There is an evident trend of growing complexities in market intelligence tasks and functions, increased pace, and demand for expecting answers yesterday. Keeping track of competitors, adapting to evolving customer needs, and seeking new growth opportunities have become essential to remain competitive. Although more and more companies invest in developing internal MI/CI departments, they still reach out for external support as they don’t have enough resources (time, people) to cover all needs on their own. But what specific support do companies typically need, and what are the key benefits of partnering with external experts?
Having led a strategic market intelligence firm for over a decade, I recognize the immense value of delivering end-to-end projects to our clients. These projects allow us to deeply understand client needs and enhance our support with each successive project. However, in today’s fast-paced, highly competitive environment, many companies require additional assistance for quick-turnaround projects, immediate feedback, and rapid solutions to specific, urgent challenges. To address this, EMBS Group introduced Answers on Demand. This solution targets immediate market intelligence requirements, enabling our clients to focus on the bigger picture of their business.
About Answers on Demand
We introduced Answers on Demand because we understand the challenges of managing unpredictable information needs, even for companies with well-established internal processes. This solution is tailored to meet the expectations of departments such as Market Research, Market Intelligence, Marketing, Sales, Exports, Strategic Planning, Product Development, Operations, Sourcing & Procurement, and the Board.
Answers on Demand uses the same rigorous methodology as our complex strategic projects. We combine local-language desk research with in-depth interviews with industry experts, augmented by AI-powered tools and algorithms, to deliver high-quality insights efficiently. This approach allows us to conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses, resulting in actionable recommendations. However, the Answers on Demand solution proves to be particularly advantageous in specific situations when:
- Local information is needed, but resources are lacking
- More analysis is desired, but time is limited
- Meaningful findings must be presented to senior management for critical business decisions
- Research requests need to be answered urgently, but staff is unavailable
- The workload is overwhelming.
Case Studies
Tasks suitable for Answers on Demand typically have clearly defined goals and require minimal context to explain, making them easy to outsource for quick delivery by our experienced market intelligence team. Here are some examples of tasks we perform for our clients under the Answers on Demand umbrella:
- Identify ten prospective contractors within a specified market (e.g., France, Brazil, etc.).
- Estimate the market growth for a selected product
- Define critical trends in a new geographic market
- Summarize the value propositions of competing products
- Identify recent milestones at key competitors
- Create profiles of key sales prospects, competitors, or acquisition targets.
To provide a broad context for this solution, I present some recent case studies we worked on.
Case No. 1: Monitoring Competition
Business Challenge: The Exports Department needed to monitor primary competitors across 15 international emerging markets. The CEO required quarterly summaries of new developments, but the department lacked resources and language skills.
Solution: We developed a customized tool that included:
- A database created from ongoing monitoring of industry-related media
- Regular communication with local experts
- Periodic reviews of statistical sources equipped with an alert system for significant news.
This tool enabled the Exports Department to deliver quarterly summaries to the CEO, facilitating critical strategic decisions.
Case No. 2: Go / No-Go Decision
Business Challenge: The Marketing Director needed to make a critical market entry decision within the CEE region but needed more comprehensive insights into demand characteristics across different countries. A swift decision was necessary due to rapid advancements among competitors.
Solution: We conducted an in-depth analysis using local language desk research and insights from expert interviews in selected countries. This intelligence was compiled into an executive summary detailing market potential, competitors’ positions, pricing strategies, and critical regulations. Such a summary enabled the Managing Director to make an informed market entry decision.
Case No. 3: Boosting Sales
Business Challenge: The Business Development Manager aimed to achieve annual KPIs related to market share for a new product in specific markets but needed help finding suitable contacts for collaboration in niche markets.
Solution: We prepared a database with concise profiles and contact information for potential customers in targeted markets. With their language skills, our local experts quickly identified and confirmed suitable matches. This database enabled the Business Development Manager to initiate collaborations and achieve KPIs.
User Manual
Recognizing that those who need Answers on Demand are often under significant time pressure, we made access to this solution as simple as possible. We offer three plans tailored to different requirements, budgets, and workloads: Start-up, Corporate, and Enterprise. Each plan includes a predefined number of hours for research requests.
Once a plan is selected and contracted, clients can start sending requests immediately. This streamlined process eliminates the need for formalities with each assignment, shortening the time from request to delivery of market intelligence by our team. Therefore, during the hectic times of strategy development, employees can quickly fill market intelligence gaps by outsourcing specific tasks to our consultants.
Answers on Demand provides direct and effortless access to a team of experienced market intelligence consultants. So, next time you need crucial data but are constrained by resources, stay calm and try our solution. We will identify your market intelligence needs and obtain hard-to-get data to support your decision-making process.
