Development Status and Problems of 1. Intelligent Water Meter Industry

Intelligent water meter is a new type of water meter that uses modern microelectronics technology, modern sensor technology and intelligent IC card technology to measure water consumption and carry out water data transmission and settlement transactions. Intelligent water meter has the functions of accurate measurement, convenient meter reading, step water price charging, water control, data storage, etc., and is the infrastructure of smart city and smart water construction. Intelligent water meter can effectively solve the problems of traditional mechanical water meter, such as difficult data reading, high cost of manual meter reading, poor data accuracy, large water leakage loss, water collection difficulties, etc., which brings a lot of convenience and benefits to water supply enterprises and water users.

In recent years, the smart water meter industry has developed rapidly in China, mainly driven by the following aspects:

Policy support. The state has issued policies such as the National Water Conservation Action Plan, the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of China's Water Meter Industry, and the Opinions on Promoting Urbanization with County as an Important Carrier, and proposed to improve agricultural water metering facilities. Equipped with industrial and service water metering instruments, and fully implemented the "one household, one meter" transformation of urban residents, promote the application and intelligent transformation of the Internet of Things such as municipal public facilities and buildings, and provide policy guarantee and guidance for the promotion and application of intelligent water meters.

market demand. With the promotion of China's urbanization, rural water development and urban water information transformation speed up and other factors, the Internet of Things technology innovation and landing accelerated, as well as new infrastructure, smart water, smart city and other policies, the update and upgrading of water meter products and new water meter market demand has become the main driving force to promote the growth of the smart water meter industry. In 2021, the penetration rate of smart water meters in China was about 40.5 percent, and the consumption of smart water meters was 42.42 million, up 30.3 percent year-on-year. In 2021, the market size of China's smart water meter industry was 10 billion billion yuan, up 29.87 percent year-on-year.

technological innovation. The technological innovation of the intelligent water meter industry is mainly reflected in two aspects: first, the continuous improvement of the function and performance of the intelligent water meter, such as the use of advanced flow measurement and sensing technologies such as non-magnetic, ultrasonic, camera, electromagnetic, etc., to achieve accurate measurement of water consumption and improve anti-interference ability and stability; second, the communication mode and platform of the intelligent water meter are constantly enriched, such as the use of NB- IoT, LoRa, 4G, 5G and other low-power, long-distance, large-capacity Internet of Things communication technology, to achieve real-time transmission and analysis of water data, improve meter reading efficiency and management level.

However, the smart water meter industry is also facing some problems and challenges, mainly in the following aspects:

Product homogenization is serious. The market competition in the smart water meter industry is very fierce, with many industry participants and a wide variety of products, but there is little difference in product quality, function, performance, etc., lack of core competitiveness and innovation, resulting in serious product homogeneity and reducing The added value and differentiation advantages of products.

Frequent price wars. Due to the serious homogenization of products, it is difficult for smart water meter companies to attract and retain customers through the product itself. They can only compete for market share through price competition, resulting in frequent price wars, declining product prices, and compressed profit margins. The healthy development of the industry.

Insufficient innovation capacity. The technological innovation of the smart water meter industry mainly depends on upstream component suppliers, such as communication modules, electronic components, etc. Smart water meter companies have insufficient R & D investment, and their innovation capabilities are not strong, and it is difficult to keep up with market changes and needs. Upgrade, lack of independent intellectual property rights and core technologies, and are easily surpassed by peers or cross-border competitors.

Brand influence is not strong. The brand construction of intelligent water meter industry is relatively lagging behind, and the brand awareness, reputation and loyalty of intelligent water meter enterprises need to be improved.

The Concept and Significance of 2. Consumer Research

Consumer research refers to the process of collecting, analyzing and explaining consumer behavior, attitudes, needs, preferences, satisfaction, loyalty and other information through scientific methods in order to provide a basis for market decision-making. Consumer research is an important part of market research and one of the basic work of marketing.

Consumer research is of great significance to the competitiveness of smart water meter companies, which is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Understand consumer needs. Consumer demand is the driving force of the market and the starting point and destination of product development. Through consumer research, smart water meter companies can timely and accurately grasp consumers' water habits, water needs, water pain points, water expectations, etc., so as to design smart water meter products that meet consumer needs and meet consumers' individualization, Diversified and high quality water needs improve the market attractiveness and competitiveness of products.

Understanding consumer preferences. Consumer preference is the market orientation and the basis of product positioning. Through consumer research, smart water meter companies can have an in-depth understanding of consumers' preferences and evaluations of smart water meter functions, performance, brands, prices, services, etc., so as to determine their product advantages, disadvantages, opportunities and threats, and formulate reasonable The product strategy, price strategy, promotion strategy, channel strategy, etc., improve the market adaptability and competitiveness of products.

Understanding consumer satisfaction. Consumer satisfaction is the evaluation of the market and the feedback of product quality. Through consumer research, smart water meter companies can timely and effectively collect consumers' feelings about the use of smart water meters, use problems, use suggestions, etc., so as to evaluate their product quality, service level, brand image, etc., and find out the existing deficiencies And room for improvement to improve the market satisfaction and competitiveness of products.

Understanding consumer loyalty. Consumer loyalty is the guarantee of the market and the driving force of product development. Through consumer research, smart water meter companies can have an in-depth understanding of consumers' willingness to repeat purchases, willingness to recommend, and word-of-mouth communication for smart water meters, so as to judge their product loyalty, loyalty factors, loyalty barriers, etc., and develop effective customer relationships Management strategies to improve product market loyalty and competitiveness.

The purpose, content, method, steps and effect of 3. consumer research.

The purpose of consumer research is to improve the competitiveness of smart water meter companies. The content of consumer research is consumer behavior, attitude, demand, preference, satisfaction, loyalty, etc. The method of consumer research is qualitative and quantitative. The steps of consumer research are to determine research objectives, design research plans, implement research activities, analyze research data, write research reports, and put forward research suggestions, the effect of consumer research is to improve product quality, service level, brand image, market share, profitability and so on. The following is an example of Shangpu Consulting to specifically introduce the purpose, content, methods, steps and effects of consumer research.

1. Purpose of consumer research

Shangpu Consulting Company is a consulting service organization specializing in the intelligent water meter industry, providing market research, strategic planning, marketing planning, brand building and other services for intelligent water meter enterprises. The purpose of consumer research by Shangpu Consulting Company is to help smart water meter companies understand consumer needs, preferences, satisfaction, loyalty, etc., so as to formulate effective market strategies for smart water meter companies and enhance the competitiveness of smart water meter companies.

2. Content of consumer research

The content of the consumer research of Shangpu Consulting Company mainly includes the following aspects:

Consumers' water habits. Including the consumer's water use scenario, water frequency, water consumption, water use time, water use mode, etc.

Consumer water demand. Including consumer demand and expectations for the function, performance, brand, price, service and other aspects of intelligent water meter.

Consumer water pain points. Including the problems, difficulties and dissatisfaction encountered by consumers in the process of using intelligent water meters.

Consumer water preferences. Including consumer preferences and evaluations of smart water meters in terms of functionality, performance, brand, price, and service.

Consumer satisfaction with water use. Including consumers' overall satisfaction with smart water meters, the satisfaction of each dimension, and the factors that affect satisfaction.

consumer water loyalty. Including consumers' willingness to buy smart water meters repeatedly, willingness to recommend, word-of-mouth communication, etc.

3. Methods of consumer research

The methodology for consumer research at Champ Consulting uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, as follows:

Qualitative methods. It mainly includes in-depth interviews, focus groups, scenario simulations, etc., in order to gain insight into consumers' water habits, water needs, water pain points, water preferences, etc., to obtain consumers' psychological motivations, feelings, attitudes, etc., and to tap consumers' potential needs and hidden problems.

Quantitative Methods. Mainly includes questionnaire survey, experimental design, data mining, etc., the purpose is to widely understand the consumer's water satisfaction, water loyalty, etc., to obtain consumer behavior data, satisfaction index, loyalty index, etc., analysis of consumer behavior characteristics, satisfaction factors, loyalty barriers.

4. Steps of consumer research

The steps of the consumer research at Champ Consulting include the following:

Identify research objectives. According to the market strategy and problems of intelligent water meter enterprises, the purpose, content, scope and object of consumer research are clarified, and the research plan and budget are formulated.

Design research plan. According to the research objectives, select the appropriate research methods, design research tools, such as interview guides, questionnaires, experimental programs, etc., determine the number, source and distribution of research samples, and formulate research schedules and personnel arrangements.

Implementation of research activities. According to the research plan, organize research teams, conduct research training, assign research tasks, implement research tools, collect research data, conduct research supervision and quality control, and ensure the validity and reliability of research data.

Analysis of research data. According to the research data, using statistical analysis, content analysis, structural equation model and other methods, the research data is cleaned, sorted, coded, summarized, analyzed and interpreted, the research results and conclusions are drawn, the research rules and trends are found, and the research insight and enlightenment are refined.

Write research reports. According to research and analysis, write research reports, including research background, objectives, programs, activities, data, results, conclusions, suggestions, etc., using charts, cases, citations, etc., to show the research process and results, highlighting the value and significance of research.

Propose research recommendations. According to the research report, it puts forward targeted market strategy suggestions for intelligent water meter enterprises, including product strategy, price strategy, promotion strategy, channel strategy, brand strategy, customer relationship management strategy, etc., to help intelligent water meter enterprises enhance their competitiveness.

5. Effect of consumer research

The results of the consumer research by Champu Consulting are mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Improve product quality. Through consumer research, smart water meter companies can understand consumers' needs and expectations for the functions, performance, brand, price, and service of smart water meters, so as to optimize product design, improve product manufacturing, improve product testing, and improve product after-sales. Improve product quality, meet consumers' water demand, and increase consumers' water satisfaction.

Improve service level. Through consumer research, smart water meter companies can understand the problems, difficulties, and dissatisfaction that consumers encounter in the process of using smart water meters, so as to strengthen service training, improve service response, improve service processes, increase service content, and improve service levels. Solve consumers' water pain points and improve consumers' water loyalty.

Enhance brand image. Through consumer research, smart water meter companies can understand consumers' preferences and evaluations of smart water meters, so as to clarify brand positioning, shape brand characteristics, spread brand concepts, enhance brand awareness, reputation, loyalty, etc., enhance brand image, and enhance Brand influence and establish brand advantages.

Increase market share. Through consumer research, smart water meter companies can understand consumers' water usage habits, water usage scenarios, water usage frequency, water usage, water usage time, water usage methods, etc., so as to expand market segmentation, develop market potential, increase market coverage, improve market penetration, seize market opportunities, increase market share, and expand market scale.

Increase profitability. Through consumer research, smart water meter companies can formulate effective market strategies to improve product quality, service levels, brand image, market share, etc., thereby increasing the added value and differentiation advantages of products, increasing product sales and profits, and reducing products Cost and risk, improve profitability, and achieve sustainable development.

4. Conclusion

Intelligent water meter is a new type of water meter that uses modern microelectronics technology, modern sensor technology and intelligent IC card technology to measure water consumption and carry out water data transmission and settlement transactions. Intelligent water meter has the functions of accurate measurement, convenient meter reading, step water price charging, water control, data storage, etc., and is the infrastructure of smart city and smart water construction. With the promotion of urbanization in China, the development of rural water and the acceleration of urban water information transformation and other factors, the Internet of Things technology innovation and landing accelerated, as well as new infrastructure, smart water, smart cities and other policies, the market demand for smart water meters continues to grow, the market size reached 10 billion yuan in 2023. However, the smart water meter industry is also facing fierce competition, such as serious product homogeneity, frequent price wars, compressed profit margins, insufficient corporate innovation capabilities, and weak brand influence. How to enhance the competitiveness of intelligent water meter enterprises has become a key issue in the industry. This paper holds that consumer research is an important means to enhance the competitiveness of intelligent water meter enterprises, through consumer research, we can understand consumer demand, preference, satisfaction, loyalty, etc., so as to formulate effective market strategy, improve product quality, service level, brand image, increase market share, improve profitability. Taking Shangpu Consulting Company as an example, this paper introduces the purpose, content, method, steps and effect of consumer research, and shows how consumer research can help intelligent water meter enterprises to enhance their competitiveness.