Less Is More

Many times, market research departments are put in charge of finding a mystery shopping vendor. Marketing often requires extensive reporting, because they look at things from their viewpoint. However, in the end, it is the stores and the store management team
(the District & Regional Managers) who have to use the information. Report overkill can actually hinder their effectiveness.

Having 100 reports to choose from, and access to a big bank of data you can slice and dice a million ways, might seem like it would be helpful. But at the end of the day, is that really going to change staff behaviors and drive results at the store level?

My suggestion is to keep things simple. A few targeted reports with meaningful, useable data (like basic trending and top opportunities) is enough for most management levels. If market research needs multiple reports, it can certainly be accomplished. But be careful not to get so bogged down in gathering data that the rest of the organization is hindered.

“Less is More’ is the buzzword when it comes to reporting. Gathering lots of different data might seem useful, but in the end, things can get messy and the ability to use data to effect any real frontline staff change is minimized. If marketing wants reports, they can have them. Help managers do their very best on the floor by providing the targeted data they really need.