DATA MANAGEMENT: OVERVIEW

One of our key areas of expertise is managing marketing and research data. This is often vastly under-rated by potential buyers of data processing services.

To get a cost effective service from a data processing agency, you need a supplier which has the right tools and people who understand the importance of managing data professionally. It is also important that a wide knowledge of business data in general is available.

By putting an emphasis on good data management, you will benefit in the following ways;

• We always recommend that data is checked for validity and quality controlled before you process results. We will always do this unless we are informed otherwise.

• Preparing data properly almost always saves time and money in the long run. It may add a little to your data processing costs but this can be negligible when compared to the cost of more expensive staff looking into errors after results have been produced. Worse still, it may be your client that discovers the problem.

• Having a wide range of tools for managing data enables us to select the right tools to handle your data management needs. For more information, take a look at ‘ Data from other systems ' and ‘ Providing data '.

• Market research is an industry that has tended to be poor at supplying its customers with data in the format they need. MRDC can help you. We understand the ways major companies want data. We can offer consultancy or discuss with your clients practical ways of giving them what they really want. It can help you to become a better supplier than others to your clients.

• We use the right software to manage modern data. Many research agencies use software that comes from the 1980's (and even 1970's!) and does not deal with modern business standards. We are experts in this field and can help the throughput of your data to be handled smoothly and accurately.