End-User Research:
Traditional market research methods, such as telephone interviewing or postal questionnaires, are inappropriate in tracking fast developing technological developments - especially where they may be supplier-led. So as to determine what the intention of the market may be, we place great emphasis on personal discussions with existing and potential users of the 'direct-to' technologies covered by this report.

Our end-user interview programme is broken down into

• user group discussions

• individual print company interviews

• roadshow participation with specific potential investors in 'direct-to' technologies

• attendance at international seminars

• monitoring of investment using our "Practical Guide" subscriber sample base

• live discussions with end-users at international trade expos

In addition to contacting user groups, we also conduct interviews with individual print companies to ascertain their views, purchasing intentions, and opinions of both the technologies and the suppliers of those technologies.

Over the past fifteen months, we have also taken part in a series of roadshows which have been arranged by client companies, where we have been invited in as 'honest brokers' to state our opinions about developments.

These have been important in assessing the interest and investment intentions of those companies specifically focused on adopting the 'direct-to' route. In addition we have attended some five international seminars either as delegates or speakers, at which we have again gained the mood of potential purchasers of 'direct-to' technologies.

Specifically, we also have a specialist sample of 350+ print companies who have purchased our "Investing in CtP - A Practical Guide" and whom we monitor to determine their investment development.

Finally, we take the opportunity at all the trade expos we attend to talk with end-users as to their unbiased opinions of the products on display and the companies promoting those products.

Supplier Company Research
Our end-user research is supplemented by a continuous series of confidential discussions and interviews with the major players in this market sector. Many of these have been subscribers to our 'direct-to' programme from its inception, with whom we have built up a unique relationship so that we can conduct full and frank exchange of views and opinions.

Our regular personal reviews of the reports we publish also enable us to talk with personnel from all aspects of each company - not just sales and marketing, but also R&D - in order to ascertain the reality of product innovation and development. As we have progressed in providing a more detailed and objective viewpoint on a wider platform of subjects, so the level at which these confidential discussions take place has risen.

Our interview programme with supplier companies fall into the two separate categories of

Distributors
who, with the amalgamation of the major manufacturers, are taking on an increasingly significant role as sales outlets for non-aligned manufacturers and those companies who cannot afford, or who haven't built up a direct presence in certain markets.

These are the companies with 'street' knowledge, who have to deal with the day-to-day practicalities of selling-in and implementing the new technologies. Faced with reducing manufacturer supply source and support, they are having to invest in their own technical expertise and support staff in order to maintain an effective market presence and, as such, provide essential insight as to the practicalities of what 'direct-to' technologies mean to the market.

Manufacturers
who are responsible for the development, manufacture and implementation of the conventional and new technologies, and who, through strategic planning and integration, dictate the future structure of the total industry.

Field interviews and discussions have been conducted by the authors themselves in North America, Europe, China and Japan. Research in Latin America has been conducted by an associate, while information on the Japanese market has been supplemented by Tokyo associates.

Over the past twelve years we have conducted over 3,200 personal interviews in the field, split between

Europe		45%
North America		30%
Far East		25%

to reflect the relative importance of perceived short term development and market adoption within each main geographical area.

Desk Research.
In addition to the fieldwork programme outlined above, we are constantly monitoring developments within the worldwide GA industry through published and semi-published sources, including national industry statistics, technical and market articles, and other research reports.

Over the past 30 years, we have built up a databank on the global GA industry which is constantly being added to and modified with each research programme, of which we make full use in coming to the conclusions contained in this report.