Mini Case Studies

1. Problem:  A researcher needed to do asynchronous, global qualitative online bulletin boards, and the team was dissatisfied with the vendor the firm currently used.

Task: Research and select a new vendor offering these services

Steps taken:

  1. Identify vendors that provide this service
  2. Obtain an initial overview of the services offered
  3. Narrow the vendors down to two to three best prospects
  4. Create a presentation detailing the pros and cons of each vendor, with approximate pricing
  5. Make a recommendation for which vendor research operations feels is best to senior management
  6. Obtain a service agreement from the chosen vendor
  7. Shepherd through the OneTrust review process, liaising with procurement, legal, IT (security), etc., to make sure the agreement is in line with company guidelines
  8. Set up the vendor with accounts payable
  9. Route the approved agreement to the designated signatories
  10. Set up an onboarding meeting with the vendor to include the lead and researcher
  11. Initiate the project

2. Problem: The primary research team is growing, but there is no single point of intake for projects coming from different business units and for various purposes

Task: Create a single point of intake that funnels requests into correct buckets based on the scope and needs of the project

 

  1. Assess the current incoming requests for types of projects, audience (e.g.,  client, employee, etc.)
  2. Determine the best course of action to classify projects
  3. Decision made to create a Qualtrics project intake form that is available company-wide
  4. Create a Qualtrics intake form that has branch logic depending on the needs of the requester
    1. Branch logic includes five different scenarios, each of which is based on the answers to the questions in the form
    2. Workflow is created to send an email to the requester and the research operations manager with the determination of the outcome
  5. Research operations manager schedules a kick-off/scoping meeting with the requester to discuss the recommendations (i.e., will Primary Research handle the request, will the requester be given a Qualtrics seat to initiate their own research, or will the requester be directed to MS Forms for simple internal surveys)
    1. If it is determined that the Primary Research team will handle the request, the Research Operations Manager project manages the study.
  6. Roll out the form, make it searchable on the company intranet, and point requesters to the form so it becomes socialized

"I hired Joanne into the NPD Group several years back. She was a trusted assistant, who was creative and had an excellent work ethnic. As she sought opportunities to grow, Joanne was promoted and joined our Operations team. She is detail oriented, with a can do attitude."

Dennis Brown, The NPD Group/Circana

"Joanne and I worked together for quite some time and she was truly an ace. She was very detailed and had an amazing spirit which she infused into everything she did. I was also amazed at her technology skills as she was adept at just about every next generation platform. She was a pleasure to work with and can adapt to just about any work environment...A plus!!"

Marcus Peterzell, Brand Storytelling Industry Leader

"I had the pleasure of being Joanne's colleague, and her previous knowledge working in Market Research and her current UX role have made her such a strong asset to our team. She's been able to handle complex partnerships and projects from the beginning of her tenure on the team, while providing her perspective to teammates on her unique approach to how she handles these relationships. Her intelligence, warmth, and humor make it a constant pleasure to have as a teammate, and I'm constantly learning new ways to approach my work thanks to her influence. "

Erika Tragesar, Senior Research Operations Program Manager, Salesforce

“I have nothing but great things to say about [Joanne] and if I had spot open for [her], I'd hire [her] in a flash. “

Anthony Guacci, former Operations Manager, Circana/The NPD Group

"Joanne and I worked together for quite some time and she was truly an ace. She was very detailed and had an amazing spirit which she infused into everything she did. I was also amazed at her technology skills as she was adept at just about every next generation platform. She was a pleasure to work with and can adapt to just about any work environment...A plus!!"

Marcus Peterzell