customised operations for customsied research at casro

Customized Operations for Customized Operations for Customized ResearchCustomized Research

PresentersSameer Inamdar, AGM, Datamatics Global Services Ltd.

Eleanor Dilworth, VP TRS Project Services/Sampling, Synovate (USA)

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Plan for the Hour

Introduction

Objective of the paper

Customized Operations Model

Our Experience

Conclusion

Introduction

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1. Projects are becoming more challenging

a. We are moving from a world of ‘OR’ to a world of ‘AND’

b. Of course, costs of operations today has to be less than yesterday!!

2. Technology in MR operations is still pretty standard (compared to the pace outside of MR)…

Market Research Today

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• High volume• Unique requirements that need different

approach• Multiple deliverables• Monthly/weekly/daily• Extended period of time

Projects Today

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• How do you meet requirements and remain cost efficient and cost competitive?

• How can you differentiate from your competition on turn around time and quality?

• How can you maximize project margins and ensure that the project will have long term savings?

Challenges

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Typical Approach• Try to fit these large/unique projects into current

processes and technology

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• One-size-fits-all approach causes over runs leading to extra efforts & resources

Problem

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Plan for the Hour

Introduction

Objective of the paper

Customized Operations Model

Our Experience

Conclusion

Objective of the paper

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• Propose a Conceptual Model for Customized Operations

that will help in:– Determining suitability of a project to be adapted for customized

technology operations

– Maximizing Process-Technology alignment for that project

– Decision-making for resource planning, KPI/metrics, & alignment with

long term organization goals

– Determining total cost of operations for different approaches and

suggest the best approach with minimum cost

Objective of the Paper

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Plan for the Hour

Introduction

Objective of the paper

Customized Operations Model

Our Experience

Conclusion

Our Experience

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Customer Satisfaction Project

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Scope of the study• Customer follow-up program for a car company• Three year program with estimated 1.5 million interviews per year; 120,000

per month; 5,000 per day• 100% of interviews to be recorded - respondent comments not typed in by

interviewer (Qual-Quant methodology)• Open end comments to be transcribed then coded• Tight turn around time requirements

– Email sent to client within 30 minutes containing transcribed and coded information for any interviews flagged as Hot Alert

– Remaining transcribing and coding completed by 6am following morning

• Complete transparency – data, recording, resulting transcription and applied codes visible to client at respondent level via website

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Challenges• Turn-Around-Time – 30 mins for Hot Alert (4% of files) and all

remaining files processed by 6:00 am

• Logistics – large number of files to be transferred across multiple locations and then consolidated

• Quality – stringent quality norms to be followed

• Resource Planning - small time window to execute the entire process

• Outsourcing – transcription not a service provided internally and timing constraints

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CST 6:00 am

CST 4:00 pm Audio file per

interview

File Transfer to

Partners

Interview start

Transcription &

Coding

Consolidation

Transcription+ coding

data

Upload to website

Existing Technology

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CST 6:00 am

CST 4:00 pm Audio file per

interview

File Transfer to

Partners

Interview start

Transcription &

Coding

Consolidation

Transcription+ coding

data

Upload to website

Existing Technology

• CATI Dialer automatically generates audio wave file per interview

• Files classified per type of interview and language

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CST 6:00 am

CST 4:00 pm Audio file per

interview

File Transfer to

Partners

Interview start

Transcription &

Coding

Consolidation

Transcription+ coding

data

Upload to website

Existing Technology

• Every 30 minutes, files batched and sent to partners for transcribing and coding

• The file transfer is by FTP

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CST 6:00 am

CST 4:00 pm Audio file per

interview

File Transfer to

Partners

Interview start

Transcription &

Coding

Consolidation

Transcription+ coding

data

Upload to website

Existing Technology

• Audio Files are downloaded by partners

• Team transcribes and codes using software available

• Transcription and coding data combined

• At periodic intervals, the transcription/coding data file is batched and uploaded to Synovate servers

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CST 6:00 am

CST 4:00 pm Audio file per

interview

File Transfer to

Partners

Interview start

Transcription &

Coding

Consolidation

Transcription+ coding

data

Upload to website

Existing Technology

• Once files downloaded by Synovate, they are matched back with other structure data and audio file

• Files are then uploaded batch-wise to website for client

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Wait a minute – Was that the BEST way??

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Can we make it better, i.e. more profitable operations?

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Of course we can and we did!!

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How you ask??• Followed a conceptual model for Customized

research which focused on

– Establishing an efficient Process after understanding project requirements

– Getting the Technology to fit the Process

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The “Out of Box” Process

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CST 6:00 am

CST 4:00 pm File per interview

Interview start

Transcription & Coding

Download individual files

and Consolidate

Continuous upload -

Transcribed + coded data

Upload to website

Continuous transfer to partners

Process Technology Fit

File conversion &

routing

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CST 6:00 am

CST 4:00 pm File per interview

Interview start

Transcription & Coding

Download individual files

and Consolidate

Continuous upload -

Transcribed + coded data

Upload to website

Continuous transfer to partners

Process Technology Fit

File conversion &

routing

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CST 6:00 am

CST 4:00 pm File per interview

Interview start

Transcription & Coding

Download individual files

and Consolidate

Continuous upload -

Transcribed + coded data

Upload to website

Continuous transfer to partners

Process Technology Fit

File conversion &

routing

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CST 6:00 am

CST 4:00 pm File per interview

Interview start

Transcription & Coding

Download individual files

and Consolidate

Continuous upload -

Transcribed + coded data

Upload to website

Continuous transfer to partners

Process Technology Fit

File conversion &

routing

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CST 6:00 am

CST 4:00 pm File per interview

Interview start

Transcription & Coding

Download individual files

and Consolidate

Continuous upload -

Transcribed + coded data

Upload to website

Continuous transfer to partners

Process Technology Fit

File conversion &

routing

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Process Technology Fit

In Short - Automated all manual tasks

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But the story does not end here….

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Few weeks later• Software provided real time metrics to measure efficiency at each

stage

• Further Process Re-engineering possible

– Integration of transcription and coding software

– Classification of audio files into buckets which helped in allocations

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Software Snapshot

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Software Snapshot

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Productivity Tracker

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Productivity Tracker

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Benefits• Quality & TAT – As per client requirements

• Well managed

• Process and technology dependent – Human intervention rarely required

• Transparency – Real time metrics available for every activity

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Savings• Resources – 20% less number of resources required

• Software – 40% savings on licensing/transaction costs

• Total Cost of Operations – Estimated savings of $630,000 over three years

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Ramp-up

020000400006000080000100000120000

Oct Nov Dec Jan

Period

Volu

me

Managed increased volumes

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Improved Quality

Quality Score

7684 84 84

92 95

0

20

40

60

80

100

November December January February March April

Scor

e (%

)

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So what did we learn from this?

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• It pays to think out of the box and design your own process

• Metrics is key requirement for process reengineering

• For Large/Long term projects look closely at existing software (transaction) & resource cost.

• Using your own technology can give you more control over your process and metrics

Learning

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Plan for the Hour

Introduction

Objective of the paper

Customized Operations Model

Our Experience

Conclusion

Customized Operations Model

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Organization

Process Automation

Simulation

Long term / large projects

Project Document

Processes

Understand the project

scope & requirement

sDesign

process as per project requiremen

t

Technology & process alignment

Technology

& organization

alignment

Conceptual Model

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Technology Process Alignment Parameters used for checking alignment

• Fitment of technology with process flow and Data flow

diagrams

• Productivity

• Training

• Monitoring performance

• Resource planning

• Costs

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Technology Organization Alignment Parameters used for checking alignment

• Adaptability

• Flexibility

• Scalability

• Scope for further process re-engineering

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Plan for the Hour

Introduction

Objective of the paper

Customized Operations Model

Our Experience

ConclusionConclusion

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• Technology is an enabler not solution by itself

• Large ongoing projects need a different approach

• Understanding project score and designing efficient process is first and most important step followed by appropriate technology solution

• Metrics is key to process re-engineering. The technology solution selected should provide real time data

• Process re-engineering and automation is an ongoing process

• Move from outsourcing which is “Lift & Shift” to Smart-Sourcing and partnership with service providers

Conclusion

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Questions

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