Data refinement in a market research applications' data production process

Abstract

In this contribution, we will show how empirically collected field data for a market research application are refined in a stepwise manner and enriched into end-user market reports and charts. The collected data are treated by selections, transformations, enrichments, and aggregations to finally derive new market knowledge from the raw data material. Besides data-oriented aspects, process- and organization-related aspects have to be considered as well to ensure the required product quality for GfK Marketing Services' customers, which have known GfK for decades as a top-10 player in the international market research area. Based on an ongoing example from the panel-based Retail & Technology application domain, we will show how decentrally collected and pre-processed data are transformed into integrated, global market knowledge in a network of world-wide companies. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.