"The secret of business is to know something that nobody else knows." — Aristotle Onassis

Methodology —

EkA does not just do research for its clients, EkA helps its clients do research better.    EkA provides more than just information gathering, EkA combines a highly efficient research process with keen business insight to produce actionable research programs that support the client’s business objectives.  EkA's multi-lingual, field based analysts, market researchers, and strategists provide connectivity with key decision makers and senior managers in providing business development solutions and the assessment of opportunities and risks.  EkA's research associates have extensive knowledge of buyers and business cultures and they understand the intricacies of the local research environment.  EkA endeavors to ensure that data sources are sound and that findings represent accurate and comparable benchmarks. 

With through primary and secondary research, EkA provides a clear, current market overview. EkA then applies field-research and business strategies to identify data-points related to more, stringent qualification criteria.  Once the initial screening process is complete, field-based relationship management acts as a preface to implementation of the findings

EkA's dedicated resources are proficient, professional, and proven in meeting information needs expeditiously, with great discretion, and in compliance with the best-practice guidelines established by the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) and the legal guidelines established in the US Economic Espionage Act of 1996

EkA's research methodology includes the following core elements —

Data Mapping — Based upon the information requirements defined and prioritized by the client, EkA develops an “information architecture matrix” that defines the scope of the research project and details the data points that will be identified or inferred through research and analysis

Internal Review — This involves a full debriefing to include sharing and discussing all internal market information, the key project goals, timelines, and the deliverables.  The goal of the internal review is to capture existing data and to understand the deeper questions of “why” the information is required and “how” the information is used.  This enables the research team to “infer” business intelligence that is otherwise not “findable” through traditional research

Primary Research — EkA structures appropriate and efficient primary research based upon the client's defined budget, information, priorities, requirements, and timeline.  EkA leverages business and government contacts worldwide to open lines of communications with key information sources.  Primary source interviews include the client's competition, customers, industry analysts and experts, and suppliers.  Specialists deliver  information that includes insight

Secondary Research — EkA has assembled a considerable amount of relevant information through past industry research.  Clients benefit from active relationships with many industry and government organizations that are complemented by subscriptions to top databases that facilitate rapid access to the most comprehensive and current secondary information

EkA's research methodology provides a clear definition of the market being researched from the following perspectives —

Brand in relation to its market

Company looking at its market

Investment opportunity

Local business unit

Potential acquisition

Potential partnership

Product looking at its market

Strategic option; e.g. entering a new market or launching a new product

EkA's research methodology considers —

EkA's research methodology provides additional focus on the market being researched —

Business idea

Changing a supplier

Company (its position in the market, commercial viability, etc)

Investment opportunity

Method of sales distribution

Opportunity to make an acquisition

Outsourcing a service, activity or resource

Potential partnership

Product or brand

Strategic option, such as entering a new market or launching a new product

EkA's research methodology considers —  

 Other aspects of the EkA Methodology include —

Agenda —

EkA's begins work with clients to achieve an in-depth understanding of the relevant issues that includes an assessment of what external (uncontrollable) and internal (controllable) forces might hinder or facilitate goals, a clarification of those issues and opportunities that offer more powerful applications, brainstorming to identify leverage points and to generate “out of the box” business ideas and, summarizing the initial proposal's scope; all with the purpose of maximizing input into the project and obtaining management's "buy-in”

 

Process —

 

EkA's clients benefit from assistance in developing and implementing creative and innovative approaches to transforming customer data into meaningful information via tools that provide business intelligence, customer analysis, and market segmentation.  By applying augmentative technologies, facilitating change, enhancing performance, and utilizing effective communications, EkA helps clients expand and reengineer superior product and service offerings around the customer's needs

 

Mission Statement — 

EkA's is committed to winning and strives to —

Analyze opportunities by applying a collaborative and disciplined process

Continue to improve our commitment to excellence

Deliver value many times greater than our compensation

Fully utilize advisory expertise

Maintain high standards of integrity in all relationships

Measure success by measuring our ability to meet clients’ needs

Offer superior service by creating lasting positive change for our clients

Provide an enjoyable, creative and dedicated environment

Valuation —

EkA's Value Proposition is based on a balance between value and quality service.  In providing quality and service EkA is committed to achieving the client’s specialized needs.  Accordingly, remuneration is dependent on the completion of mutually agreed upon milestones.  Critical to the success of an engagement is the clients' commitment to the fulfillment of a needs, external assistance in developing the solutions, and the application of a collaborative process.  This requires a clear understanding of the —

Business objectives

Competitive landscape

Long-term goals

Immediate needs

Operating and technical environments

Project's budget, detailed work plan, and scope

Strategic plan

Ultimately, remuneration is dependant upon the specificity of each assignment and includes consideration of the degree of difficulty, the project's scope, duration and other pertinent factors.  A compensation schedule is normally based upon the project valuation where at inception, 25% of proposed project’s value is due with progress payments based on the completion of milestones (typically 15%, 15% and 45% of the proposed project’s value); plus monthly reimbursement of expenses.  Time based structures are also available at fixed rates for weekly, monthly, and annual periods of time; plus monthly reimbursement of expenses

Copyright and Disclaimers —

EkA's legal counsel has asked to include the following "fine print" —

EkA's website is Copyrighted — © 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 by EFFINGERkASSOCIATES, L.L.C.  All rights reserved

All Information on www.EffingerAssociates.com "the Website" is for educational and informational purposes and does not constitute investment, legal, tax or accounting advice.  No Information contained on the Website creates, is intended to create, or should be construed as creating, a fiduciary relationship between EFFINGERkASSOCIATES, L.L.C., a.k.a. EkA and any User.  All decisions in connection with the implementation of any course of action based on Information contained on the Website shall be the sole responsibility of and made by the User

Information is provided "as is", with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to, the warranties of performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose

Some materials on the Website refer to other copyrighted materials in the course of research, investigation and analysis.  These references are solely intended for non-commercial use and as such have no intent to infringe on the copyright holder.  All attempts have been made to acknowledge the original copyright holder in pursuit of "fair use" laws as currently defined in the United States

Nothing on the Website shall to any extent be a substitute for the independent investigations and the sound technical and business judgment of the User

State-of-the-art best practices for accounting, administration, consulting, finance, information, investments, laws, management, marketing, operations, regulations, sales, tax and technology are continually changing and can only be interpreted in the light of particular factual situations

The Information contained on the Website does not constitute an offer to sell securities, a solicitation of an offer to buy securities, or a distribution of securities in the United States or to any U.S. Person, as defined in regulations under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.  The offer and sale of securities in the United States is not permitted except pursuant to an exemption from registration.

EkA is not responsible for verifying the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of any Information contained on the Website including the definitions of terms used on the Website or Information contained on other providers’ websites that may have links to or from the Website.  In addition, there can be no assurances that the Website will not experience operational difficulties or failures

EkA, its affiliates or their respective shareholders, partners, members, managers, directors, officers, employees or agents makes any warranty, express or implied, of any kind whatsoever with respect to any Information contained on the Website and none of such parties shall be liable for any losses, damages, costs or expenses, of any kind and description, relating to the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of such Information

All proprietary rights (including but not limited to copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets) in the Information are and shall remain the sole and exclusive property of EkA, its affiliates and their third-party licensors.  User expressly agrees and acknowledges that the Information was and is compiled, prepared, revised, selected and arranged by EkA, its affiliates and their third party licensors through the application of methods and standards of judgment developed and applied through expenditure of substantial time, effort and money, and that the Information constitutes the valuable intellectual property of EkA, its affiliates and their third-party licensors.  User agrees to protect the trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary rights of EkA, its affiliates, and their third-party licensors in the Information during and after the term of this Agreement and User shall honor and comply with reasonable requests made by EkA to protect EkA's affiliates’ and their third-party licensors’ contractual, statutory and common law rights to the Information

The Information on the Website is not accounting, administration, consulting, finance, information, investments, laws, management, marketing, operations, regulations, sales, tax and technology advice and should only be used in conjunction with appropriate professional advice obtained by the User from a suitably qualified professional who understands the User's particular factual situation

EkA does not intend to violate the law with the content of these pages and has made every effort to give proper credit where necessary.  However, if any of this material is the User's or is being used inappropriately, please let EkA know so corrective action may be taken

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