How Modulus Research saves time and exceeds client expectations using SurveyCTO
Meet Modulus Research & Analysis Pvt Ltd.
Modulus Research & Analysis is an India-based market research service consultancy that provides primary data collection services that includes survey research, qualitative research, and retail audits. They have a focus on speedy delivery of high-quality primary data.
Office: Kolkata, India
Sector: Market research
Use case: Market research; survey firms; data collection as a service
Features used: Grid attribute randomization, repeat groups, rosters, translations, audio audits, MaxDiff, choice-based conjoint, Kish Grid, GPS, server datasets, Sectional LOI (Timestamp), field plug-ins, offline data collection functionality
The challenge: Scaling market research surveys to meet demand
Modulus Research is an Indian market research consulting firm. Known for its focus on process adherence and continuous improvement, Modulus has 16 locations across India and employs 120 data collection professionals.
Prior to SurveyCTO, the team at Modulus used free, open-source data collection software to provide market research services to clients, which included retail audits, surveys, and qualitative research.
While these free tools were effective in some cases, Modulus kept running into barriers that prevented them from scaling at the rate that they wanted to as a consultancy.
There were several reasons for this.
In market research, data collection techniques are often quite advanced, and many companies need sophisticated survey features to assess the potential of their products. In Modulus’s case, clients specifically wanted more complex randomization in their surveys, so that their data would be of the highest quality.
Modulus also increasingly needed survey interfaces in multiple languages, since clients often wanted to test and research products among multiple language groups in India.
Clients consistently requested very fast turnaround times on their research services. Since the free and open-source tools Modulus was using required a lot of additional coding and work to produce the needed market research results, it was challenging to turn projects around at the speed that clients needed.
Finally, because Modulus conducted interviews and central location tests (CLTs) for 100-200 respondents at a time in areas where there was no internet connectivity, like lower levels in shopping centers, they needed a solution that was mobile in nature and could operate entirely offline.
Modulus knew they needed to upgrade their digital data collection tool to one that could provide the type of features that would let them meet their clients’ needs.
The solution: SurveyCTO, which combines a user-friendly interface with features for sophisticated and offline-ready surveys
After researching different tools, Modulus made the decision to upgrade to SurveyCTO. Since that switch, they have used SurveyCTO for the vast majority of their data collection projects!
SurveyCTO has key features that have helped Modulus meet rigorous market research standards and grow their business–here is how Modulus uses them:
- Complex randomization: SurveyCTO’s randomization capabilities go beyond the basics. In Modulus’s case, they were able to successfully program SurveyCTO forms being used on Android devices so that matrix question options could appear to respondents in a randomized way.
- Translations: Most of Modulus’s surveys make use of SurveyCTO’s functionality for translating forms into multiple languages, meaning they can offer services to clients throughout India regardless of language differences.
- Looping, nested, and grouped questions: Modulus combines SurveyCTO’s features for repeat groups, rosters, and relevance to create “looping questions” for retail audits. With these questions, respondents are led through a dynamic set of survey questions which are based on their response to a multiple-choice question. This functionality is especially helpful for market research surveys in India, where one brand will be competing against many other brands and asking the same question repeatedly for each brand.
Additional features used
- Modulus also makes use of SurveyCTO’s audio audits, using them to help clients monitor sectional LOI (length of interview) and understand whether or not a respondent was taking the appropriate amount of time answering questions in a particular section.
- Additionally, SurveyCTO’s Collect app combined with offline functionality allowed Modulus’s data collection team to conduct on-the-ground, in-person retail audits and central location tests in areas without reliable internet connectivity.
The results: 500+ successful projects, 300K+ data points collected, and countless hours saved using SurveyCTO
Since making the switch many years ago, Modulus has used SurveyCTO to collect over 300K+ data points in their market research surveys. In fact, they have used SurveyCTO to complete more than 500 projects for clients!
Modulus reports that using SurveyCTO has significantly increased how quickly they can create surveys. Besides the discussed features and functionality, they have been able to use SurveyCTO to build a library of commonly-used market research questions.
And since SurveyCTO is user-friendly and programming surveys is straightforward compared to other tools, the time Modulus saves in survey programming gets spent building better-quality forms and optimizing survey programming to achieve the best possible results for their clients.