Petteri Baer, Regional Adviser, UNECE Why is it important to assess the state of USER RELATIONS in a Global Assessment? EFTA-Eurostat-UNECE Seminar on Global Assessments Yalta, Ukraine 23 – 25 September 2009 Petteri Baer, Regional Adviser, UNECE

Good user relations are important, because… Only used statistical information is useful information Statistics is mainly not produced for the archives If statistics does not serve as a tool for decision making and helping to understand on-going phenomena, it has failed its core function 24.9.2009

Basic statistics - an infrastructure of modern society Basic statistical information is a tool for safeguarding democracy In order to participate in decisions of society, citizens should have access to basic information on structures, development Statistics serves decision making This infrastructural service of basic statistical information, often generates demand for more sophisticated and customized statistical information on additional topics and phenomena More labour- and/or investment-intensive statistical services and service products are usually chargeable 24.9.2009

In a world with growing information overflow a tough question is: Will Official Statistical Agencies in the future have the role of a key provider of correct, objective, non-partial, non-biased, understandable, comparable and easily accessible information, relevant to stakeholder and user needs? Or will they degenerate into under-funded producers of historical data, having a limited role as a background source for users mainly in public administration and in institutions of economic and social history? 24.9.2009

User relations are of strategic importance The question of the development of services, development of modern service products, the questions on marketing and dissemination of statistical information Both are questions of a strategic importance for any National Statistical Agency. They are not just side functions or minor activities. They are questions about the future of any statistical agency. 24.9.2009

Proactive is the magic word Statistical agencies need a well balanced, proactively communicative and professionally led and administered comprehensive approach to the development of their information services The information services are, together with the data collection and production of statistical information, one of the CORE FUNCTIONS of any statistical agency Reference is made to the Fundamental Principles of the UN The Generic Statistical Business Process Model, developed by the UNECE and Eurostat 24.9.2009

The importance of user friendly Database services Statistical agencies produce quite a lot of statistical information Different users have different aspects of interest, they want information By industries, By enterprise sizes By regions Comparisons over different time periods International comparisons And numerous other aspects… PC-Axis, PX-Web… User friendly services! 24.9.2009

In the East European, Caucasus and Central Asian countries …the top layer of the state administration is usually well served with statistical information President’s office Ministries Central Bank But what about other stakeholders? District and local administrations needs? 24.9.2009

The media is our partner In disseminating the main results of all your agency’s hard work on statistics In making problematic issues known Help the media to be well informed! 24.9.2009

Relations with the business community – difficult but rewarding The business community is a much broader target group than often believed Banks Insurance companies Big corporations Medium sized enterprises Chambers of commerce Branch organizations Employers organizations Foreign companies Etc. 24.9.2009

The research community – aspects for building good relations Co-operation in methodological development Recruitment of new statistical professionals Promoting the use of statistical information in general Continuous pressure for providing good metadata Finding ways for a broader use of microdata without violating confidentiality 24.9.2009

Other important stakeholders and users of a statistical information Libraries Educational institutions International organizations Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) Trade unions Social issues Environmental issues Information brokers Information service agencies Business intelligence systems Knowledge managements systems 24.9.2009

More and more statistical publication takes place on the internet… This is a very positive development Availability and accessibility of official statistics has grown substantially In the beginning of the year 2008 >500 Million internet hosts in the world! This also increases pressure on timeliness 24.9.2009

But note: – There are traps on the way! Just putting your information on your web site does not automatically mean it is utilized Even though your web information is utilized, it does not mean that your most important users make use of it 24.9.2009

Traps on the way, continued All potential users These guys are real users Heavy user You may cover only a tiny share of your potential users - but not recognize it! 24.9.2009

Traps on the way, continued Counting the popularity of your web site by “hits” may deceive you because a substantial part of the “fabulous growth” comes from search engines checking if you have any new information 24.9.2009

Very often you do not really know, who your users are, when you provide services on the internet 24.9.2009

The importance of good contact information User lists Existing customers and contacts Regular and heavy users of economical statistics Contact directories Feedback contacts  Contact / Customer database  Customer Relationship Management (CRM) 24.9.2009

For good user interaction at least a Customer Database is needed For contacting For surveys on satisfaction or dissatisfaction For presenting new targeted services For other forms of interaction 24.9.2009

Customer Database Customer service Customers Development projects Functions Information providers Information users Customer service Customers Development projects Customer intelligence Contact intelligence Lead intelligence Mana- gement Customer database Campaign intelligence Product development Information retrievals Project intelligence Quote intelligence Adminis- tration Marketing Sales Project groups 24.9.2009

Statistical agencies profit much from active and critical feedback (1) Having more feedback will help us to develop our services Interaction with critical customers will help us in having a positive pressure on performing better 24.9.2009

Statistical agencies profit much from active and critical feedback (2) A demanding customer is like a grain of sand within the mussel. It doesn’t feel good but the result may be a beautiful pearl! Thank you for your attention! petteri.baer@unece.org 24.9.2009

Building Relationships with Users as a Strategic Concept Attachment An example of the benefits of having both chargeable and non-chargeable statistical services Building Relationships with Users as a Strategic Concept

Systematic customer contact building has given good results in Statistics Finland More than 100 000 individual internet users monthly (with a population of 5 Million) 15 000 principal customers, 24 400 customers, 29 000 contact persons accumulated in the CRM system 1% customers bring 60% of the income ~ 50 customers were in 2004 nominated to be strategic or key customers of Statistics Finland Customers have several ways of being in contact Many customers are in contact with the NSO in a number of different roles 24.9.2009

Responsibilities of customer care in Statistics Finland Centralised: customer process customer database 1. Central government 2. Local government 3. Corporations and enterprises 4. Research Institutions 5. Educational Institutions 6. Others Responsibility for c-database Resp. for cus- tomer portfolio Resp. for customer Strategic customers - 15 organisations Key customers - 33 organisations 24.9.2009

Number of customers according to Segments in Statistics Finland, End of 2005 Corporations and enterprises Educational Institutions Local Government Bodies Organisations Foreign customers Central Government Libraries Research Institutions Others Without segment value (in 2005) 13 466 2 344 2 258 1 464 802 681 657 520 35 1 433 24.9.2009

Different users prefer different services 24.9.2009

It helps to analyse the customer structures and developments Customer Relationship Management Systems used in modern organizations are useful because… The entire organisation benefits from the information the system provides It helps to analyse the customer structures and developments Direct- and telemarketing campaigns are much more effective Helps to monitor the success (or non-success) of different relation building activities taken Provides a good basis for customer surveys and customer relations 24.9.2009

Main steps in organising CRM-work ...to organise customer segment teams and nominate the people in charge of relations with customers to define main customer groups to list strategic and key customers to analyse needs of strategic and key customers to set goals for taking care of the customer relationships to develop ways of measuring the results of interaction with customers 24.9.2009