High Technology

Working with one of the largest firms in enterprise computing to help them refine their current offerings and introduce two new ones. Over a period of about three years we conducted a series of marketing and product planning meetings and market research programs. This wide-ranging client engagement included several different assignments, from a series of conjoint-based focus groups with IT directors, managers and vice presidents in several countries; to telephone surveys with key decision makers for one of their technical offerings; a two-day customer feedback session in London with senior executives from clients throughout Western Europe; and the development of employee and customer on-line surveys.

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For a venture capitalist in Texas who was trying to decide if his firm should make a large additional investment in a software venture, we conducted qualitative research with potential customers, to test its market viability. As a result of our work, the product was reconfigured substantially, to more closely meet market needs.

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Conducting several Kano-based product development surveys for a manufacturer of highly specialized technology-based products for aerospace, robotics, medical equipment, offshore oil drilling and similar business-to-business markets. The client was using the Voice of the Customer process, and our goal was to help them shorten and improve their product development decision making process.

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Starting in 1991, when most people had not heard of the Internet, we started working with one of the earliest, and ultimately one of the largest Internet Service Providers in the country. We worked with them to understand and take advantage of this rapidly changing innovation. We conducted several sets of focus groups to help understand this phenomenon and how to build it ethically and commercially; and conducted in-depth, executive level surveys to help the client develop its pricing strategy and product mix. As our client started to acquire other ISPs, we conducted a series of surveys with customers of each new major operating unit, to more effectively understand their needs, evaluate the level of customer service being provided by each operating unit, and project customer needs for the next few years. When our client grew too large to stay on top of customer needs and satisfaction informally, we worked with them to design, conduct, and use the results of an extensive series of customer satisfaction/needs assessment surveys.