Purpose of 1. Market Research

Market research is the activity of collecting, analyzing and interpreting market-related information to achieve a specific purpose. In the engineering construction industry, the purpose of market research is mainly the following:

Provide a basis for project investment decisions. Market research can help the owner to evaluate the feasibility, sustainability and profitability of the project. Through the research on market scale, demand forecast, competition analysis and risk assessment, the key elements such as investment scale, capacity planning, product portfolio, process scheme and market positioning of the project are determined to provide scientific basis for project investment decision-making.

Provide guidance for project management. Market research can help contractors optimize project management, through the tracking and analysis of market changes, customer needs, supplier capabilities, regulations and policies, timely adjustment of project design, procurement, construction, quality, progress, cost and other management elements, to provide effective guidance for project management.

Provide recommendations for project optimization. Market research can help owners and contractors find the optimization potential of the project, and put forward the optimization suggestions of the project through the exploration and research of market opportunities, technological innovation, management innovation, value engineering and so on, so as to provide reference for the project to enhance the value and competitiveness.

Content of 2. market research

The content of market research can vary according to different purposes and stages, but generally includes the following aspects:

Market overview. Market overview is the basis of market research, including the definition, division, scale, structure, characteristics, development process, development status, development trend, etc. of the market, as well as the influencing factors of the market, such as policies and regulations, economic environment, social culture, natural resources, etc.

market demand. Market demand is the core of market research, including the total demand, sub-demand, potential demand, effective demand, etc., as well as the influence factors of market demand, such as customer characteristics, purchase behavior, purchase motivation, purchasing power, demand elasticity and so on.

market supply. Market supply is an important part of market research, including total supply, sub-supply, potential supply, effective supply, etc., as well as factors influencing market supply, such as supplier characteristics, production capacity, cost structure, price strategy, supply channels, etc.

market competition. Market competition is the key link of market research, including the degree of competition in the market, the competitive landscape, competitors, competitive strategies, competitive advantages, competitive disadvantages, etc., as well as the factors affecting market competition, such as industry barriers, substitutes, new entrants, bargaining power, partnerships and so on.

Market risk. Market risk is an important supplement to market research, including the type of risk, degree of risk, source of risk, risk impact, risk response, etc., as well as the impact of market risk factors, such as uncertainty, instability, uncontrollability, unpredictability and so on.

3. methods of market research

Market research methods can be divided into two categories: one-time research and continuous research. One-time research refers to a one-time information collection and analysis of a particular market problem or purpose, such as feasibility studies, project evaluation, market testing, etc. Continuous research refers to the research methods of continuous information collection and analysis of the whole or part of the market, such as market monitoring, market tracking, market forecasting, etc.

Market research methods can also be divided into two categories: quantitative research and qualitative research. Quantitative research refers to the method of measuring and evaluating the quantity, scale, proportion and trend of the market through mathematical statistics and analysis, such as questionnaire survey, experimental design, mathematical model and so on. Qualitative research refers to non-mathematical methods to describe and explain the characteristics, motivations, attitudes, opinions, etc. of the market, such as interviews, observations, case studies, focus groups, etc.

Market research methods can also be divided into two categories: active research and passive research. Active research refers to the research methods designed and implemented by the investigator, such as questionnaires, interviews, experimental design, etc. Passive research refers to the research methods, such as literature analysis, data mining, web search, etc., that are analyzed by the researcher using the information already available or provided by others.

Market research methods can also be divided into two categories: internal research and external research. Internal research refers to the method of using the enterprise's own information resources to conduct research, such as financial statements, sales records, customer files, employee feedback, etc. External research refers to the method of using information resources outside the enterprise to conduct research, such as government data, industry reports, expert opinions, media reports, etc.

The methods of market research should be flexibly selected and combined according to different purposes, contents, stages and conditions in order to achieve the best research results.

4. market research steps

The steps of market research generally include the following aspects:

Determine the purpose of the research. The purpose of research is the starting point and destination of market research, and is the basic basis for guiding the direction and scope of market research. The research purpose should be clear, specific, feasible and measurable.

Design research plan. The research plan is the specific implementation plan of market research, which mainly includes the content, method, object, sample, tool, time, budget, personnel, etc. The research plan should be scientific, reasonable, perfect and operable.

Perform research activities. Research activities are the actual operation process of market research, including information collection, sorting, storage, transmission and so on. Research activities should be effective, standardized, accurate and timely.

Analysis of research data. Research data is an important result of market research, including data cleaning, coding, classification, summary, statistics, analysis, interpretation and so on. The survey data should be objective, true, reliable and meaningful.

Write research reports. The research report is the final presentation form of market research, mainly including the structure, content, format, language, charts and attachments of the report. The research report should be concise, clear, logical and convincing.

5. case of market research

In order to better demonstrate the value and effect of market research, this paper will be combined with the practice of Shangpu Consulting Company, a brief introduction and analysis.

Case 1: A study of the Chinese market strategy of an internationally renowned construction company. The company is the world's leading architectural design and engineering consulting company, with a number of world-class landmark construction projects, but its development in the Chinese market is not smooth, facing fierce competition and inefficient operations. Through the in-depth investigation of the Chinese construction market, the company's market positioning, competitive advantages, customer needs, partners, etc. are analyzed, and strategic suggestions for the differentiation and localization of the Chinese market are put forward, including selecting appropriate market segments, enhancing brand awareness, optimizing organizational structure, expanding business scope, strengthening cooperative relations, etc, it laid the foundation for the successful development of the company in the Chinese market.

Case 2: Project investment feasibility study of a large domestic construction enterprise. The enterprise is a leading construction integrated service provider in China, with a number of high-quality construction projects, but the lack of systematic methods and processes in project investment leads to low investment efficiency and high investment risks. Shangpu Consulting Company provides the service of project investment feasibility study for the enterprise. Through the comprehensive investigation of the market demand, technical feasibility, economic feasibility and social feasibility of the project, the investment value, investment return and investment risk of the project are evaluated, which provides scientific basis and suggestions for the investment decision of the project.

Case three: a domestic small and medium-sized construction enterprise project management optimization research. The enterprise is a professional construction enterprise in China, with a certain market share and customer base, but there are many problems in project management, such as imperfect management system, irregular management process, imperfect management tools, unprofessional management personnel, etc., affecting the quality, progress, cost and safety of the project. Shangpu Consulting Company provides the service of project management optimization research for the enterprise, through in-depth research on the management status, management problems and management needs of the project, analyzes the management potential, management obstacles and management improvement of the project, and puts forward the management optimization suggestions for the project, including the establishment of a sound management system, the development of a reasonable management process, the use of advanced management tools, training professional management personnel, etc., for the project management to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the reference.