Creating reports from your online survey platform can be both a blessing and a curse. There are numerous pre-designed report options available which can easily shave hours of time off a project. Reports follow several themes including:
- Answer Summaries and Details– individual frequency counts for each question or respondent
- Cross-tabulations– compares multiple variables
- Scoring Details– used if questions have a right/wrong value and score associated with the correct answer
- Respondents Status– allows the researcher to track response status including complete, partial and non-responses
- Email and Click tracking– response rates by email wave, number of opt-outs, email forwarding, clicks by URL, email and contact field
- Audit – response tracking by time, referrals by social media source, reference IDs, correct answers, scoring values and export values
The primary value of pre-packaged reports is they are time-savers. Instead of exporting data to Excel or SPSS the analyst can select, and if needed modify, an existing report to include tables and graphics. The Cvent survey reporting software allows users to import logos and other imagery as well as select varied color palettes. Reports can be customized to meet the branding standards of internal and external clients.
Using reports to present the results of your survey data analysis, however, should be preceded by clear thinking around the goals of reporting. For example, we must consider our audience and their needs before creating our output. C-level executives may be best served by shorter reports, whereas functional managers may want greater detail. These needs can be accommodated without having to go out to Excel or PowerPoint. With that said the reporting engine allows for seamless export to these programs.
Before you launch your customer satisfaction program consider the reporting needs of your end users. A few questions to ask yourself include:
- Who will be the end-users of my data, and do their data reporting needs differ (you may need multiple report formats if you have clients at different levels)?
- Will I need to export the data collected to another program such as Excel, SPSS or PowerPoint? If so, what are my export values (there is a standard report which outlines the values for each question)?
- What tracking reports will be needed to ensure project success?
- How will my reports be viewed (PowerPoint, online, mobile, etc.)?
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