NEWS RELEASE October 2019
Market Research from Leonardo DaVinci to IIoW
Market research is treated as a peripheral management tool but due to the abundance of available knowledge today, it can and should be used as the foundation of business plans.
There was a point in time when Leonardo DaVinci would have been the best market researcher for anything to do with art, medical science, or military engineering. However, the world’s knowledge has been growing at exponential rates. Furthermore this knowledge is easily accessible as part of the Industrial Internet of Wisdom (IIoW). Leonardo would be astounded to learn that you can analyze employment at a competitor’s pump factory by using google earth to count the cars in the parking lot; or that you can obtain a detailed description of the equipment in that plant from publicly available environmental and safety permits.
Market research in the combust, flow, treat industries can be likened to a criminal investigation. You start with eye witness descriptions of the perpetrator. Then you create a police sketch representing the knowledge available. If this leads to an arrest, the next step is to prepare comprehensive evidence.
Since market research is typically considered to be a peripheral tool companies are content with guesstimates by sales and management people or a top down report by someone who is not familiar with the products and processes. This level of effort is similar to just gathering eye witness descriptions.
When higher accuracy is deemed appropriate a company may acquire a McIlvaine multi-client report or an expensive study from one of the consulting firms. This is common in mergers and acquisitions. McIlvaine reports each contain as many as 50,000 forecasts for eight years for each product in each industry in each of 80 countries and sub regions. This information is much more useful but could be classified as a high quality police sketch.
If market research is going to be the foundation of the business plan it requires more detailed information and the input of subject matter ultra-experts. The typical McIlvaine multi-client reports have forecasts for each of 80 countries and regions segmented into 13 industries.
Food can be further segmented.
The food oil segment can be then be segmented by oil type. This is quite important since palm oil and soybean oil are produced in different areas with unique processes.
Forecasts of purchases by companies comprising 70 percent or more of the market are provided with the multi-client reports. This would include companies such as Cargill and ConAgra which are among the ten largest food industry purchasers of combust, flow, and treat products.
In the multi-client report forecasts are supplied for the two largest food oil producers among a total of ten food producers and 100 total purchasers of combust, flow and treat products.
In a further customized multi-client report just on the food industry, there would be ten food oil companies analyzed among 100 food companies. A further custom analysis of food oil companies would provide forecasts for 250 producers.
If this level of analysis is pursued for each industry, forecasts are produced for several thousand companies comprising 90 percent of the purchases for most industries. This is because 99 percent of the purchases are made by companies which already utilize the type of product being analyzed. This is not true in lithium recovery, biopharmaceuticals, and manufactured frac sands where there are many new entries. However this new group represents less than 3 percent of the total market.
The approach does also not adequately cover industry segments which are going to be driven by new technology or regulations. However, McIlvaine is involved with the new technology in many areas including recommending specific pursuits such as
The Future of Biopharmaceuticals will Depend on Perceived Value vs Cost
Join the Debate on Insitu Rare Earth Recovery
McIlvaine is also involved in those areas of the world where the most combust, flow and treat expansion is taking place.
India will be a Major Purchaser of Dry Scrubbers
This detailed market research makes sales leads obsolete and provides the basis for collaboration.
Would You Rather Share Sales Leads with Your Allies or with Your Competitors?
More information on the multi-client market reports is found at www.mcilvainecompany.com and then click on markets.
Bob McIlvaine can answer your questions at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. direct 847 784 0013 cell 847 226 2391
