kisquared

We understand the value of a dollar, and so do our clients. That's why we tell you up front what the costs of meeting your organizational needs will be, and what return you'll get on that investment.

Three basic elements affect the cost of research: What is the number of questions or problems to which you need answers? How is the information you need best retrieved? How can the information be best communicated to you and other members of your organization? Once we know what you need, we'll provide you with a research plan that will outline step by step the process, rationale, methodology, timelines and budget.

We will not sell you what you do not need – guaranteed. If you ask us to do a primary research market assessment in an area where sufficient reliable and accurate data already exist, we'll point you in the right direction, no charge. On the other hand, if you present us with a budget or timeline that's incompatible with your needs, we'll tell you that, too.

It can take days or months, or even years. It depends on what you need. Does your project require both primary and secondary research? Is the sample large or small? Will you need ongoing tracking? How detailed are the sample, the questionnaire, the desired report?

Whatever the answers are, we will complete your project with speed and accuracy, burning the midnight oil when your deadlines demand it.

We're a one-stop research provider – we are capable of handling all stages of a research project, whatever the size.

We will need to know what you want in terms of results, but after that, putting a complete program together is all in a day's work for us. We will keep you posted and ensure you are comfortable with our process.

You might ask, alternatively, "How much trouble can we get into by not conducting research?" The answer to that is simple: as much trouble as the competition wishes you to have.

We don't produce any other kind. Even if we did not belong to the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, did not adhere to MRIA Rules of Conduct and Good Practice, were not registered to the global ISO 9001:2000 quality assurance standard (a Manitoba market research first), had not been honoured in 2003 with a Manitoba Quality Award, and did not have a top-notch team of statistical and data gurus, we would still have stringent quality controls in place, and we would still apply them as diligently as we do now.

The reason is simple – that's the only way to get good data.

Let's look at the opposite situation. We'd like to say this example is hypothetical, but sadly, in some research companies it is constantly repeated. Let's say you need to conduct a focus group. Best practices dictate that new participants be recruited randomly for every focus group, thus ensuring diversity and freshness of opinion. We believe in this practice and do not stray from it. Some other companies, however, maintain a list of "professional" focus group participants, returning to the same stagnant pool every time a new project comes up. They give the new client the same focus groupie the last client got, and the client before that, and so on. Initially, this might be cheaper than our way – the proper way – but it skews your data and biases your results. Any decisions you make based on such data amount to throwing good money after bad. You might as well flip a coin.

ISO 9001 is a quality assurance standard that had its origins in Geneva in 1947, and is now used by organizations all over the world. kisquared has been registered to the ISO 9001 global standard since September 2001 – we were the first Manitoba research firm to do so – and we undergo yearly audits to maintain that registration.

Being registered to ISO 9001:2008 means that at we produce research of consistent quality, we make sure we meet our clients' needs, we ask clients for feedback on how we did, and we look for ways to improve what we do all the time. It also means that as we find ways to make ongoing improvements, everybody's job goes more smoothly, clients are happier, and we don't waste time or money fixing mistakes that could have been prevented. ISO 9001:2008 means we can compete with top market research companies anywhere. And that's all in a day's work for a company that wants to be "the best market research company to buy from and work for."

We excel at b2b research. We have a custom-designed in-house call centre where our trained, professional interviewers treat your customers like gold. Our clients know they can entrust their people to ours, every time. You can, too.

Our employee satisfaction rate at kisquared remains a solid "very satisfied." Our interviewers are thoroughly trained and constantly supervised, our data collection is monitored, and employee performance is measured. Our quality assurance program demands feedback from our employees at every level of the organization, and project managers are "hands on" during every phase of data collection. No balls are dropped. Your customer relationships remain our greatest concern.

Yes – if that's what you need. An online survey can have some advantages over other methodologies, including speed and participant targeting.

But don't be swayed into thinking an online survey is universally the best way to go just because it seems the "in" thing to do. In fact, for a number of reasons online gathering is seldom the best way to acquire statistically reliable data. If your research is unreliable, how can decisions based on it be any different?

If an online survey meets your requirements, we can handle every phase through our website or email platform. If our assessment indicates you will be best served by another methodology, we will suggest winning alternatives. Either way, you will get what you need to make the right decisions.