Faster knowledge equals more power

Many large firms are using the eValue system, writes Penny Haw

KNOWLEDGE is power, says the old adage. Which is surely why research, surveys, studies and polls are all around us. Seldom a day passes without one hearing or reading the words, “new research shows…”, “recent studies indicate…” and “a poll conducted proves…”.

Keep your ears tuned in for a little longer and you will probably also hear the declaration, “you can’t manage what you can’t measure and you can’t measure what you can’t describe”, which was originally coined by Robert Kaplan and David Norton in their 1992 Harvard Business Review article that described the balanced scorecard method of measuring the performance of people.

For sure, research is big business. In fact, research (what else?) conducted by Council Of American Survey Research Organisations put the value of global survey research conducted last year at 18,9bn. And as companies continue to race to get or stay ahead of their competition, the billions spent on research look likely to amass.

The battle, however, says Cape Town-based strategy manager and online research programme developer Ron Schiff, is not necessarily won by the organisation that knows more. The victor is the competitor who knows the most, first, and who can respond to research the quickest.

Schiff and his business partner, programmer Gayo Primic, have developed a survey application that they say enables organisations to very quickly measure, monitor and manage a range of strategic and operational aspects of their business. The online system, which they have been refining for the past two years, is called eValue. It provides real-time access to surveys as they are completed by respondents on the internet or intranet. In other words, you can sit at your desk and see what your customers, employees, distributors, colleagues and suppliers are saying about your business as they say it.

It is flexible in design and can measure the satisfaction of your customers or channels of distribution, map trends, gauge just how engaged your employees are in their work, evaluate initiatives, benchmark stuff, conduct market research and do practically anything else that requires you to collect and analyse the views of groups of people.

By capturing and processing data immediately, eValue is programmed to analyse feedback and generate reports instantly, so that you can quickly identify what is working, what is not and what requires immediate attention across whatever operations, systems, behaviours, resources and processes you choose to monitor.

“The problem with traditional ways of doing research and measuring performance is that by the time you have the results, the damage is done and bad habits established. By the time you find out what your problems are, you have a legacy to resolve, which could take ages,” Schiff says.

“We wanted to be able to conduct strategic organisational surveys that provide immediate online reports and which even trigger alerts when potential problems arise so that our clients can respond immediately.”

The eValue system is currently available under licence to performance improvement company, Achievement Awards, which uses it to measure and monitor performance and to analyse the results of surveys for its clients.

The programme, which Schiff believes opens new lines of communication, is modified to achieve the specific requirements of each client. It is already making its mark in numerous industries. General Motors SA, for example, has so effectively used the system to measure satisfaction among distributors of its vehicles and spare parts across the country that the group has shown interest in extending the survey to global markets.

In New York, the Enneagram Institute uses eValue as the platform from which to conduct corporate assessments worldwide. Another Achievement Awards client, a major private healthcare group, uses the system to monitor doctors’ feedback regarding services and facilities in its hospitals nationwide.

“Those members of management with access to the data-analysis are, in this case, able to see, right down to the exact ward in a hospital, where things are going right and where they are going wrong,” says Schiff.

Discussions regarding the use of eValue are under way with a regional department of government in New Zealand. A Danish company is also investigating the system. Most recently though, Schiff concluded an agreement to conduct an engagement survey using eValue among 38000 people employed by a major South African retailer.

Employee engagement surveys are increasingly conducted worldwide to help show organisations who, among their employees, are engaged, ambivalent or disinterested in their work. The premise is that clients can use survey results to improve their workplaces and profitability, given that engaged staff are generally more productive and offer better customer service.

But 38000 is a significant number of potential respondents and Schiff is mindful of how unenthusiastic most people are about participating in surveys.

“One of the keys to getting as many people as possible to complete a survey is to make sure that the content is absolutely relevant, that it means something to them,” Schiff says.

“Questions have to be short and to the point. The system also needs to be user-friendly. As a computer-based survey, we are able to reduce the time normally necessary to complete a similar questionnaire. We are also able to prevent the process from becoming too boring by building in as many quick-complete options as possible. ”

Online surveys are convenient in that respondents can answer at times that suit them. Moreover, they can take as much time as they need to answer individual questions.

“Some of our surveys let respondents start and then return later to the question where they left off earlier,” he says. “Clients, however, have ongoing access to the status of each survey and can see the responses as they are filled in, even if the survey is not fully completed.”

It is essential too, he says, that the system is easy for clients to access and administer. In many cases, clients want a number of managers at various levels and in different regions to have access to the analysis so that strategies can be developed and action taken when and where it is required.

“We have ensured that minimal computer skills are necessary to view results across numerous perspectives. A colour coding system is used to ensure quick action. Moreover, each survey is set up to link client strategies with key performance areas, so it is clear what the purpose of the survey is. It is also possible for users to drill down to individual statements and supporting comments on each survey that is completed. This means it is easy to analyse the root cause of problems and to respond as directly as is necessary and relevant.”

When they are properly designed and implemented, surveys can effectively communicate and achieve organisational strategies. They can also be the catalyst for change, shape behaviour, focus action and get people doing things that lead to improved performance.

“What’s more, with online surveys like those conducted by eValue, results are generated quickly. The benefit is not only that companies can respond promptly but, also that, where appropriate, respondents can see the outcome of the survey while it is still top of mind, which confirms to them that their participation was worthwhile,” says Schiff.

For sure, knowledge is power. But, with the recent advent of the online survey, knowledge can now pack the added punch of promptness.

pmhaw@mweb.co.za

By the time you have the research results, the damage is done and bad habits have been established