For every project, we develop an efficient data procurement strategy, and then apply appropriate methodologies and software tools to obtain key data. If you prefer, we also offer these data services on a standalone basis.

Data Audit

As part of each engagement, we work with you to understand what data currently reside within your organization, and what relevant data are available externally. We then evaluate gaps in current data and knowledge, and together discuss the best ways to source new data. After this data audit is complete, we then prepare a detailed project proposal that covers all key steps: from data acquisition and management to analysis and reporting.

Data Collection

Upon client approval, we then proceed with the data collection plan, which, depending on the project design, would include one or more of the following processes:

• Data Extraction from Client-Proprietary Databases: We work with you to map your existing in-house data models, and then develop an extraction plan to obtain data in a form amenable to advanced analytic techniques.
  
• Survey Research: from sources including telephone interviews; online surveys executed in conjunction with our panel providers; and focus groups or one-on-one depth interviews. We have deep experience in design and execution of all types of custom market research, including market definition and tracking studies, product or service development research, communications development and testing, customer/stakeholder satisfaction, and more. Please contact us for more information.
  
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• Secondary Data Collection: If additional data are required, we identify data sources and obtain the data, for example:
  
• • Syndicated Consumer or Business Data: syndicated data can be layered onto the existing client-proprietary data that we will be analyzing. E.g., this might entail overlaying household-level demographic and behavioral/lifestyle data from a source such as Acxiom’s consumer database, etc., onto a client’s customer data.
    
  • Public Data: often we can identify a number of public data sources relevant to your project, and then retrieve and organize the data for analysis.
    
  • Web Scraping: to capture and organize structured and unstructured data from sources such as blogs, chat forums, news or informational sites, social media or social networks, etc. If desired, we can also set up a program of automated, repetitive scraping of changeable data (e.g., from forums, blogs, news sites, etc.) to provide continuing feeds/updates of key data over an extended period of time on a subscription basis.

Data Management

Data may come from a single source or multiple sources. In every case, as data are collected, we can integrate, organize and maintain project data so that they are easily accessible and maximally useful for analysis. We offer a full array of  SQL services and project data storage options, and can transform relational data into the flat file format necessary for advanced statistical/data mining analysis.

Although this data management function typically applies to the data we will be analyzing during a project, we can also assist with ad hoc tasks such as the design of a client’s internal database or a cloud database, quite apart from any other proposed or ongoing project.