Readers' Choice Survey 2011
For the 11th year in a row, CGT asked its subscriber base to identify their most valued and used solution and service providers across 10 categories. As we inch our way out of a recession, the results of the 2011 Readers’ Choice survey indicate new trends and attitudes toward technology adoption as consumer goods companies reevaluate what’s really important and what they can do without. Here is a breakdown of the survey’s methodology and content:
Assembling the Top 10 Lists:
The category lists are determined by feedback from executives from 122 consumer goods companies of all sizes. The ballot spanned 10 technology and service categories, including Supply Chain Planning, Trade Promotion Management, Demand Data Analytics, New Product Development and Introduction, and more. To ensure the integrity of the survey process, we asked respondents to only vote in the categories in which they are intimately involved (i.e. Supply Chain, Product Development, Sales & Marketing or General IT).
Participants were asked to identify the solution or service provider they currently use in each applicable category and rank the customer experience received using their chosen provider on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being extremely dissatisfied and 5 being extremely satisfied).
The Top 10 list (or Top 8 and Top 5 lists, in some cases) for each category was determined by assigning each company a combined score that consists of the sheer number of votes (indicative of their footprint in the consumer goods industry) weighed against their average customer experience rating. The companies that received the highest combined scores in each category were then ranked accordingly.
In addition, a measure titled “Category Customer Experience” tabulates the average customer experience rating in a category based on all survey responses. This score indicates the market’s satisfaction with the solutions available in each category today.
Breakout Favorites:
In addition to our Top 10, Top 8 and Top 5 lists, CGT recognizes companies in each category that received special accolades from readers in the following areas:
• Customer Experience: This recognition identifies the company that received the highest average customer experience rating from users in its category.
• SMB Market: This recognition identifies the most used and valued solution or service provider in a category among the consumer goods firms with revenue equal to or less than $1 billion. The methodology for this list follows the same methodology of the larger lists.
The Editors’ Pick Section:
This year’s Readers’ Choice survey contains 10 different categories, but some companies that should also be recognized, do not fall within the lines we have drawn due to their size and/or focus. In response, an “Editors’ Pick” section, starting on Page 20, was created to recognize those companies with unique offerings that support supply chain, sales and marketing as well as innovation strategies
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Survey Demographics
Executives from 122 consumer goods companies pitched in to determine the results of this year’s survey. Here is how the respondent base breaks out in terms of company size and job function.
What is your organization’s annual revenue?
50% More than $1 billion
50% $1 billion or less
Which of the following describes your area of expertise (for all participants)?
22% Supply Chain
32% Sales & Marketing
9% Product Development
36% General IT (all of the above)
Which of the following describes your area of expertise (for participants working for companies with revenue equal to or less than $1 billion)?
22% Supply Chain
31% Sales & Marketing
13% Product Development
34% General IT (all of the above)