Presentation Transcript

1. The University Of Liverpool - Customer Research

   Emma Flood & Peter Mullarkey July 2011
2. The Research Objectives & Method The overall objective of the research, as identified in the research brief is: “Research is required to gain a better understanding of our existing customers, to understand their motives and needs better and how we can influence this in order to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with them” Preparation Reporting Fieldwork Stage Commissioning Meeting To update the B2B team To ensure the scope is clear To establishtimeframes for reporting Questionnaire design and approval Data Preparation and Analysis Telephone interviews 30 tele-depth interviews split equally amongst Corporates, SMEs and Public sector organisations Presentation of results With our summary, conclusions and recommendations

3. Respondent Background & Challenges

   Background To Respondents
4. Who Did We Interview? Corporate Organisations SMEs Public/non-profit Organisations
5. Current Business Challenges Q3. What are the key challenges your organisation is facing at the moment? Innovation and development Keeping pace with a rapidly changing market Innovation Focusing on developing products for real world environments rather than the test lab Tough Economy Product/application development Rise in price of raw materials New application developments Corporate Meeting differing countries regulations Dealing with a market which changes rapidly Limited resources The economic difficulties currently being faced Getting products to pass standard tests Meeting Targets Public SME Finding funds during economic downturn Limited budget and resources due to economic environment Having enough time Marketing new products

6. Decision Making Process

7. Corporates Have More Established Relationships With Universities Q40. How long has your organisation been working with Universities for the types of services we have been talking about? Q41. And how long has your organisation been working with the University of Liverpool for these services? On average, Corporates have been working with Universities for 18 yearsand have a typical consideration set of 10 universities SMEs have typically worked with Universities for 7 years and tend to have a consideration set of 6 universities Public organisations have on average worked with universities for 14 years and have a typical consideration set of 6 % Of Respondents Base: Q40 – 29; Q41 - 30
8. Expertise Is The Key Reason For Establishing A Relationship With A University Q5. What initially encouraged you to establish a relationship with a University? Probe: What specifically do Universities offer that you cannot get elsewhere? Number Of Mentions Expertise (14) Not Able To Do In-house (7) Research Opportunities (7) A Specific Academic (6) Graduate Schemes (5) Use Of Specific Equipment (4) Value For Money (2) A Long Term Project (2) SME and Public sectors saw the expertise that they could receive from Universities as the key reason why they chose to establish a relationship with them. Corporates have a gap in their ability to conduct certain tasks in house and choose to use a University for this. Often there is an individual academic we want to work with because of his expertise in a particular area. It's often a quick way of getting research done in a way we can't do ourselves. It often takes a lot longer in industry to bring a project on line than within a university. Sometimes it provides us with an extra resource - in the past fractionally more cheaply but not the case any more. With the funded programmes if we are applying for grants, from Government it's easier to leverage some money if academia are involved. Occasionally it's to do with wanting access to specific equipment. Johnson Matthey The competitive edge. Frequently research projects will require some leading edge thinkers or innovation and we work with universities to get that.Anonymous, SME Base: 30
9. Who Is Involved In The Decision? Corporates Q8. Who is involved in the decision making process when selecting a University for research and business services? Who has the final say? (PROBE for job titles involved, departments etc.) Decision making within Corporates is convoluted and typically involves input from a number of departments In order to co-ordinate the DMP, there is often a “project team” who put the proposal together, and a “strategic team” who review the proposal. Often the final decision is taken to board level, where the VP or SMT will make the decision Depending on the size of the project
10. Who Is Involved In The Decision? SMEs Q8. Who is involved in the decision making process when selecting a University for research and business services? Who has the final say? (PROBE for job titles involved, departments etc.) SMEs are much smaller business units and tend to have a much simpler decision making process Typically a group of 2-4 managers or directors will work on the proposal, and carry out the interview process with the universities short listed. Usually a group of 2-4 is involved in this decision and often includes Technical/Research Directors, Innovation Managers and other Director level staff Often the commission is decided by the group who put together the proposal. However, depending on the scope and size of the project, it may require sign off at board level
11. Who Is Involved In The Decision? Public Q8. Who is involved in the decision making process when selecting a University for research and business services? Who has the final say? (PROBE for job titles involved, departments etc.) Within Public sector organisations the decision is usually taken by Directors and Executive Directors, but there are often additional factors at play These organisations often face stricter controls such as having to put the project out to tender, or having to include involvement from a steering group For some organisations however the decision is a fairly straightforward one, and seems to follow the process of an SME DMP
12. Connecting With Universities – Academics Are Key Q11. And when you have decided to engage with a University, do you typically approach through their business gateway, or through an academic? Base: 30

13. Needs, Awareness & Usage

14. Important Issues When Developing A Relationship Q9. When developing a relationship with a University, how important are these issues in your decision? Please rate their importance on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is not at all important and 10 is critically important. TICK START. ROTATE ORDER Base: 30
15. Less Important Issues When Developing A Relationship Q9. When developing a relationship with a University, how important are these issues in your decision? Please rate their importance on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is not at all important and 10 is critically important. TICK START. ROTATE ORDER Base: 30
16. How Can The University Of Liverpool Meet Needs? Q12. How do you think your organisation could benefit from the University of Liverpool’s expertise and knowledge? Probe: What are your expectations? Knowledge Transfer Exchange Understanding Needs The experience of using the University of Liverpool historically, has provided respondents with a good understanding of where the benefits already lie. The use of equipment for experiments Preparing Students For After Graduation Corporate Expert Knowledge within their specialism High Quality Research Collaborations To play a civic role in the city Work together for the benefit of Liverpool i.e. graduate retention, generate funding for area etc. Access to ethics approval Public Develop it from a sales and marketing point of view SME Benefit from University’s knowledge of their sector, bring innovative ideas, share best practice Respondents often mention requiring a bespoke solution which is specific to their organisation and industry
17. Recruitment & Research Most Commonly Used From University Of Liverpool Q14. I am going to read you a list of services. Can you tell me whether you are aware that the University of Liverpool could provide this expertise to your organisation? Q15. Which of these areas do you or could you have a need for? Q16. Which of these have you used the University of Liverpool for? % Of Respondents Base: 30
18. Awareness, Need & Using Services From The University Of Liverpool - Corporates Q14. I am going to read you a list of services. Can you tell me whether you are aware that the University of Liverpool could provide this expertise to your organisation? Q15. Which of these areas do you or could you have a need for? Q16. Which of these have you used the University of Liverpool for? Base: 10
19. Awareness, Need & Using Services From The University Of Liverpool - SMEs Q14. I am going to read you a list of services. Can you tell me whether you are aware that the University of Liverpool could provide this expertise to your organisation? Q15. Which of these areas do you or could you have a need for? Q16. Which of these have you used the University of Liverpool for? Base: 10
20. Awareness, Need & Using Services From The University Of Liverpool - Public Q14. I am going to read you a list of services. Can you tell me whether you are aware that the University of Liverpool could provide this expertise to your organisation? Q15. Which of these areas do you or could you have a need for? Q16. Which of these have you used the University of Liverpool for? Base: 10

21. Perceptions Towards The University Of Liverpool

22. Which Other Universities Were Considered? Q17. When you made the decision to work with the University of Liverpool, did you consider any other Universities? Corporate: SME: Public: Base: 30
23. The Draw Of Other Universities Q18. IF YES: What is the main reason you considered these Universities? (Probe: particular expertise, relationship etc.) BREAK DOWN RESPONSES BY EACH UNIVERSITY MENTIONED IN Q17
24. Why Use The University Of Liverpool Expertise, Relationship, Funding Q19. And what made you choose to work with the University of Liverpool? (PROBE: What was the benefit of working with the University of Liverpool?) Number Of Mentions Number Of Mentions Number Of Mentions Corporate SME Public
25. Barriers To Using Liverpool University Q20. What were the barriers to working with the University of Liverpool? (PROBE: Did you face any difficulties in working with the University of Liverpool for research and business services?) Understanding Commercial Working World (4) Agreeing The Finer Details Of Projects (2) The Cost (2) Ensuring They Understand The Business (1) The Initial Contract Agreement (1) Slow To Organise Meetings (1) Location (1) Convincing Peers It Is The Right Research To Do (1) Professors tend to be very specific to their area of interest and can get a bit closeted. I had someone comment that half the universities are made up of people who wanted to escape industry to constantly carry out pure research. The research needs to be applied research and 90% of our problems are with existing processes Northwest Aerospace Alliance We are a wholly commercial organisation so the time spent on a project has to pay. There is not necessarily the same pressure on University staff. We sometimes need things to happen at a different pace. Anonymous Number Of Mentions The initial contract drafting was a bit problematic. Down to trying to find contract language which met our needs but also met some of the University's policies as well. Anonymous 15 Respondents stated that their were NO BARRIERS to using Liverpool University.
26. 83% Of Respondents Are Positive Towards Liverpool University Q24. Overall, what has your impression been of working with the University of Liverpool? Has it been? 2 SME’s are the only people to give a negative score to Liverpool University – these respondents feel there is an issue with commercial understanding. “Because there's no buy-in commercially, no support for academics to focus on doing this, so they have no motivation and are reluctant to do anything to foster commercialisation.” Medalytix % Of Respondents Base: 30
27. What Makes The Impression Very Positive? Q25. Why do you say that? “We set out everything we wished to achieve through this short project and I can't imagine that it could gone more smoothly.” Fujifilm Imaging Colourants Ltd “We are embarking on something we simply wouldn't have been able to do and that's very important. Anonymous “The skills and availability that Liverpool offer us has made a very tangible difference to our rate of innovation to our marketplace. Plus generally the relationship built up with the guys at the CMD.” Anonymous “You cannot divorce it from the fact that a lot of it is down to the person I am dealing with, I've known for many years. It has been an easy relationship, each of us understanding what the other wants from it. That person is John Flamson.” Merseytravel

28. Communication Channels

29. Grants & Funding Offer The Greatest Interest To Respondents Q26. How interested would you be in receiving the following from the University of Liverpool? % Of Respondents Base: 30
30. Grants & Funding Offer The Greatest Interest To Respondents Q26. How interested would you be in receiving the following from the University of Liverpool? % Of Respondents who stated very interested The smaller budgets of SME & Public companies drive their need for grants and funding. SME’s across the board have the most interest in receiving the news and communication. Base: 30
31. How Companies Discovered Liverpool University’s Provision Q28. How did you find out about the research and business services offered by the University of Liverpool? PROMPT IF NECESSARY. MULTICODE Star method An area in which to focus for quick gains Low cost methods which can be developed into high returns. These single mention issues shows the long tail of methods used to discover Liverpool Universities offerings. Base: 30 % Of Respondents
32. Google Dominate Website Usage Q29. When seeking information on the internet for the types of research and business services we have been talking about, which search engines and websites do you use most frequently? Qualoria: Bringing together extensive pharmaceutical business experience with proven IT skills. Cochrane: An international network of people helping healthcare providers, policy makers, patients, their advocates and carers, to make decisions about health care Cordis: A gateway to European research and development MedLine: Comprises more than 20 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites
33. Words Used When Searching Online Q30. What search criteria (keywords/phrases) do you use when conducting internet searches for the types of research and business services we have been talking about? (Prompt: Which search words are used?)
34. Social Media Used By 60% Q31. Which of the following social media networks do you currently use for business purposes? Q32. Which online forums do you use on a regular basis for business and research purposes? Mentions: Communities of Practice Local Government Technology Strategy Board US National Library of Medicine % Of Respondents 12 Respondents (40%) DO NOT use social media for business purposes. Base: 18
35. Download Trends Q44. Do you ever download...? Q45. FOR ALL MENTIONED ASK: Which ones do you download? Anything from other Museums, Heritage Institutions, Museum Journal Diabetes Care Energy Or Low Carbon High Quality Care for All Liberating the NHS Local Transport NHS White Papers NHS: Equality & Excellence Planning and Economic Development Technology and Innovation Centres Teeth Whitening The Growth Whitepaper The Public Health White Paper Various Planning and Sustainable Communities related Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical strategy Cardiology Conferences General Electric's EPSRC Forward Strategy Document Patent related Science & Consumer webinars Anything From Other Museums, Heritage Institutions Parliament Website - For Selected Committee Meetings This advanced technology could have the futurepotential to gain popularity as technology becomes more portable and internet speeds grow. % Of Respondents Base: 27
36. Preferred Methods Of Contact Q33. What is your preferred method of communication with the University of Liverpool? These SMEs wanted to receive contact by email and telephone % Of Respondents Base: 30
37. Preferred Frequency Of Contact Q34. And what frequency of contact would you like from the University of Liverpool? % Of Respondents Base: 28

38. Summary & Recommendations

39. Key Points To Take From The Research 1 – There is a business need and interest in the provision of these services 2 – Organisations want to know more and be kept updated 3 – The University of Liverpool is well perceived by its customers 4 – Each organisation type deserves a tailored approach
40. Summarising The Organisation Types Require more hand-holding – place more emphasis on relationship Newer to working with Universities – in some cases the business benefit needs proving Key requirement is cutting edge research – strive to stay ahead of the curve Longer, established relationship with universities Require more frequent communication Greater involvement in e-technology – higher usage of social media and subscribing to news feeds Confident – don’t require as much contact from Universities Strong interest in funding/grants Deal directly with academics 40% dealing direct with business gateway Corporate Organisations Public/non-profit Organisations SMEs