conjunctural monitoring survey of

businessesstudy on the economic performance of businesses: to understand the evolution of

phenomena and anticipate their trends

presentation leaflet

Rome, March 2013

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characteristics of the conjunctural monitoring survey of Italian businesses

Since 2008, Format has been carrying out every three months a conjunctural survey

among a sample of Italian businesses (manufacturing, building, trade, tourism,

services)

the survey studies at a national level issues such as the climate of trust, the analysis

of the conjuncture, the financial requirements, the supply/demand for credit, the

outcomes of applications for credit, the trend in the cost of credit

Format offers the possibility to all interested parties of purchasing an identical

survey, but on a local scale (e.g. , in a province), to compare the "national" data

with the "local" one (customization).

it is also possible to request the study of the "new" issues in addition to the ones

already provided by the monitoring survey.

the parties that purchase such customizations from Format will only incur the

costs for the customization (which are quite low) and receive the results of the

national survey free of charge.

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telephone interviews (cati system)

structured questionnaire

national sample representative of Italian

businesses.2.500 interviews per

quarter (10.000 interviews per year).

continuous quarterly survey (4 surveys per

year).The survey has been

going on since the fourth quarter of 2008.

Italy North WestItaly North East

Italy CentreItaly South and Isles

manufacturingbuilding

tradetourismservices

micro businessessmall businesses

medium businesseslarge businesses

study of the performance of companies in the

quarter in question and forecast for the next

quarter.

Analysis of the companies by territory

SampleAnalysis of the

companies by sectorAnalysis of the

companies by size

Survey techniqueContact methodFrequency of the

surveyPhenomena under

observation

(1)

structural characteristics

(1) Cati: computer assisted telephone interview.

the conjunctural monitoring survey of Italian companies uses the same Eurostat methodology used for conjunctural

surveys and for the surveys on the climate of trust among businesses in the 27 countries of the European Union. The

obtained results are therefore totally comparable with those obtained by Eurostat, by other similar surveys in Europe,

and by Istat in Italy.

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observed phenomena

analyses performed on the "statements" of the companies interviewed.

measuring each phenomenon in the quarter taken into consideration every time (conjunctural analysis)

noting the companies' forecast for the quarter following the one considered each time (prospective analysis).

The country's economic situation

The economic trend of the company

Profit

Employment

Delays in payments

Vendor prices

Trend of the financial needs of businesses

Financing request

Outcome of the financing request

Conditions of financing

Trend of the cost of banking services

Conjunctural trendClimate of trust Financial requirementsSupply and demand of

credit

Banks / companies relationships

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ABI Monthly Outlook - ABI monthly report on the evolution of financial markets and credit 1

ABI - list of Italian banks2

Conjunctural survey of the BANCA D'ITALIA on industrial firms and services1

Survey on bank deposits and loans2

Eurostat quarterly national accounts (IFO Konjunkturprognose - Germany, INSEE

Conjoncture - France, Rapporto ISAE - Italy )1

theconjunctural monitoring survey on Italian companies is "fully" based on a telephone survey. The results of the interviews

are compared and controlled with other surveys carried out on similar themes in Italy and abroad.

the control surveys consulted

statistical archive of active companies (ASIA)1

continuous survey on the workforces 3

datawarehouse I.Stat 2

trust of service and trade companies1

climate of trust of the companies2

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possible customisations

the survey can be customised

a) by commissioning an in-depth study on a sample of the

companies in one's territory (a province, a region, an aggregate

consisting of several provinces);

b) by investigating at a local level the same themes of the

"national" survey, and adding more themes in addition to these, if

you want,

- new themes that are of specific interest for the Client

- develop one's own reading keys for the phenomena in

order to understand what is happening in one's own

territory

Knowing how the observed phenomena evolve

1) at a national level

2) at a local level

3) compare national / local

4) by using a methodology of standard survey in Europe,

projecting the territory of interest on the scenarios of economic

development both in Italy and in Europe.

Provincia

autonoma

di Bolzano

Nord Est Italia Bayern

Trend of the revenues of the companies in the

period (balances compared to the previous

quarter)

ILLUSTRATION

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database of macro data

(double entry tables)

research report

Sample results transferred to the represented

universe through a system of weights calibrated

based on the number of employees of

companies. The results of all the questions in

the questionnaire are crossed with the study

areas of the sample: size of the business,

geographic areas, economic activity sector.

Format: SPSS, Ms Excel.

Study results illustrated through graphs and

summary statistical tables with ample

comments.

Format: Ms Power Point

the materials provided

national monitoring

survey

Customised

monitoring

survey whoever commissions a

customisation form

Format will receive the

results of the national

monitoring survey and

the results of the

customised monitoring

survey of interest.

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national monitoring

survey

Customised

monitoring

survey

national monitoring

survey

Customised

monitoring

survey

national monitoring

survey

Customised

monitoring

survey

national monitoring

survey

Customised

monitoring

survey

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

FOUR RELEASES IN ONE YEAR

timetable of the work

theconjunctural monitoring survey of Italian companieshas been going on since the fourth quarter of 2011. The

quarterly data collection, of both the national monitoring survey and of the customisations, is carried out in the last 15

days of each quarter, except for the fourth quarter, when they are carried out in the first 15 days of the month of

January.

The results are transferred to clients within the 15 days following the end of data collection.

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costs and clauses to the benefit of clients

The cost in Italy is "all inclusive" and "standard".

The client company actually only pays for the customisation, i.e. the execution of the survey of the businesses in their own territory and the questions and/or the additional specific analyses needed.

The client "does not pay" for the results of the national survey, which it receives free of charge.

Exceptionally onerous customisations are agreed in advance with Format. For clients who buy "several customizations", i.e. , two or more specific surveys, in two or more provinces for example, or in two or more regions, there is a discount scale.

Is it possible to find out the cost of the Monitoring Survey by contacting Format.

All rights of the national Monitoring Survey are the property of Format Srl - ricerche di mercato. It is explicitly prohibited to disclose it to third parties for commercial purposes.

All the results of the customisations are the property of the Client.

The survey is carried out in respect of the following rules:

ICC/ESOMAR Code on Market and Social Research

ASSIRM Code

Code of the Società Italiana di Statistica

Italian Law on Privacy D.lgs 196/03

costs

rights

ethical code

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research director

Pierluigi AscaniChairman of the Board of Directors

Has a degree in philosophy. He is the President and Scientific

Director at Format, which he founded in 1992. Has several

years' experience in marketing research studies, customer

satisfaction studies as well as political, economical and social

studies. From 2008 to 2010, he was a lecturer in Methodology

of Social and Political Research at the Faculty of Philosophy

of Rome University "La Sapienza".

Phone +39 06 86328681

Mobile +39 320 7489273

pierluigi.ascani@formatresearch.com

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This document is the base for an oral presentation,

without which it has limited significance and may

give rise to misunderstandings.

Reproductions, albeit partial, of the content of this

document, are forbidden without previous written

authorization by Format.

2013 © Copyright Format Srl – ricerche di mercato

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