Last month DCIG published a blog entry addressing feedback that we have received regarding our methodology, credibility, and processes. We believe that our methods are solid and provide every vendor with an opportunity to participate in the process. Further, as we said in that blog entry, “There is no reason to change any of its practices and has not been to date presented with any compelling reasons to do.” However, DCIG does recognize that it needs to be flexible and willing to refine processes as necessary. It’s all part of growing pains.
As DCIG has grown, it is producing more Buyer’s Guides than ever before and recognizes the requests for information and reminders from us can be overwhelming and confusing. Our repeated attempts to gather data is truly because we value the importance of gathering accurate data on the products represented in any one of our buyers guides.
However, for vendors, filling out the information in our survey system, it can be a time consuming and sometimes daunting task, especially if a company has products that appear in multiple Buyer’s Guides with potentially multiple products in each Guide. As such, DCIG wants to create a process that relieves vendors of the burden of filling out the surveys that DCIG sends out while still doing its best to ensure the accuracy of the data that it uses in its analysis and publications.
In the past DCIG has sent a series of e-mails and reminders throughout the course of the Buyer’s Guide development process, asking for input on various products. Typically there are three key milestones event that DCIG has asked our vendors to participate in:
- Complete a survey about its particular product(s)
- Review a DCIG-completed survey about its product(s)
- Review the data sheet that DCIG completes before it publicly releases them.
In an effort to reduce the amount of time and overhead that is required by vendors DCIG will be changing one step in our process. Effective immediately, DCIG analysts will fill out the survey(s) on the vendors’ behalf based on publically available information and/or information provided to us by the vendor.
Vendors will be given an opportunity to provide DCIG with links, white papers, manuals, etc. and an opportunity to review the survey that DCIG will be filling out on their behalf. Once the survey is complete vendors will still have two opportunities to review the data we input, provide updates, and provide additional information or links to augment the data.
However, if a vendor chooses *not* to respond to our requests for updates, the accuracy of the data may be inexact. In cases where DCIG has no vendor input or the input comes after DCIG’s deadline dates, DCIG will state that that data was sourced solely by DCIG.
DCIG encourage all vendors, regardless of where you rank in any previous Buyer’s Guide to participate to ensure the accuracy of the published data. Just because a vendor may not score or rank well in a Buyer’s Guide does not mean that users are not seeking exactly what you are selling. In fact, DCIG is often told by individuals that download the Buyer’s Guides that they most prize the product information included in them.
The accuracy of your data only ensures that the buyer has all of the necessary data to make an informed decision…something we all strive for. Reviewing and responding to the surveys and data sheets that DCIG sends out is really as much for your benefit as it is for the end user who is making buying decisions.