One option that Research & Marketing Strategies (RMS) has been offering to clients more frequently is access to data portals.  These data portals allow our clients to access survey results in real-time.  This is particularly useful to clients who are conducting ongoing or longitudinal studies.  The portals allow our clients to access data at any point and get a feel for how the study is progressing.  These portals come in many forms and can range from basic data tables to fully customized in-depth equations, models, and analysis. The ultimate goal is to provide on-demand data.

Here are a few of the main benefits of using a data portal to access survey results:

1. Data accessibility in real-time – Our portals automatically update with new data as it comes in. This allows the client to see data in real-time, without the client having to wait for a full report at the conclusion of fieldwork.

2. Increased transparency and trust – Data portals make the fieldwork/data collection process more transparent to the client by allowing the user to view initial results and throughout the fieldwork.

3. Eliminates surprises to report time – Knowing in advance the direction certain questions are trending gives clients a head start to taking corrective action(s), or further exploring questions like “What’s driving these results?” and “How do I correct this?”.

4. Allows researcher to anticipate the needs of the client – As with most survey reports, there is a large variety of ways to look at the data and break it down.  By seeing the results as they come in, the research team will be able to anticipate any breaks and – that the client might find particularly useful.  Knowing what breaks are going to be essential to the client’s strategic decision-making allows you to put more focus on these points in the final report and presentation.

5. Keeps momentum rolling in project – From a client standpoint, having access to a data portal keeps things moving on their end, especially if they are dependent on the research for an internal project.  Even though we always work with clients to expedite the process (especially if they have a pressing need), having access to the data in real-time can still make a huge difference.  Also, many of our projects involve multiple components and sometimes our clients have to wait for the results of one component to make the final call on which components need to be conducted as a follow-up. Getting a good feel for the results will mean getting a head start on the next important project. Just be careful to not reference any specific numbers until fieldwork is complete and a margin of error can be arrived at.

A data portal to preview survey results can be extremely valuable for certain projects, however, there is still great value from having a consultative review of the data along with strategic recommendations made with a full written report.  The data portals that our clients currently use are yet another way to get more value out of a research project. If you’re interested in conducting a research study with Research & Marketing Strategies, please contact our Business Development Director Sandy Baker at SandyB@RMSresults.com or call 1-866-567-5422.