MMost organizations already have data: sales records, call logs, spreadsheets, notes from the field. What they often lack is a reliable answer to a simple question, such as which zone to enter next, which product to push, or which candidate distributor is strong enough. Market research is how you turn scattered information into a decision you can defend.
Start from the decision
A study without a question becomes a long report with no action. Before any survey is designed, write the decision in one sentence: "Should we open a second outlet in this commune?" or "Which three distributors should we keep?" Then list what you would need to know to answer it. That list becomes the questionnaire.
Agree in advance what result would change your mind. If you would open the outlet in any case, the survey is a waste of money. If a particular answer, such as low demand in a commune, would stop the plan, then you have a study worth running.
Collect data that can be trusted
Paper forms are slow to enter and easy to get wrong. Mobile collection tools such as KoboCollect and ODK let field teams record answers, photos and GPS positions on a phone, even without a connection, and sync when they reach a signal. Good design matters as much as the tool: required fields, drop-down answers instead of free text, and validation rules that catch an impossible value on the spot.
Test the form with two or three real respondents before launch.- Train enumerators on the questions, not only the app.
- Review submissions daily so errors are fixed while the team is still in the area.
Pick a sample that makes sense. Surveying only the people who are easy to reach, such as customers already in your shop, gives a flattering picture. Include areas and groups you currently miss. Record the date, place and enumerator on each entry so you can trace and correct problems.
Clean, then analyze
Raw data always has problems: duplicates, typos, missing answers. Set aside time to clean it and keep a record of what you changed. Then start with simple measures, such as counts, averages and comparisons between zones, before reaching for anything complicated. Most business decisions do not need advanced statistics. They need clear, honest comparisons.
Keep the original file untouched and work on a copy. Write down the rules you applied, for example how you handled blank answers or duplicate entries. A colleague should be able to repeat your steps and get the same numbers.
Add the map
A large share of business questions are about place: where customers are, where deliveries are slow, where a competitor is strong. Plotting results by commune or communal section often reveals patterns a table hides. Combining your survey with official boundaries and population estimates gives context that numbers alone cannot.
Population by communal section, distance to the nearest road or warehouse, and the density of outlets are easy layers to add. They help you explain why one zone performs better than another, instead of only showing that it does.
- 01
Ask one question
A good study starts from a single decision you need to make.
- 02
Collect in the field
Mobile survey tools keep data clean and fast to review.
- 03
Show, don't bury
A simple dashboard beats a 60-page report nobody opens.
Make the results usable
Deliver findings in the format your team will actually open. A short summary of recommendations, followed by a live dashboard with filters, is usually more useful than a long document. Decide in advance who owns each action and when you will review the numbers again.
Research is not a one-off project. The organizations that grow steadily treat it as a habit: ask, measure, act, and measure again. Start with one question this quarter and build from there.
Present three things at most: what you found, what it means for the decision, and what you recommend. Link every recommendation to the data behind it, so a skeptical director can check it. Archive the cleaned dataset and the questionnaire, because next year's study can then be compared with this one.
Next Step
Good research is about asking the right question, collecting carefully and presenting the answer so people act on it. If you would like a second opinion before you commit budget, the Atrax team is happy to talk it through. You can reach us through the contact page.
Atrax Team
The Atrax Team is a six-person group of engineers, GIS and data specialists, and designers based in Delmas, Haiti. Atrax has built digital products and field-data systems for Haitian organizations since 2015.
