Datafolha Improves Data Quality with SurveyToGo

Originally founded as the research and planning department
of the Folha de São Paulo media group in 1983, Datafolha
has since become one of the most respected independent
research firms in Brazil. The company’s 245 employees
conduct approximately 200 research projects each year,
serving clients such as Telefonica, Roche, and Tigre.

Datafolha had been using pen and paper for conducting their
face-to-face research when they decided an upgrade was in
order. They first experimented with Windows Netbooks but
quickly figured out their mobility was an issue. Next they tried
Windows-based smartphones, but realized their visualization
capabilities and user experience were severely limited. A
decision was made to take the best of both worlds and
switch to tablets as the hardware device of choice. Android
was chosen as the operating system for its affordability.

Fábio Francisco Duarte is responsible for programming electronic surveys at Datafolha. He first heard of SurveyToGo from another Datafolha employee who recommended it after using it at a different research institute. After examining several software alternatives on aspects such as ease of programming, feature set, data transfer, and cost, SurveyToGo shined in all categories. It was found to cost less than other alternatives, run on Android as needed, and include the entire feature set Datafolha was looking for. “Our favorite features are how quickly we can copy questions and entire chapters from one research project to another, the automatic backup that runs during programming to avoid data loss, and the project schedule tree, which we love,” explains Duarte. When asked what really sets SurveyToGo apart from its competition, Duarte points out, “its superior security, reliability, and the automatic data transfer after completing questionnaires without requiring any human interaction.”

Datafolha installed SurveyToGo on 500 Android tablets in less time than they had planned. The little support they needed was given directly from Dooblo headquarters and it took two Datafolha employees only 20 days to implement SurveyToGo at Datafolha before delivering it to other survey programmers. Today, more than 90% of Datafolha’s surveys are conducted on SurveyToGo, demonstrating Datafolha’s vote of confidence in the software’s robustness.

SurveyToGo made an immediate impact on Datafolha’s business: the increased data quality means fewer questionnaires are disqualified, human data digitizers are no longer needed, and the research firm’s response time to customers has increased significantly. Duarte estimates that surveys conducted with SurveyToGo shortened field time by four to seven days, depending on the type of questions and number of cities in which the research takes place. The software’s quality control features have improved data quality by 30 to 50 percent and allow for much faster data validation than in the past.

When asked to give a word of advice to other research institutes, Duarte suggests, “look for survey software that is exclusively focused on face-to-face, opt for the most reliable solution you can find, and you will quickly reap the benefits of introducing SurveyToGo to your research firm.”