After their long search for the right Market Research provider, TTMC Research delivers the results for Datamonitor, with detailed campaign planning and meticulous quality control.
The Datamonitor Group is an independent, premium business information and market analysis company that assists clients with operational and strategic decision-making. The Datamonitor Group is a world-leading provider of premium global business information, delivering independent data, analysis and opinion across the Automotive, Consumer Packaged Goods, Energy & Sustainability, Financial Services, Logistics & Express, Pharmaceutical & Healthcare and Retail industries. Research and analysis products are compiled by an extensive global network of researchers, in-house analysts and industry specialists. They have established a strong reputation for providing clients with the information they need to make better business decisions in their competitive environments.
Project Background
Datamonitor Energy approached TTMC Research to undertake their bi-annual Energy Buyers Survey. The objective of the research was to gain key knowledge and insight directly from organisations to understand buying habits when selecting an energy supplier, and their overall customer satisfaction with power and gas suppliers within the British energy market.
TTMC Research was selected to provide a research project which would support the main objective by implementing a 10–20 minute CATi interview with a random selection of organisations, to fulfil a comprehensive quota requirement that was structured around size of organisations being interviewed and their current energy supplier.
TTMC Research worked carefully with Datamonitor Energy to plan and execute a research programme of 10-12 weeks which delivered the aspects required.
Prior to the campaign launch, many areas were planned and agreed through a process of open exchange of information and ideas which included:
- Detailed discussions surrounding the questionnaire.
- Timeframes of when the research should be implemented- to help increase the level of results and to minimize any disruptions to the organisations targeted.
- How the completed results would be delivered back to Datamonitor Energy.
Project Execution and Results
Datamonitor Energy approached TTMC Research with a fully designed questionnaire that they wished to conduct with approximately 450 organisations within UK. The questionnaire was reviewed and discussed between TTMC Research and Datamonitor Energy to ensure the most appropriate questions were included into the questionnaire which also fixed an estimated length of the telephone interview.
It was recommended by TTMC Research that particular questions which were designed to identify how an interviewed organisation would drop into the appropriate quota should be placed near the beginning of the interview to assist the quota management of the study.
After detailed discussions surrounding the proposed questionnaire, which resulted in some minor amendments, TTMC Research built and developed a bespoke CATi interface to deliver the interviews. This platform was subjected to a vigorous testing process to ensure that the developed questionnaire would ultimately support Datamonitor Energy with their detailed insight directly from the end users of the electricity and gas market within the UK.
A selected research team was assembled and briefed extensively on the objectives of the research to ensure a high level of interaction was achieved with the respondent, thus aiding the degree of insight collected during each interview.
It was identified at an early stage in the study that additional sample would be required to help maintain and support the CATi team in their quest to fulfil the comprehensive quota requirement. This was requested and supplied by Datamonitor which ensured the CATi team’s completion rate was not affected, nor was the team size.
During each research interview the interviewers were required to ask a set of detailed questions which were specifically structured to understand the process and philosophy that each individual organisation goes through when selecting their energy supplier, covering aspects such as sales and procurement, billing and invoicing, and the day to day management of their energy account.
Extensive call monitoring, including live monitoring, was conducted throughout the duration of the research project to help identify any areas of the calling process which could be improved or changed, to help improve the quality of information being captured.
In addition to this, a minimum of at least 5% of all completed research interviews were carefully reviewed and monitored in accordance with the IQCS (Interviewer Quality Control Scheme), an independent organisation which ensures and maintains high standards of data collection within the Market Research Industry.
The research project was conducted within the guidelines of Market Research Society’s code of conduct which ensured that industry best practice was delivered on each call. All agents within the team were trained research agents having been trained in accordance with the Market Research Society’s Accredited Interviewer Training Scheme.
"Datamonitor Energy previously worked with companies based in the UK and India and none of them proved entirely satisfactory. We were determined to find a provider that could rise to the challenge of this very complex survey and we searched hard throughout the UK. TTMC impressed us with their capabilities and they delivered each edition of the survey to time and specification. TTMC provided us with daily progress reports and on several occasions provided new ideas to overcome resistance to completing the survey. Datamonitor Energy are very happy to recommend TTMC to any company looking to complete a project similar to ours."
Director, Datamonitor