Olaf Hofmann is Managing Director of Skopos and on behalf of the DGOF member of the German-speaking committee on international ISO standardization. Recently, in Mexico City, he approved a redraft of ISO standard 20252, which was developed specifically for market research and is now also intended to reflect modern technologies such as automation and the handling of big data. His own institute has recently been certified.
Recast of ISO standard 20252
- Originally published: https://www.horizont.net/planung-analyse/nachrichten/Neufassung-der-ISO-Norm-20252-Eines-der-besten-Investments-das-ich-je-getaetigt-habe-165488
Additional materials:
- Officer of the German administration recommends using ISO certified research agencies: https://www.horizont.net/planung-analyse/nachrichten/Akte-Marktforschung-Spiegel-Online-laesst-nicht-locker-167806
- Agencies, certifying companies, and clients discuss 20252 certification: https://www.horizont.net/planung-analyse/nachrichten/Zertifizierung-ist-eine-Voraussetzung-aber-keine-Garantie-fuer-hohe-Qualitaet-Ein-TueV-fuer-Marktforschung-167587
"One of the best investments I have ever made"
by Sabine Hedewig-Mohr
Olaf Hofmann is Managing Director of Skopos and on behalf of the DGOF member of the German-speaking committee on international ISO standardization. Recently, in Mexico City, he approved a redraft of ISO standard 20252, which was developed specifically for market research and is now also intended to reflect modern technologies such as automation and the handling of big data. His own institute has recently been certified.
planning & analysis: You have recently been certified. Why so late? ISO standard 20252 has been in existence since 2006 and you are a member of the German Commission, which is responsible for drawing up and updating the ISO standards.
Hofmann: I'm afraid it's like having kids. You want it, you plan it, but then there is always something that defers the decision. When we finally decided, it went pretty fast. And in retrospect, we are very, very glad that we did it. Because it has changed a lot in our organization.
What did it do?
That one becomes aware in the organization, how processes must run off. Only then does a proper operation emerge. Before, we were often occassions where everyone conducted processes the way they thought they should and not the way they really should for quality and efficiency. With the ISO standard, you agree on a procedure and when new, young colleagues come to us, then there is also uniform training on how to proceed in the organization.
There is a binding standard for all processes, how something should be done?
Yes, but it's not just any standard, it's the best standard and that's crucial. And it's not that the standard dictates a completely detached, unattainable, insanely expensive, expensive procedure. No, these are practitioners who have worked it out, and who know what fits into everyday research. That's a great thing, and I honestly underestimated the effect, even though I've been working on the standard since 2003. Going through an ISO certification procedure is not just about getting a quality stamp and then you forget everything and keep working as you did before. No, it changes the organization sustainably in its foundations and that's a good thing.
How exactly does this happen and how long is it when you decide to become certified? And - an important point - how expensive is it?
Of course you have to prepare for it. It takes a few months to do that. Three to four months of preparation with a project team are recommended. First, there is a pre-audit, which is a very broad and intensive screening of all procedures and processes in the company. Starting with the treatment of the original request, the offer, the research design up to the final reporting. In the course of this pre-audit, attention is drawn to points that should be followed up in comparison with the requirements of the standard. The actual auditor is then a second person. This is very important, because four eyes see more than two. The costs were manageable. With 7,000 to 12,000 euros - depending on the size of the organization - you should expect. In addition, once a year, a control audit in the order of 1,500 euros. For us it was one of the best investments we have ever made, because it has made our entire organization, which now consists of over 80 permanent employees, fitter, more error-sensitive, process-oriented and thus better overall.
What does the certification really promise?
In the case of tenders, especially public tenders, there is a growing demand for certification according to ISO 20252. At the moment it is an advantage to be certified but eventually it will be a disadvantage if you are not certified. It will not be long, I'm sure. At the moment, there are a few institutes of our size that can be certified. I believe that once 15 of the top 30 full-service institutes are certified to ISO 20252, a point will be reached where the first customers will make it their mission to be ISO 20252 certified. And that will not be long.
As far as we are in Germany yet. You can still feel a distinct restraint. But the ISO standard is an international standard. What is the acceptance in other countries of the world?
In Australia or Holland, it is already compulsory for all institutes that want to become members of the relevant industry associations, i.e., their counterparts to ADM and BVM, DGOF, to be certified. Even in the US, it is becoming more and more the expectation of a professionally working organization to be certified according to ISO 20252.
Now the ISO standard 20252 has been revised. Are you satisfied with the revised draft? Where is there still need for improvement?
We are very satisfied, we have been able to pick up on many current developments such as river sampling and web analytics. However, there are still some gaps in neuroscience and artificial intelligence. We will not be able to fill these with the current revision that we just passed in Mexico City. It is quite possible that we may postpone either a so-called amendment or a separate annex to these topics. The entire ISO 20252 system is highly flexible and modular so that you can respond quickly to method changes.
And how alive is the issue of certification in everyday business or is it only on the agenda when once a year the certifier has announced itself again?
That's the really charming thing about the certification, that the uniform standards and the quality, which is prescribed, really have to be lived in everyday life. That's something to do with the people who work for us. You can rely on uniform processes and focus on the essentials, on customer service. And that, in turn, does something with our customer relationships, they get better and more stable, because you avoid mistakes in the process, you do not have to rework, you can focus more on consulting, and ultimately you save a lot of money.
There have been headlines on quality in recent weeks. First, the open letter from Mr Wiegelmann and then the file market research from Spiegel Online. Could such a thing have happened in a certified company?
You have to be honest here. Yes, something like that could happen to a certified institution, but the likelihood of it happening is much lower. An example: One of the core requirements of ISO 20252 and thus an essential chapter of the audit process on site in the organization by the auditors is HOW external service providers, including field service providers selected and above all are controlled. If, as an organization, you can not demonstrate clear, transparent and stringent processes, you have no chance of getting certified. To slip through this close-knit control is almost impossible for a non-clean field service provider. I almost say, because - depending on the extent of criminal energy - no one can be 100 percent immune to this. But I also go so far as to say that the probability that it "catches" you is close to zero - if you have your processes under control. And that's where the ISO 20252 comes in.