Choosing Is Hard
When should you outsource to a vendor, and when should research be conducted in-house?
Ofcourse you can’t outsource everything. It’s really about available budget, what level of execution complexity your team can handle and how much time you want your team to dedicate to executing vs. influencing and stoytelling
We have an opinion. We’ve condensed our views into a few decision frameworks.
CHOICE FRAMEWORK
When should I outsource
Utilize this decision-making framework to determine when to engage a vendor and when to keep research in-house.
What do the dimensions mean?
Low complexity: Gather observable reactions to concrete and visible stimulus. Doesn’t demand expertise.
High complexity: Gather subconscious reactions to abstract notions, using complex, proven methods. Demands expertise.
Organizational context: proprietary knowledge needed to set up the study
What do the dimensions mean?
Low complexity: research to gather observable reactions to concrete and visible stimulus. Doesn’t demand expertise.
High complexity: reactions to unearth subconscious reactions to abstract notions, using complex, proven methods. Demands expertise.
Organizational context: proprietary knowledge needed to set up the study
CHOICE FRAMEWORK
How should outsourcing work
Be realistic about your needs and the level of support required from your vendor.
Sometimes, your team needs to be highly involved, especially when findings might challenge beliefs. Other times, it’s okay for teams not to approve certain technical aspects.
It’s a complex, highly visible study. You may require frequent communication, with face-to-face meetings for additional information and proactive updates from the vendor. Alternatively, it’s a simpler study and you might prefer minimal communication between providing a detailed brief and receiving the final report.
A best practice is to allocate time and budget for creating custom visuals and iterating on reports. This allows you to collaborate with your vendor and tailor the results to your company’s research needs effectively.
What do the dimensions mean?
Low complexity: research to gather observable reactions to concrete and visible stimulus. Doesn’t demand expertise.
High complexity: reactions to unearth subconscious reactions to abstract notions, using complex, proven methods. Demands expertise.
Organizational context: Proprietary knowledge needed to set up the studyWrite your text here…
CHOICE FRAMEWORK
How should you buy research
Utilize this decision-making framework to allocate budget and get the best deal.
When you are running the same study iteratively and need consistent results delivered at a cadence, then buy a research pack. Work with the vendor once and let the vendor run the research program.
When buying a pack choose a vendor who can field the existing survey, with minimal modifications. The vendor should have access to robust panels.
To support a team’s adhoc needs, you can choose the best-in-class research vendor to fit your needs through an RFP process.
