufacturers
[competitors], suppliers, distributors and How do you project the
potential sales and rate the potential for success in these markets?
• How do you measure customer satisfaction in these markets?
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10. Step #1: Review the
Previous Research
In this case, secondary and primary research conducted in the US market
• Secondary literature and statistics
-- Number of patients with chronic wound care
-- Private vs. public hospitals
-- Method of treatment
-- Search of current [known] competitors who manufacture wound
care devices
-- Profile of current competitors via visiting their websites and securing their
sales literature
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11. Step #1: Review the
Previous Research (Cont)
• Primary Research
• Primary interviews of nurses, hospital purchasing agents, physicians
• Supplier and distributor interviews
• Competitor Research/Interviews
• Competitor prices and literature
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12. Step #1: Review the
Previous Research (Cont.)
! Overall Research Findings
o The initial analysis revealed that your firm may have a competitive
advantage over the existing two competitors in the US.
o Your new product appears to have a technological and pricing competitive
edge in the US. Your task is to determine if the product has the same
competitive edge in Europe, Asia and Latin America and to develop a
marketing plan for entry into these regions.
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13. Step #2: Contact Your
Internal International Offices
• Contact your European, Latin American and Asian Regional Sales and
Manufacturing offices
• Obtain any previous research, data, statistics, and rumors they may have
heard from the field sales force in these countries
• Ask for suggested sources and people to interview
• Have them “educate you” as to the local healthcare systems in these
countries
• Develop a research plan which identifies the “holes to be filled”
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14. Step #3 Develop a
Global Research Plan
Sample Research Plan for Europe
Information UK France Germany Spain Italy Netherlands
Requirements
Internet search
yield
Secondary Data
# patients
# hospitals
--private
--public
Growth of
critical care
units
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15. Step #3 Develop a
Global Research Plan
Information UK France Germany Spain Italy Netherlands
Requirements
Primary
Research
Nurse
interviews
Hospital Admin
interviews
Physician
interviews
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16. Step #3 Develop a
Global Research Plan
Information UK France Germany Spain Italy Netherlands
Requirements
Competitor
Interviews
Distributors
Competitors
Suppliers
Analysis of
Information
Market
Projections
Development of
Global Market Plan
[US, Europe, Asia,
Latin America
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17. Step #4 Secondary
Literature Search
In 2004: The Internet - a global information intelligence marketplace.
I. The Large Providers
-- Aggregators of newswires and published sources
-- Some of these sources offer access to market research studies
• Factiva -www.factiva.com
• Lexis/Nexis - www.lexisnexis.com
• Dialog/Newsedge - www.dialog.com
• Hoover
• Dunn & Bradshreet
• Select search engines
• Skill is required in searching these large databases as further filter information may be
helpful in securing specific information.
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18. Step #4 Secondary
Literature Search
II. Secure Previous Market Research and Intermediary Reports if
they contain relevant information
• Datamonitor
• Factiva
• Economist Intelligence
• Frost & Sullivan
• Fredonia
• AC Nielsen
• Forrester Group
• Find/SVP
• Ovid
• Snapshots International
• Many others
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19. Step #5: Start “Digging for the Data
with Government Statistics”
To determine the number of cases of chronic wound care patients in European,
Asian and Latin American countries, government sources are the best place
to start.
• Call your consulate or embassy in each country
• UK – NHS National Health Services website
• Germany, France - National Statistics bureaus
• Netherlands – Individual regional healthcare websites
• Japan – Government publishes numerous export statistics
• Obtain financial analyst reports
• Brazil – Universities are the best source of published information
• Mexico – Government data is available
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20. Step #5 Start “Digging for the Data with
Government Statistics”
Limitations of Secondary Research in International Markets
1. Avoid using a single data source – can be dangerous
--There is either no relevant data
--There is too much conflicting data
--All secondary data needs to be cross-checked
2. The national statistics may reflect a political angle – may not reflect the true situation
--e.g. High birth rates to prove the need for more secondary schools
--e.g. Altering agricultural output figures in the EU to impact trade policies
!3. Differences in data sources in countries within regions
-- all data is comparable within regions if you understand the difference of definitions and the
political context on which the data is produced.
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21. Step #6 Develop a List of
Questions for “holes to be filled”
Develop a primary research plan
Segment Europe Asia Latin America Global Analysis
Hospital
Administrator
Physicians
Nurses
Competitors
Suppliers
Distributors
Key Opinion
Leaders
Others
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22. Step #6 Guidelines for Primary
Research Data Collection [cont.]
We now have a global information intelligence marketplace in the Internet.
1. Avoid face to face interviews
--In the age of mobile phones and the Internet, the intelligence yield is higher with phone calls
2. Conduct the interviews in the local language
--You may have to hire an international market research firm
3. Avoid running projects during vacation periods
--e.g. interviews in France in August
4. Avoid interviewing within the same country
--For obtaining sensitive data, better results when calling from another country or when consultants
visit from another country [e.g. visit Japan for an interview]
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23. Step #7 Comparative
Interview Methods
Key analytical methods for three regions
ANALYTICAL EU COUNTRIES ASIAN COUNTIRES LATIN AMERICAN
METHODS COUNTIRES
SECONDARY • Good and reliable sources • Mostly good and reliable sources • Now mostly good and reliable
• National statistics usually more • Beware differences in definitions sources
RESEARCH SOURCES/ • Other no multiple sources, you need
reliable than European summaries • Beware differences in definitions
GOVERNMENT • Beware differences in definitions to understand and rely on the single • Other no multiple sources, so
SOURCES and do not trust a single source. source
you need to understand and rely
• Be aware of the ‘political angle’.
•Much of the data is now on the Some of the data is now on the
on the single source. Some of the
Internet. Internet. data is now on the Internet.
EXPERT INTERVIEWS • This is similar in all regions. • Always go ‘to the top’ or as high • Always go ‘to the top’ or as high
• Always go ‘to the top’ or as high as possible in an organization as possible in an organization.
as possible in an organization • Experts love to talk about their • Experts love to talk about their
• Experts love to talk about their specialty and area of knowledge specialty and area of knowledge
specialty and area of knowledge • Beware of the expert trying to • Beware of the expert trying to
‘prove a point’ and of being ‘light- ‘prove a point’ and of being ‘light-
years’ ahead of the market. years’ ahead of the market.
COMPETITOR • Similar in all regions. You must • You must go as high as feasible, • You must go as high as feasible,
INTERVIEWS go as high as feasible, as only as only senior people know what as only senior people know what
senior people know what is really is really sensitive information is really sensitive information.
sensitive information. • Beware of respondents trying to
•Talk about ‘their competitors’ not ‘sell their company’ and
the actual company interviewed. enhancing their own position.
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24. Step #7 Comparative
Interview Methods
Key analytical methods for three regions (Continued)
ANALYTICAL EU COUNTRIES ASIAN COUNTIRES LATIN AMERICAN
METHODS COUNTIRES
DISTRIBUTOR These can be a rich source of These can be a rich source of These can be a rich source of
INTERVIEWS information. Again, talk at the information. Again, talk at the information. Again, talk at the
highest level. highest level. highest level.
SALES REPS/ These can be a rich source of Not such a good source in these Not such a good source in these
SALESMEN information especially if you can countries. countries.
find ex-salesmen to talk about
their previous employer.
CUSTOMER Customers often know little about Customers often know very little Customers often know ‘next to
INTERVIEWS their suppliers or a particular about their suppliers or a nothing’ about their suppliers or
market in general. Good for particular market in general. the market in general. Good for
information about their Good for information about their information about relationships
relationships with key suppliers. relationships with key suppliers. with their key suppliers. Useless
Not so good for pricing and Often useless for pricing and for pricing and volume sales
volume sales information. volume sales information. information
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25. Step #8 Analytical Methods
for Global Data Collection
Regional “Roll Up” Analysis
• The secondary and primary research data must be analyzed within the political and
environmental context of each country and region.
Strategic Analysis
Key Regional Findings
France, Germany, UK, Spain
Country Analysis
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26. Step #8 Analytical Methods for Global
Data Collection [cont.]
Global “Roll Up” Analysis
•The global analysis requires “normalization” of the data to project the
number of units that can be sold by country and on a global basis.
Strategic Analysis
Key Regional Findings
North America, Europe, Asia, Middle East
Regional Analysis
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27. Step #9 Global Data Collection-
Ongoing Tracking Methods
• The potential market can be tracked on an ongoing basis
through:
• Monthly scanning the secondary literature sources and the Internet for
changes in the data and the competitor movements
• Quarterly and semi-annual interviews to key individuals in the market
segment pipeline
• The Result:
• A dynamic marketing plan that is proactive and has a clear entry into
international markets with reduced risk in the market place
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28. Conclusions
• Using this checklist, you have successfully met the challenge of
global data collection.
• It is important to secure the feedback of the local regional
international offices for their feedback on your research.
• International markets must continually be monitored as local market
and competitive conditions can rapidly change due to economic
conditions [e.g. China] and due to political events [e.g. terrorism:
Philippines, Indonesia]
• If possible, attend international research conferences to ensure that
you are up-to-date on the latest information sources that are available
on the market.
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