Expert interviews

Numerous information and contexts are not available by means of Desk Research and thus only to be obtained by means of direct address to experts.

The following analysis goals can underlie this approach, e.g.:

- to get to know the degree of satisfaction of wholesale-in-betweens
- to recognize current trends in industries
- benchmarking of competitors
- understanding technical processes
- and many more.

The approach of expert interviews is a largely different one than with consumer polls. So, it is about:

- deciding, whoever is to be regarded as an expert at all
- getting a sensible mixture of participating experts,
  (such as purchasing agents, procurement department,
  controlling, academic experts),
- identifying these specialists concretely by name, getting in
  touch with them, and
- to finally persuade them to participate,
- becoming deeply familiar with the often complex subject-matters
  as an interviewer beforehand.

Expert conversations differ not only regarding the approach but also regarding number and type of interviews to be carried out.

So, the number of potential contacts specialized in the respective topic is correspondingly limited. Therefore the number must be clarified as on how many may be regarded as sufficient to be able to deduce reliable facts about the research object by statements.

To balance off this quantitative disadvantage, very elaborate questions are asked on a high abstraction level mostly.

In contrast to mostly very standardized consumer pollings, expert interviews are about rather qualitative than quantitative issues, carried out according to an interview guide.

Expert interviews are executed by telephone mostly. Other means are written statements or a talk face to face.

Typically, the scarce time plays an important role also with expert interviews. Because often, urgent decisions should be based on the results. We are able to deliver results within one week or even faster.

We are very well trained in:

- understanding our client's problem,
- sketching solution estimates by means of expert interviews,
- drafting questionnaires or conversation guides,
- determining spot check sizes,
- identifying the relevant contacts,
- acquiring interview dates,
- executing interviews (also in foreign languages),
- producing data masks, as well as the data findings
from interviews notes.
- analyzing the results, if required.