Technology overload can kill progress
Many businesses employ multiple “specialty” technology solutions to manage both their internal and external processes. Often, these tech stacks are difficult to implement and learn, don’t “talk” to each other, and cause added layers of complication in places where they were supposed to provide simplicity. When it comes to the scope of work that broadly falls under marketing, you’re usually looking at tools to manage everything from digital ad campaigns, to customer communication and personalization, to performance analysis and beyond. Add consumer insights and market research reporting needs into the mix, and you can end up with a complicated, siloed process that places a huge burden on internal resources.
New solution development, and expert predictions, have held promise that an end is in sight for these fragmented processes, but implementation is far from universal. No one wants to disrupt established workflows, even if these cumbersome processes are less-than-ideal. When you also start to consider how quickly the ecosystem and marketplace around us are changing right now, even the very latest solutions can quickly become obsolete.
In the consumer insights and market research reporting space, new companies and tools are cropping up on nearly a daily basis. Mergers and acquisitions, such as the recent news of industry giants FocusVision and Confirmit coming together, continue to disrupt the industry - even as it plods toward more automated, efficient and built-for-purpose market research technology solutions.
In an overwhelming landscape like this, finding simplicity and consistency can be a welcome relief. One program every business person - market research and otherwise - uses in their daily lives is Microsoft Office. A familiar presence since the 1980s, Microsoft products like PowerPoint and Excel are ubiquitous and have not lost relevancy over time. Integrating data analysis and data reporting capabilities into these programs can help to streamline the potential technology overload we are experiencing today in the market research and consumer insights industry.
With OfficeReports, no new “solutions” are needed. Our tools seamlessly integrate into Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel for the data analysis and data reporting needs of both insights generalists and specialists alike. Our flexible options facilitate everything from analysis and stat testing, all the way to report visualization and reporting for ad hoc studies or trackers. You choose what you need.
COVID-19 has only accelerated the adoption of digital technologies by businesses, according to a recent survey by McKinsey. In the months to come it will be strategically important to keep up with this curve, but businesses must balance the increase in cost and internal workload with ease of adoption and minimal disruption.