Development of Electronic Data
Reporting (EDR) in Statistics Finland
Design goals
Framework for similar systems
 Multi-language support
 User authentication / authorisation
 Data security (collection and production databases)
 Simple method for transferring data between collection and
production databases
 “Mass emailer” for all kinds of collection systems

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A2
Three generations
Building cost index 2001
 sub-annual survey
 built using Microsoft Windows DNA (Distributed iNternet
Application Architecture)
 6 EDR solutions 2002-2004
 both sub-annual and annual surveys
 VB.NET
 4 EDR solutions 2005
 sub-annual surveys
 XCola

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A3
Data Provider relations and response
rates: Business surveys
Background
Traditionally high response rates in annual and sub-annual
business surveys
 up to over 99%
 persistent staff
 Good relations with data providers
 experienced staff
 many continuous personal contacts
 usually long-lasting relationships
 high level of trust

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A5
Infrastructure and atmosphere for EDR in Finland
High level of using the Internet
 almost every enterprise has access to internet
 business surveys are typically made for the largest
enterprises
 Positive atmosphere for using internet for transactions with
the government
 respondents are even enthusiastic about using Internet
 “It’s fun to fill in web forms instead of paper ones!”

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A6
Key issues when implementing EDR -solution
Simplifying data collection process
Cost-efficiency
 Reducing need for human resources
 Reducing other data collection costs
 Improving the quality of collected data
Accuracy
 Decreasing non-response
Timeliness
 Speeding up the data accumulation
 Reducing response burden
 Enabling direct individual feedback for respondents
 Enabling browsing of previously submitted data
 Assuring high level data security

Rami Peltola
Data provider
relations
13.9.2005
A7
Reducing response burden
Using e-mail for informing the survey and sending the
reminders
 link to the EDR -solution
 Questionnaire is “always” available
 Good designing of the questionnaire
 not just a copy of the paper form
 Helpful validity checks
 reduce the need of additional inquiries
 Contextual on-line help
 Option to fill in the questionnaire in separate sessions
 Support for several languages

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A8
Enabling direct individual feedback for respondents (1)
Motivates respondent to use EDR -solution instead a paper
form
 For example enterprise’s own data compared with the data
of it’s own industry
 Respondents have found feedback useful
 has even led to inquiries for more information

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A9
Enabling direct individual feedback for respondents (2)

Monthly sale
inquiry:
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 10
Enabling browsing of previously submitted data
Respondent have access to all the data it has previously
submitted
 simple short-term (sub-annual) surveys
 Pre-filling the form with data from previous surveys
 useful especially in annual surveys
 helps the respondent to remember how the figures were
compiled last year

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 11
Assuring high level data security
Data security audit by an outside consult
 All traffic on the Internet is SSL -encrypted
 An authentication / authorisation -process is always needed
 New user IDs and passwords every year
 User IDs and passwords are initially sent in a letter
 only one of them can be sent by email
 the other one must always be sent in a letter or given
over by telephone
 Only a certain number of our staff have access to user IDs
and passwords (usually two persons per survey)

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 12
Decreasing non-response and speeding up the
accumulation of the data
Response rates have remained on high level
 The average response time of monthly surveys has been
reduced
 in the best case by 7-8 days or 30%
 The number of reminders sent has decreased substantially
 in the best case by 50%
 The share of the respondents using EDR -solution has in
most cases reached high level
 sub-annual surveys > 60% (in the best case 85%)
 annual surveys ~ 30% (in the best case 50%)

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 13
An example: Sale inquiry
Change in response media 10/2001 - 10/2004
1600
1400
1200
1000
10/2001
10/2002
10/2003
10/2004
800
600
400
200
0
Fax
Mail
Internet
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 14
An example: Sale inquiry

EDR users of all respondents:

after 1. month: 48%

after 2. month: 59%

after 3. month: 61%

after 4. month: 70%

Today: > 80%
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 15
An example: Sale inquiry

Reminders sent:

before EDR: ~ 1000

after 1. month: ~ 800

after 2. month: ~ 700

after 3. month: ~ 600

since 4. month: ~ 500
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 16
An example: Sale inquiry
Responses per day 10/2001 (until t+45 days)
300
250
Due date
(accumulation 31%)
200
Reminders
(accumulation 76%)
150
100
50
0
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 17
An example: Sale inquiry
Responses per day 10/2002 (until t+45 days)
450
400
Due date
(accumulation 49%)
350
300
Reminders
(accumulation 81%)
250
200
150
100
50
0
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 18
An example: Sale inquiry
Responses per day 10/2003 (until t+45 days)
200
180
160
140
Due date
120
(accumulation 68%)
100
80
60
Reminders
(accumulation 78%)
40
20
0
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 19
An example: Sale inquiry
Responses per day 10/2004 (until t+45 days)
250
200
Due date
(accumulation 76%)
150
100
Reminders
(accumulation 86%)
50
0
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 20
An example: Sale inquiry
Accumulation of data 10/2001 - 10/2004
2000
1500
1000
500
0
10/2001
10/2002
10/2003
Rami Peltola
10/2004
13.9.2005
A 21
Costs and Benefits of EDR solutions:
Business surveys
Costs of EDR
The costs of developing web-based applications and
running them has dropped by 60-70% during the last three
years
 Average investment cost per new EDR -solution (today)
 An outside service provider: EUR 5000
 In-house solution (XCola): 150 hours of work
 Maintenance costs of EDR solution per year (today)
 An outside service provider: EUR 1000
 In-house solution (XCola): 50 hours of work

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 23
Development costs: In-house EDR solutions
The in-house solutions are already in the third generation
phase
 During the first and second phases the total resource input
was about 2.5 person years
 more or less “learning by doing”
 includes the development of a secure communication
environment
 includes the implementation of 7 solutions
 XCola (third generation phase) development took about 1
person year
 includes the implementation of 4 solutions

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 24
Benefits of EDR to Statistics Finland (1)
Four second generation solutions have been in production
for more than year
 3300 respondents per month and 800 per quarter
 Average percentage of work saved in the data collection
phase is over 40 (2 person years)
 The amount of ground mail has been reduced by 64 000 or
65% (0.5 person years)
 The average response time has been reduced in the best
case by 7-8 days or 30%
 Number of reminders sent has gone down by the half
 Investment has paid off in about a year

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 25
Benefits of EDR to Statistics Finland (2)
The data received are of better quality
 both annual and sub-annual surveys
 common estimate is “25% less errors”
 comprehensive study has not been made
 As manual handling diminishes, it can be replaced by more
rewarding tasks

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 26
Benefits of EDR to respondents
Questionnaire is possible to be completed more rapidly
 Pre-filling helps respondents to remember how they have
answered previously
 Validity checks prevent the sending of erroneous data
 no additional inquiries
 Same piece of information needs always to be entered only
once
 Respondents like to use Internet
 Perceived response burden has gone down

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 27
Effects of the EDR on data collection process
Printing the questionnaires  Transferring data to collection database
Mailing  E-mail informing (mass emailer)
Receiving the questionnaires (mail, fax, e-mail)  (Electronic data supply)
Validating and entering the data  On-line validations + mass validation
Printing and mailing the reminders  E-mail reminder (mass emailer)
Phone inquiry  Phone inquiry
Non-individual delayed feedback  Individual direct feedback
Limited access to previous own data  Previous own data available
Manual exclusive treatment  Electronic mass treatment
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 28
Data transfers
Data transfers between collection and production
databases are handled with an external application
 Data from collection database
 is first transferred to the temporary tables in the
production database
 and then synchronized with the actual tables
 Solution is quite customizable
 Easy to customize for new collection systems
 Easy to add new databases

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 29
Mass emailer
An external application to send emails to the respondents
 Modular approach
 New systems can be added using textual configuration
files
 Reply requests (list of e-mails) can be added by writing
sql statements to the configuration files
 Supports attachments
 Replaces traditional letters

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 30
An example: Sale inquiry
Background
Monthly inquiry using paper forms (~2080 enterprises)
 Data collection process (7-8 persons: ~2.0 working years)
 Printing and mailing the questionnaires
 Receiving the questionnaires (mail, fax, e-mail)
 Validating and entering the data
 Printing and mailing the reminders
 Phone inquiry
 Quarterly non-individual feedback for respondents
 Previously submitted data preprinted to questionnaires for
the last 2 months

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 31
An example: Sale inquiry
Purpose
To describe the economic situation in different industries
 Trade: 30 branches
 Services: 23 branches
 Construction: 3 branches
 Manufacturing: 15 branches
 To respond to EU-legislation
 The Regulation of the EU concerning short-term
statistics (1165/98)

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 32
An example: Sale inquiry / Source data
Tax Administration’s register
 Value added tax -data
 Delay 2 months in turnover
 The data accumulates for 6 months
 Direct data collection (sale inquiry ~2080 companies)
 The most largest companies from each industry
 Trade: ~660 companies
 Services: ~600 companies
 Construction: ~200 companies
 Manufacturing: ~620 companies
 Business Register
 Basic information about companies: branch of industry,
location, contact information etc.

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 33
An example: Sale inquiry
End products
Monthly indicators (newsletters and Internet releases)
 Trade: 30 (European sample), 45 (preliminary) and
75 days delay
 Services: 45 (European sample) and 75 days delay
 Construction: 75 days delay
 Manufacturing: 75 days delay
 Time series
 Starts mostly from 1995 (trade from 1985)

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 34
Data collection process in sale inquiry before EDR
Collecting the sales data concerning March
Manual data entering
April
May
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 4
Printing and mailing
the questionnaires
Due date
Printing and mailing
the reminders
Phone inquiry
for non-respondents
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 35
Data collection process in sale inquiry today
Collecting the sales data concerning March
Electronic data transfers
April
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Transferring data to
collection database
Due date
E-mail reminders
E-mail informing
1. phone inquiry for nonrespondents on European sample
2. phone inquiry for
non-respondents on
European sample
Phone inquiry
for the rest
non-respondents
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 36
EDR solution / Sale inquiry
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 37
Change in working hours used in data collection
and validation (hours per year)
2500
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
1500
1000
500
0
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 38
Hours used in development and maintenance of
EDR solution (sale inquiry)
900
Includes hours used
in development of
infrastrucre
800
700
600
500
2002
2003
2004
400
300
200
100
0
Hours
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 39
Experiences (1)

Feedback from respondents has been very positive:
Response burden has redused remarkably

Enthusiasm of persons involved in data collection

Manual data treatment has redused (at least by 50%)

Quality of data has improved: On-line validations, additional
information if data is not comparable etc.
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 40
Experiences (2)

Number of enquires made by respondents concerning EDR
solution:

First two months: ~100 / month (mainly questions
concerning base settings)

Since third month: ~30 / month (mainly forgotten
passwords)
Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 41
Effects of EDR on data quality (ESS quality
dimensions)
Accuracy
 Automatic validations
 Timeliness
 Mail  E -mail and web
 Manual data entering  Electronic data transfers
 Comparability

Rami Peltola
13.9.2005
A 42