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Transcript of Making it work Why technology alone cant guarantee success Tim Macer Managing Partner Tim Macer...
www.macer.co.uk
Making it work Why technology alone can’t
guarantee success
Tim MacerManaging Partner
Tim Macer Services
www.macer.co.uk
Making it work: why technology alone can’t guarantee success
AGENDA
1. Barriers to acceptance2. The challenge for MR3. The challenge for DP4. Putting it all together
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1. Barriers to acceptance
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The risks
The software doesn’t do all you need
Bugs in the software
Hardware not up to scratch
Communications links inadequate
Costs run away or exceed the budget
The people
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Managing the risks
Software doesn’t do what you needevaluate and test in full
Bugs in the softwareagain, test very thoroughly
Hardware not up to scratchand test again
Communications links unreliableand test again
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Managing the risks
Costs run away or exceed the budgetBudget carefully and add contingenciesGet a good lawyer
The peopleGood people will succeed even with weak
technologyThe strongest technology will fail if the
people are not fully behind it Listen carefully…
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Barriers to acceptance
Ignorance
Poor understanding
Resentment
Fear
Cynicism
Passive resistance
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2. The Challenge for MR
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The challenge
New technology, like SPSS Dimensions, is inevitably going to make things easierfaster and more universally available
This will undoubtedly challenge accepted working practices
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A brief history lesson
MR got in early on technology
The early programs were difficult to use and took time to learn
Researchers tired of trying to use the programs and do their day jobs
Specialists were hired to learn and use the programs: DP was born
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MR as a commodity
The cross tab became everything
Research agencies became production lines
Time stood still, while elsewhere...
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MR is being squeezed
Companies often have all the data they wantCheap or DIY data collection on the web
means research agencies must give added value
MR must wise up on knowledge management and database integration
Management consultants are top-slicing the consultancy workAgencies must move up the food chain to
become knowledge consultants
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“Design and analysis time is becoming
increasingly restricted. As the logistics get
faster, clients want all aspects to be
faster. But how will we think faster?”Ray Poynter, Millward Brown Intelliquest“We’ve got five years”, ASC Conference, September 2000, London
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The ‘production line’ model is doomed
Until now, MR agencies have been able to mark up the cost of fieldwork to pay for the ‘thinking time’
As the cost of gathering data falls to near zero, where is the revenue going to come from?
MR must be explicit about the value it is adding
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Work faster, work smarter
Researchers must lose their virginity when it comes to technology
The new technology will help them to get closer to their clients
IT is too valuable for it to be the preserve of any one department
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A multi-disciplinary approach
New technology, like Dimensions, won’t work if it is simply molded around existing working models
Set up an implementation strategy team, involving all the operational units
Support for the new technology must come from the top
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“Every time I have seen it go wrong it is
because senior management did not
understand the technology. Expecting
the systems or DP department to come
up with the answers is very likely to
give you a systems led solution rather
than a research led solution.”John O’Brien, Chairman, BMRB International, on implementing new technology, interviewed in Research World, March 2001 (Esomar)
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The software gets simpler: the system gets more
complex
The standard ‘turnkey package’ is on its way out
Plan your migration to the new system with care, or get expert help
Be prepared to customize the software
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3. The Challenge for DP
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Is DP doomed?
DP must develop new skills to support the researchers in becoming more client focused and more technology dependent
The DP team must become more focused on the changing needs of its own internal clients
It must order some more chairs
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A new set of skills will be needed
New technical skills inKnowledge managementDatabase integrationInterface customization, e.g. VB scripts,
Java
And communication skills to educate, advise, encourageanalyse, problem solve and
troubleshoot
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How can we ease DP into its new role?
It’s time for DP to come out from under the rock
Recognise DP professionals as experts
Plan and provide adequate training and skill development
Stop calling it DP
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4. Putting it all together
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Plan for a successful migration
Set up a cross-departmental ‘task force’
Get top management involved ‘hands on’
Work hard to break down any traditional barriers and recognise genuine concerns
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Customize the software
Be prepared to customize the software at the implementation stage
Customization should be an ongoing process
DP should be reskilled to be able to perform this task
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Take everyone along
Keep everyone in the picture through frequent, lively communication
Run demos and seminars to ensure everyone understands
Ensure communication can flow in both directions and listen to people’s concerns
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Build new skills
Plan effective training from the beginning
Train tasks and skills, not technology
Recognise that the whole organization needs to learn, though feedback
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And…
And remember, those extra chairs are for people to sit on,
not for somewhere to rest a pile of crosstabs.
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Questions?