Research Management
Research management means professional integration of market research as a management system and cross-cutting issue in the organizational processes and decision-making processes of a company .
Research Management acts "proactively", i. H. it takes the initiative itself and on the one hand shows the other departments of the company their information requirements in advance, and on the other hand continuously supplies decision-relevant, recipient-specific data. The concept of research management is a hybrid system made up of elements from classic knowledge and information management.
Research Management increases the value of market research and optimizes the "return on research investment" by actively adapting to company-related structures and requirements as well as generating internal company synergies. Research management is therefore the most efficient evolutionary stage that market research can achieve.
Stages of evolution in company market research
Based on Rainer Michaeli , the Bonn-based market researcher EuPD Research has developed a model that distinguishes between four "evolutionary phases" of internal company market research, with the degree of efficiency increasing continuously from level to level.
"Lonely Research"
Market research is carried out individually, part-time and "ad hoc", i.e. only for one current project. There is no comprehensive coordination and planning, market research data is scattered throughout the company and is available decentrally in individual departments. The acceptance of the results is low. Decision-makers in other departments often have no knowledge of implemented projects, which leads to duplication and inefficiency. There is no discursiveness in project design.
"Guerrilla Research"
Market research is done on the side, is uncoordinated and partially undermines existing structures, so that different departments work against each other and knowledge is often collected twice. In this competition , however, the first, mostly unofficial information networks are already being formed.
"Research Islands"
In some areas, certain processes have become established that can be understood as official guidelines. This professionalism increases the benefit and improves the acceptance of the facts provided by market research . However, there is no company-wide coordination.
"Research Management"
Market research is an integral part of the company and is professionally bundled in a department with full-time staff. Information is continuously collected and proactively made available to the respective departments. The information available in the company is mapped, all projects are based on existing data. Market research generates maximum added value and actively increases company value.
Development of a research management
Research management describes a continuous process that builds on one another and can be broken down into five phases.
organization
In a functioning research management system, market research is an integral part of the corporate structure. In contrast to the other evolutionary phases, market research is not understood as a supplement to entrepreneurial processes, but is already firmly integrated into the processes during implementation .
analysis
In Research Management, market research does not begin with the actual data collection, but with a structured, systematic and company-wide needs analysis with regard to the decisions to be made. Those responsible are proactively made available precisely the information they need for upcoming decisions.
Research
During the data collection, there is a constant exchange between decision-makers and market researchers in order to enable the search for information to be made more precise through additional surveys. The data obtained are analyzed by experts and processed in a solution-oriented manner in an action-relevant form.
Availability
It is then ensured that the results of the survey are made available to other parts of the company in a suitable manner for possible current and future use. In doing so, attention is paid as much as possible to recipient-specific storage and intelligent linking in order to optimize the acceptance and implementation of the results in decision-making processes.
Evaluation
At the end of each project there is a controlling . The costs and benefits are evaluated and an internal learning process is supported. This learning process ensures constant evolution and helps to optimize future processes. In the research management model, market research is no longer just a single step in the decision-making process, but an integral part of business decisions.
Research management in the B2B sector
While market research is already more firmly anchored in the German end consumer sector and carried out more systematically, in the B2B sector it is currently still in a very early stage of evolution between lonely research and guerrilla research . While more and more companies are generally relying on market research, there is still a lack of structure. The companies show deficits, especially in the area of data transfer and implementation of the results in concrete recommendations for action. However, current studies show that companies that have already established a functioning research management system were able to derive significantly greater added value from the results. Especially in the area of market positioning and product optimization, a market research system based on research management was able to successfully support the company processes.
bibliography
- Michaeli, Rainer (2006): Competitive Intelligence. Achieve strategic competitive advantages through systematic competition, market and technology analyzes . Springer-Verlag, Berlin. ISBN 978-3-540-03081-2
- EuPD Research (2008): B2B market research in Germany , Bonn. ISBN 978-3-941632-00-4
Individual evidence
- ^ Michaeli, Rainer (2006): Competitive Intelligence. Achieve strategic competitive advantages through systematic competition, market and technology analyzes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
- ^ EuPD Research (2008): B2B market research in Germany , Bonn.
- ↑ ibid.