Inside MM-Eye’s Supplier Selection & Building Strong Partnerships
July 2024, by Debbie Fitzpatrick
MM-Eye Ltd has a tried-and-tested vetting process for selecting new Suppliers. Over many years, we have established a process that has ensured that we select like-minded, competent, flexible, high-quality, and dependable partners in many markets around the globe. Given our independence, we are not restricted to whom we work with, so we ensure we establish relationships with agencies that are best suited to the research project that we undertake on behalf of our end clients.
Building Strong Partnerships
We are proud of the many suppliers we have successfully vetted, and who now form part of our network. Few are well known or very large but with each we form a true partnership: we understand their competencies and they commit to deliver the highest standards in what they do: be that recruitment of large-scale quant studies, logistical management of qual or quant clinics, or project management and moderation of qualitative research.
Our Evaluation Framework
We have a framework to evaluate potential Research Suppliers based on the following criteria:
- Competency – What is their core offering, do they specialise in a sector we are interested in i.e. Sustainability, Automotive, nonprofit? Who are their existing customers? Do they have synergy with our end client? Do their clients provide testimonials and appear satisfied with the service they received? Who are the leadership team?
- Control – Do the senior team stay in control i.e. is the person who pitches the person with whom you work? Are they adaptable and able to respond to unforeseen issues?
- Capacity – How large is the company? Would they be able to undertake the size of project we have designed? Do they have sufficient recruiters/interviewers or moderators?
- Commitment – Is the supplier committed to a providing reliable and high-quality offer? Do they clearly detail their processes and approach to ensuring quality? Do they have acceptable validation and back checks in place that meet our standards when it comes to recruitment?
- Consistency – Do they have systems that guarantee consistent high-quality recruitment, fieldwork, moderation, and data output? Do they have membership to well recognised organisations: ESOMAR, MRS, other local country representative bodies? Do they work in adherence with recognised Data Protection/GDPR guidelines?
- Communication – How did they interpret the brief we shared? Do they respond quickly and provide a full rationale for their proposals? Are they engaged, keen to converse, put across their point of view or share their local market knowledge? How good is their spoken and written English?
- Cost – How do they compare to other suppliers contacted who have also provided a quotation? Is their fee good value for money? Are they offering something above that of other suppliers?
- Culture – Do their background and values align with ours? Are they B Corp accredited? Can we form strong bonds with their teams?
Nurturing Relationships
We ensure that once selected, we foster and develop relationships with those that we work with educating them with full project briefing in person or remotely, setting up effective ways of working (with full documentation to aid the correct implementation of our requirements), continual communication at all stages of a project life cycle. Over the years, it has been rare for us to have to end a relationship with a local market supplier. Exceptions to this have been in UAE and India. Both markets are hugely challenging when it comes to overall agency competency, staff consistency, recruitment quality, adherence to deadlines and transparency. But these decisions have only ever been taken after extensive support and re-training had been undertaken, which included travelling to the local market, training, and setting up rigorous processes with the aim of improving the quality and clarity of our requirements.
Partnership of Continuous Improvement
To further enhance our supplier relationships, we have implemented a project satisfaction questionnaire. This allows our suppliers to provide feedback on how we performed as a client and offer insights for future improvements. We actively seek and incorporate their feedback, ensuring a true partnership dynamic. This process helps us refine our approach and demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement and mutual growth. Our suppliers appreciate this opportunity to voice their experiences, and it’s solid it defies the collaborative spirit that drives successful project outcomes.
What This Means for Our Clients
For our clients, this meticulous vetting process translates to reliable, high-quality research outputs. Our strong supplier relationships ensure that projects are executed with precision and professionalism. Clients can trust that the agencies we partner with are committed to excellence and align with our values of transparency, reliability, and quality. Our commitment to continuous improvement and stringent quality standards means that clients receive insightful and actionable research results that drive their business decisions.
If you are interested in learning more about our supplier vetting process or how we can assist with your research needs, contact us today at info@mm-eye.com or use the form below to book a consultation.