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GfK Group, a large German market research firm, eliminates paper based data collection and reduces complexity in gathering valuable consumer shopping habits data by deploying the Motorola V300 mobile phone and a Flic Laser Bar Code Scanner.
Business Situation
GfK Group has been engaged by large industrial, retail, service and media sector clients in Slovenia to track consumer shopping habits. Traditionally, consumers in the market research program were expected to fill out paper forms while shopping. These forms then had to be delivered to GfK Group for analysis, delaying delivery of significant market data to clients. The logistics of filling out and delivering paper forms was complicated and consumed significant amounts of participant time and GfK Group resources. Additionally, study participants were less likely to fill out shopping forms while shopping, often making the data less relevant as forms were completed hours or days later. It was necessary for GfK Group to save time and money and increase accuracy and user satisfaction in the process of gathering critical information.
Solution
Solution AdaptA, a mobile solutions software development firm located in Slovenia, developed an application for data collection called Ctracking. Ctracking operates on the Motorola V300 mobile phone, connecting the Flic Batch/Tethered Laser Bar Code Scanner via a custom cable to a central server running the Ctracking terminal services.
“The combination of a mobile phone and the Flic Laser Bar Code Scanner is very powerful. It exceeded our expectations. Even users without any technical skill were able to scan and send large amounts of data without any problems.” —GfK
Group Consumers carry the mobile phone with an installation of Ctracking with them whenever they go shopping. When Ctracking is launched on the mobile phone, shoppers are able to scan a product’s bar code immediately with the Flic Laser Bar Code Scanner. Shoppers scan all the products they purchase, or only specific products based on parameters defined by GfK Group. Information is stored immediately on the mobile phone, allowing the user to determine when to send collected data. Data is sent via GPRS to the central server, where information is automatically organized to simplify and speed data analysis.
Benefits
- Simplicity and low cost — With a Flic scanner the mobile phone acts as a very low cost, easy to use portable data collection terminal.
- Mobility—The Flic Laser Bar Code scanner and the mobile phone are small enough for users to carry anywhere.
- Productivity—Since moving to the Ctracking/Flic solution, GfK Group has eliminated incomplete forms entirely as well as the need for repetitive data entry by GfK Group employees.
- Data Analysis—Time required to organize and aggregate consumer shopping data was reduced from weeks to hours.