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March 11, 2021
GRIT Insights Practice: Satisfaction with Suppliers
A look into the relationships between buyers and suppliers.
Each year, the GRIT Report tracks buyers’ aggregate satisfaction with the insights and research work they commission based on each buyer’s particular experiences. The report also tracks suppliers’ aggregate opinion of how well similarly focused suppliers meet client needs. Buyers and suppliers are asked to evaluate using the same 15 aspects.
Buyer Satisfaction
In the supplier performance section of the GRIT survey, buyers were asked how frequently they worked with different types of suppliers so that they would have their full portfolio in mind when later asked to share their overall satisfaction with their insights/research providers. Each buyer rated their particular portfolio of suppliers as a group, so GRIT captures buyers’ aggregate satisfaction with the insights and research work they commission.
Here is a preview of the satisfaction levels buyers reported to have with their research providers.
Buyer Satisfaction with Suppliers – Preview
| Aspect | Scope | 18W2 | 19W2 | 20W2 | Delta % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall satisfaction | Overall | 49% | 55% | 51% | -4% |
| Overall satisfaction with strategic aspects | Strategic | 47% | 51% | 52% | 1% |
| Overall satisfaction with tactical aspects | Tactical | 54% | 50% | 53% | 3% |
| Managing scope or project specification changes |
Tactical | 63% | 53% | 59% | 6% |
| Value for cost | Tactical | 40% | 34% | 39% | 5% |
New this year: A new aspect, “adjusting to COVID-19 impact,” was added for this GRIT wave (not present on the below preview chart) and scored a relatively respectable 63%, placing it as the third most satisfying aspect of supplier service.
Supplier’s Perceptions of Performance
Supplier self-ratings align with buyer ratings in some ways, but diverge in others. The most danger for suppliers is to over-estimate performance where buyers think they do poorly. These areas are “data visualization” (dead last for buyers, #4 for suppliers) and “reporting research results” (#11 versus #5).
Supplier Performance by Supplier-Buyer Delta- Preview
| Aspect | Scope | Buyer | Supplier | Delta (Supplier – Buyer) | Buyer Rank | Supplier Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall satisfaction | Overall | 51% | 55% | 3% | ||
| Data visualization | Tactical | 29% | 70% | 41% | 15 | 4 |
| Recommending business actions based on the research | Strategic | 31% | 51% | 20% | 14 | 13 |
| Reporting research results | Strategic | 49% | 67% | 18% | 11 | 5 |
| Understanding their business | Strategic | 44% | 56% | 12% | 12 | 11 |
| Designing the research plan | Strategic | 60% | 71% | 11% | 4 | 3 |
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Disclaimer
The views, opinions, data, and methodologies expressed above are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official policies, positions, or beliefs of Greenbook.
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