The Case for Integration: Streamlining Market Research in the AI Era
Market researchers typically spend 80% of their time on data preparation and only 20% on insights and storytelling. This imbalance, even with new tools, stifles innovation and limits transformative insights for businesses.
From inefficiency to innovation
Market researchers face a persistent challenge: 80% of their time is spent preparing, cleaning and organising data, leaving just 20% for uncovering actionable insights and storytelling (1). This imbalance – despite the rise of new tools – continues to hinder innovation, stifles creativity and limits the potential to deliver transformative insights that businesses crave.
The overload of tools: a double-edged sword
The tech industry has introduced a myriad of AI-powered tools for researchers, designed to simplify time-intensive tasks. At face value, these tools promise to liberate researchers from drudgery, enabling them to focus on strategic objectives. However, their fragmented nature often complicates workflows. Researchers can find themselves navigating a labyrinth of incompatible platforms, juggling differing formats, and dealing with siloed data streams. Instead of streamlining processes, disconnected tools often exacerbate inefficiencies, leading to frustration and wasted time.
The very tools meant to be the saviours of efficiency have, paradoxically, become obstacles. Each platform brings its own learning curve, maintenance demands, and integration challenges, forcing researchers to act as tech troubleshooters rather than insight generators. The question arises: are we investing in tools to solve problems, or are the tools themselves becoming the problem?
Debi Hart, VP Product Manager states that; “Researchers know what they want, and they’re clear about it. We’re here to make it happen, and this is exactly what we’ve done.”
Risks of fragmentation: errors, security, and lost opportunities
The reliance on disconnected tools doesn't just waste time, it creates vulnerabilities. Fragmentation introduces risks, including data errors, breaches, and inefficiencies. Alarmingly, according to our research, 66% of researchers have faced security issues in the past year. Yet only 38% express significant concern about these risks, illustrating a dangerous gap in awareness and preparedness (2).
Meanwhile, some corporate clients have implemented "No AI" policies for their agencies. This precaution, while understandable, creates an unsustainable contradiction as AI becomes integral to modern workflows. Researchers are caught in a bind: leverage AI to stay competitive or adhere to restrictive policies that curb innovation. The stakes are high, and the margin for error is slim.
“Our partnerships with clients across the globe gives us a clear window into the aspirations of the industry," explains Brian Bhuta, Chief Product Officer. "They've been calling for secure AI tools to improve their processes and clearly are ready to embrace the next generation of technology.”
The case for integration
Fully integrated, purpose-built platforms are emerging as the antidote to fragmentation. These systems, driven by AI, offer a cohesive environment where data preparation, analysis, and storytelling coexist seamlessly. The advantages of such integration are profound:
Time savings: in the preparation stages alone, our tests show that integrated platforms can reduce manual data management by as much as 88% (3), freeing researchers to focus on high-value tasks.
Error reduction: unified workflows minimize human errors, ensuring data consistency and reliability.
Enhanced security: purpose-built platforms prioritize secure data handling, addressing growing concerns about breaches and compliance.
AI-powered integration: a game-changer
Unlike piecemeal solutions, integrated platforms leverage AI to transcend basic task automation. Designed by researchers for researchers, these tools address pain points across the workflow, from survey design to data visualization. The result is transformative: faster project turnarounds, deeper insights, and richer storytelling.
For instance, AI-driven platforms can automatically clean and harmonize datasets, suggest advanced analytical techniques, and even generate initial insights-all within a single ecosystem. This reduces the cognitive load on researchers, allowing them to channel their expertise into crafting narratives that resonate with stakeholders.
Case in point, VP at a leading global market research consultancy said that switching to integrated platforms has “reduced manual data setup from 17+ hours to just one”.
Benefits beyond efficiency
The value of an all in one platform extends far beyond operational efficiency:
Simplified processes: A single system eliminates the need for multiple licenses, extensive training, and tedious software transitions.
Improved client value: Integrated platforms empower researchers to deliver sharper insights and compelling stories, strengthening client relationships and driving revenue growth.
Competitive edge: In a fast-evolving marketplace, streamlined workflows enable researchers to outpace competitors, adapting to trends and delivering actionable insights with unprecedented speed.
Thriving with integration
The path forward for market research is clear: embrace integrated, AI-driven platforms. These tools don't just address inefficiencies-they mitigate risks, enhance security, and empower researchers to focus on what truly matters.
“Flexibility, hyper-efficiency and seamless delivery are non-negotiables,” says Kyle Ferguson, Chief Executive Office, because “only by mastering these will agencies find the space to set themselves apart.”
And, by uniting fragmented processes into cohesive workflows, integrated platforms unlock the full potential of AI, enabling researchers to thrive in an era defined by data.
The future of market research is not just faster-it's smarter, more secure, and profoundly innovative. For researchers ready to lead the charge, the case for integration is not merely compelling-it's transformative.
https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/data-analytics/what-is-data-cleaning/
According to Forsta's 2024 survey on 200 Market Research professionals.
According to Forsta’s internal process tests.
