The Business Research Company
Technology Case
Studies
Case Study -Database of Companies for a
Leading Research Publisher
The Business
Research Company
Requirement
Solution
• A UK client wanted us to create company profiles for
45,000 companies (public and private) across 25
industries and 60 countries.
• The scope of our research included:
 Collect key information from company websites.
Data collected included:
 Company corporate information
 A brief overview of company’s business
 Sector and geographic indexing
 List and information on key executives
 List of major products
 Company locations
 Historical events of the company
• The client was provided with an efficient and reliable
service that included:
 Error free data collection and input
 Thoroughly proof-read content
 Comprehensive coverage of data points specified
by the client
 Online tool so the client could constantly monitor
progress and input
 Delivery in multiple formats including XML and PDF
Methodology
Client Benefits and Feedback
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Research on company websites
Data collection from third party credible sources
Validation of data collected from all sources
Data entry into a purpose designed authoring tool
Proof-reading of written content
Multi-layer quality check process
•
•
The content is used in some of the world’s leading
business information portals.
Client was able to save on costs due to the low US$ /
hour service that we gave. We estimate the cost
savings to be around 55% compared to the company’s
captive center in India.
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2
Case Study - Market Analysis for a 3G Phone
Provider
The Business
Research Company
Solution
Requirement
A leading mobile phone manufacturer wanted a study of the
large and rapidly developing 3G phone market in Myanmar.
• The detailed analysis included,
Executive Summary
Market Revenues of mobile phones
Technology segmentation
Market Dynamics
Sales
Product Pipeline
• The scope of our research included:
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• The research and findings was delivered to the client as
An industry primer (brief dossier)
Market size of mobile phones
Major players assessment
Market drivers
Pricing analysis
Market for 3G phones
Market Forecast
Methodology
• We conducted a thorough research of the specific mobile
phone manufacturers:
Primary research: Interviewing top level management,
Decision makers, Sales Head, and R&D Head.

Secondary
research: Appleinsider, Techinasia,
Phonearena, Cellphonesdb, US Patent Office, European
Patent Office.
Our Analysts (industry experts) used the information
gathered from the above sources, analyzed the data
and offered a detailed solution to the client.
Benefits and Feedback
• Our client was able to confirm its market entry strategy
based on the existing market opportunity and strong
forecast growth.
• Pricing and competitor information helped it to identify how
to position itself against competitors.
• Specific local factors, identified through interviews with
leading figures, fed into the client’s marketing strategy.
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3
The Business
Research Company
Case Study- IT Outsourcing Sales Support
Solution
Requirement
A leading Indian IT outsourcing company wanted help to
identify and target new corporate clients in the US market.
The findings were delivered to the client as:
A list of potential customer companies by size
Key management and purchaser contacts
Estimated IT outsourcing budget and requirements
by customer company
Market opportunity assessment
Tailored marketing strategy for penetrating key
companies
• The company wished to:
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Identify potential customer companies
Prioritize them in terms of opportunity size
Improve the sales team’s approach
Understand the size of the potential market in order
to benchmark sales performance better
Benefits and Feedback
Methodology
• We conducted a thorough research of the specific IT company:

Primary research: Interviewing top level management,
Decision makers, Sales Head, R&D Head, customers.

Research of proprietary company and contacts
databases to identify target companies and executives.
Our Analysts (industry experts) used the information
gathered from the above sources, analyzed the data
and offered a detailed solution to the client.
The client achieved significant like-on-like sales growth
through:
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Clearer identification and targeting of potential
customers.
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More accurate and directed pitches and campaigns.

Benchmarking of sales team performance against the
market opportunity.
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4
Case Study - Optoelectronics Competitor
Benchmarking
Requirement
A leading Optoelectronics manufacturer wanted a detailed
competitor benchmarking study in order to:
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Identify its key competitors
Evaluate them according to standard parameters
Assess competitor strength
Develop strategies based on a better understanding
of its competitive position
Methodology
• We conducted thorough research of the specific industry in
Opto Electronics through:

Secondary research: Company websites, annual
reports, social networks, IEEE, FDA, US Patent Office,
European Patent Office.
Primary research: Interviewing top level management,
Decision makers, Sales Head, R&D Head, University
Professors.
The Business
Research Company
Solution
• The in-depth research and findings was delivered to the
client as:
Overview and findings
Competitor peer group with justification
Competitor assessment by parameters including:
product pipeline, patents, brand share, revenues,
social media presence.
Weighted competitor ranking based on parameter
scores
Assessment of the client’s competitive position
based on its benchmarked strengths and
weaknesses
Competitive strategy action points
Benefits and Feedback
• Based on the study the client was able to:
• Identify its strengths and weaknesses and develop
improvement strategies.
• Understand which competitors posed the greatest
threat.
• Target competitor weaknesses.
• Gain competitive advantage, helping to improve the
Our Analysts (industry experts) used the information
clients’ competitive ranking over the next year.
gathered from the above sources, analyzed the data
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and offered a two-format solution to the client.
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The Business
Research Company
Case Study- Due Diligence on a Chinese Partner
Requirement
Solution
A commodities company wanted to know more information on
a potential partner company in China. It wanted to know:
The research and findings were delivered to the client as a:
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Overview of the Chinese commodities trading market
and trading practices.
What was the financial and trading history of the
Chinese company?
Did the company have the connections and existing
contracts it claimed?
Were there any regulatory or reputational issues
facing the company?
Methodology
• We conducted thorough investigation through:
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Face-to-face research (conducted by Chinese agent): 10
Interviews with the Chinese company’s employees, ex
employees, customers and competitors.

Investigation of regulatory filings of the company (by a
Chinese Agent) and the history of the leading sponsors
and executives.
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Checking of social media and newspaper comment on
the company.
Our Analysts (industry experts) used the information
gathered from the above sources, analyzed the data
and offered a two-format solution to the client.

China Market profile of the Commodities Trading
market
Company profile including:
 Company overview
 Financials
 Key personnel
 Company reputation
 Regulatory issues
Benefits and Feedback
• Based on the study the client was able to establish the
following about the Chinese company.
• It did indeed have the contacts and connections it
claimed.
• The company had long and steady history of
profitable trading.
• While there had been some complaints against the
company there were no law suits.
• On the basis of this the commodities trader was able to
confidently go into partnership.
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6
Case Study- Marketing Support for a IT Service
Provider
The Business
Research Company
Solution
Requirement
The Marketing Team of one of India’s leading IT service providers
was overstretched due to high business volumes.
The team was unable to manage certain tasks including:
 Drawing key information from company reports and filings
 Drawing information from data resources the company had
available to it such as Thomson One , Alacra, Factivia, FACTset.
 Finding target company and executive contacts.
 Setting up and conducting primary research interviews.
TBRC regularly supported the client with:
• Lists of target companies and executive contacts.
• Secondary research data from annual reports, investor
presentations.
• Information drawn from the client’s proprietary data
sources.
• Scheduled interviews with key industry figures.
Methodology
Benefits and Feedback
TBRC developed a small and flexible satellite team which could
support the client on an ongoing basis. The rules of engagement
were guided by a clear Service Level Agreement.
Target company and executive lists supported the sales team’s
efforts.
TBRC would:
• Work closely with the client on day to day requirements.
• Each TBRC consultant was be paired with a member of the
client team.
• Provide work to support the client team’s work.
• Have a weekly project management team meeting with the
client for feedback, timesheet management and review of the
Service Level Agreement requirements.
Secondary research supported more accurate market models
and competitor shares.
Pre-arranged Interviews with industry experts improved the
client team’s market understanding of qualitative factors in the
market.
7
Copyright TBRC Business Research. All Rights Reserved.
Case Study- Full Time Engagement for Consumer
Company
The Business
Research Company
Solution
Requirement
The Investor Relations head of a global drinks company wanted
ongoing support for producing internal and external reports
and presentations.
Work included:
 Presentations on the company
 Research for internal and external presentations
on the company’s products, customers and
markets.
 Analytics on consumer surveys and panel
feedback.
 Press and social media response tracking.
The research and findings were delivered to the client as a:
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Analyst presentations
Draft press releases
Financial Benchmarking studies
Product portfolio comparisons
Consumer feedback studies
Methodology
Benefits and Feedback
A consultant was assigned to the project on an Full Time
Equivalent (FTE) basis.
 The consultant was chosen for their intelligence, strong
communications and good knowledge of the consumer
markets. An MBA finance with 3 years research
experience who also had a strong understanding of
company financials was selected.
 At the start of the project, the consultant spent two
weeks on-site with the client to fully understand the
need.
 The Consultant was supported by an manager to help
them utilise superior research processes, analytic
frameworks and to drive the client’s output.
The engagement allowed the client to improve the volume of
presentations and releases for its clients. the media and
investors.
Closer tracking of social media and press response fed back
into the company’s investor relations practices.
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Copyright TBRC Business Research. All Rights Reserved.
Case Study- Short List of Potential Acquisitions for an
Energy-Sector Software Services Provider
The Business
Research Company
Solution
Requirement
A provider of software to the energy industry wanted to
investigate potential targets to expand its business in the US.
TBRC delivered the following.
It wanted first to identify a shortlist of potential targets.
Criteria included:
 Headcount 25+
 Revenues $5m plus
 Proven record of delivering high quality software solutions
and support to the oil and gas sector in the US.
 Strong network with the CIO level in North American oil and
gas firms.
• Details of the initial short list of companies with
accompanying metadata.
• Company profiles of 4 companies meeting the client criteria
with the following details.
 Overview
 Key facts
 Basic financials
 Services and capabilities
 Clients and client feedback
Methodology
Benefits and Feedback
TBRC suggested the following approach
 Use of financial and corporate databases to identify
companies matching the basic criteria- industry, headcount
and revenues- this identified over 200 companies.
 Website and secondary source research in order to develop a
more specific shortlist based on the exact nature of business
and services offered – list reduced to c30 companies
 Companies meeting this criteria were then researched in
greater detail, including some primary research to establish
whether they met the criteria in terms of product quality and
network.
The client was satisfied with the list of potential targets and
utilized the information in its investment decision process.
9
Copyright TBRC Business Research. All Rights Reserved.
Case Study- Financial and Operational Due Diligence
on an Analytics Services Company
Requirement
The Private Equity (PE) arm of a global bank was looking for an
investment in the expanding data analytics and text mining
services sector. The company had identified 2 potential
investment targets.
Both companies had provided an information pack giving details
on financials, operations, strategy and plans. One of the
companies was being promoted for sale by a bank, the other
had been identified by the client.
The client wished to cross verify the information given in the
packs, and make an independent assessment of the companies
and their potential value.
Methodology
TBRC adopted the following approach.
Financial due diligence
 Line-by-line analysis of financials and definitions.
 Independent forecast of major P&L lines.
 Comparative ratio analysis against industry norms and
recent deals for pricing guidance.
 Comparison of different business units and geographies.
Operational due diligence
 Interviews with the target company, its clients, and
competitors.
 Desk research on trends and growth in the data analytics
market.
The Business
Research Company
Solution
TBRC delivered the following:
Financial
 Annotated financials with feedback on any points to note.
 Independent profit and loss forecast.
 Ratio analysis and price benchmarking.
 Business unit and geographic contribution break down.
 Cost Analysis.
Operational
 Verification notes on the documented operational
information.
 SWOT analysis of company’s operations.
 Gap analysis of its competencies and services.
Benefits and Feedback
The research inputs helped the PE firm to finalize its
investment target and price its offer.
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Case Study- Contacts Database – Email
Appending for a UK Client
The Business
Research Company
Solution
Scope
• A UK client approached us to improve their contacts
database and add email IDs
• The scope of our research included:
 Check existing information of contacts provided,
update recent and relevant changes
 Check for correct name
 Check if employee still works with the
company
 Check address, phone an fax details
 Check if there is change in designation
 Add Email ID for every contact
Methodology
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•
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Secondary research on company websites
Data collection from third party credible sources
Validation of data collected from all sources
Multi-level quality checks including statistical
analysis
• The client was provided with an efficient and reliable
solution that included:
 Up to date contacts database with added email
IDs.
 Two layer quality checks on data processed
 Yearly update of the database to keep it relevant
and up-to-date
Client Benefits and Feedback
• Client was able to save on costs due to the low US$ /
hour service that we provided (around US$ 5.5 / per
hour).
• The client benefitted from our existing experience of
handling people databases
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11
Case Study- Office Equipment Company Client
Survey
Requirement
One of the world’s largest office equipment companies wanted
to know more about attitudes to buying office equipment in
leading companies, in the US including the following.
• Which equipment types were of most interest to
purchasers?
• What features were purchasers looking for?
• How were spending patterns likely to change in the
next three years?
• Attitudes to the company and its competitor’s
brands.
Methodology
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The Business
Research Company
Solution
TBRC delivered a detailed report covering:
• Drivers and restraints of different equipment
categories.
• Increases and decreases in equipment budget.
• Brand attitudes and opinions.
• Results were broken down by geography and
sector of respondent to highlight differences.
Client Benefits and Feedback
A questionnaire was designed in close collaboration
Information from the report influenced:
with the client.
• Sales strategy and investment by geography.
Surveying and routing were designed using
• Inputs into the product design based on feature
proprietary software.
feedback.
Large in-house databases of CIOs and purchase
• Media coverage based on survey results.
managers globally provided the panel for the
research.
Our Market Research Society -trained interviewers
used their expertise in interviewing senior level
business professionals, c-level executives and
technicians.
The client was able to track the project’s progress in
real time through an online portal.
Data analysis was conducted in-house and presented
Copyright TBRC Business Research. All Rights Reserved.
to the client.
12
Case Study – Competitive Analysis for an
Healthcare IT Company
Requirement
A leading software technology company offering
Healthcare Information Systems (HIS) wanted to
understand why it was losing market share to a number of
smaller competitors.
Specifically it wanted to know the following for three HIS
providers
 Operations set up
 Sales by product
 Research and Development spend and focus
 Products launched and upgraded, technical
specifications
 End user feedback/ market attitude
 Pricing benchmarks
The Business
Research Company
Solution
A detailed presentation in PowerPoint on each provider
included:
 Operations centers, geographies, staff
 Revenues split by geography and service line
(estimated)
 Products and services on offer and in pipeline
 Research & Development – spend (global and
regional) and focus areas (estimated)
 Customer feedback on products
 Social media response
 Approximate pricing benchmarks,
 Price/value perception of clients
Methodology
Client Benefits and Feedback
TBRC conducted research on each provider through: Primary research (5+ interviews with senior
employees; 5+ interviews with customer hospitals)
 Secondary research (company websites, journals and
presentations)
 Social Media monitoring – monitoring comments on
consumer discussion forums and professional
networking sites
 Delivery of a comprehensive report on the
competitor and the threat it posed to the client
• The report on the operations of the providers helped the
client to shape its strategic response.
• Primary research revealed a range of important strategic
information the client had not been aware of, including:
 Lower than expected price points and higher
discounts
 Customer perceptions that the smaller companies
were more responsive
 Technology development focus areas of the
providers
Copyright TBRC Business Research. All Rights Reserved.
13
The Business
Research Company
Disclaimer
All Rights Reserved.
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website or otherwise, in any form or manner, in part or as a whole, without the express consent
in writing of TBRC Business Research. Any unauthorized use, disclosure or public dissemination of
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presentation. The facts of this report are believed to be correct at the time of publication but
cannot be guaranteed. Please note that the findings, conclusions and recommendations that
TBRC Business Research delivers will be based on information gathered in good faith from both
primary and secondary sources, whose accuracy we are not always in a position to guarantee. As
such TBRC Business Research can accept no liability whatever for actions taken based on any
information that may subsequently prove to be incorrect.
Copyright TBRC Business Research. All Rights Reserved.
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