Start with what you are trying to decide.

Customer and market questions are not always as straightforward as they first appear.

You may come with a clear question and an idea about how you want to answer it. Part of our role is to understand whether that question gets to the decision you actually need to make.
 

1. Understand the decision

We start with what you are trying to decide and why.

What would you do if the answer pointed one way instead of another? What is at stake? What needs to be different as a result of the work?

This helps us distinguish the underlying decision from the first research question or solution that may already be in mind.
 

2. Examine the assumptions

You may already have done substantial thinking before we speak.

We do not start from the assumption that you have got everything wrong. Equally, I do not simply accept the starting hypothesis because it is yours.

We look at what is already known, what is assumed, what is uncertain and what may not yet have been considered.

3. Work out what needs to be established
Not every question requires the same type or amount of research.

We consider what information would genuinely improve the decision and what can realistically be established.

Depending on the question, this might involve existing information, customer or market research, competitive intelligence or other relevant sources.

The important point is that the approach follows the question, not choosing a methodology first and fitting the problem around it.

4. Interpret what we find
Gathering information is only part of the work.

We look for the connections, contradictions and implications within what is available and consider what it changes about the original thinking.

We are also explicit about the limits of the information. Sometimes the available evidence supports a reasonably clear conclusion. Sometimes it does not. We will not present greater certainty than the information justifies.

5. Make the decision
The decision remains yours.

By this point, the aim is for you to have a clearer view of:

• what you were trying to decide;

• which assumptions have been tested;

• what the available information shows;

• what remains uncertain;

• what alternatives or opportunities should be considered; and

• what the strongest available basis for action looks like.