We’re also obsessed with developing ways to improve the accuracy, reliability and timeliness of our deliverables. Our full-time staff of 22 researchers works closely with product managers to make sure our techniques meet clients’ business needs. Operations managers ensure the methodology is “doable” and executed correctly, and our clients tell us whether we’re on the right track. It is our passion – and we love to talk
about it.
Experienced researchers know even minor modifications carelessly made to a consumer tracking survey can have significant, destabilizing effects on the trends – even though, with hindsight, this negative impact could have been predicted. Nevertheless, periodic survey changes are necessary in a changing market or to make questionnaire improvements. Such changes can be made safely, but only by learning from the past. NPD’s Questionnaire Change Protocol embodies this learning.
As of January 2006, over 107,000 individual retail stores in the U.S. were participating in NPD’s POS retail scanner data services.
NPD Vice President, Research Sciences, Ash Dhupar, says earning clients’ trust in our methodologies is his top priority. NPD clients responded favorably to our annual Client Survey with high marks for satisfaction related to the strength of our research methodology.
“My objective is to ensure the data we publish is based on sound research methods, so that it reflects the marketplace accurately. I wear two hats at NPD: I am responsible for developing and maintaining several of our data quality protocols, and I manage the research function for our Home, Consumer Technology and Technology Distribution Channel industry sectors,” Ash said.