1. Market Definition

Market definition is the first and most basic step of market research, which determines the scope and direction of market research. The market definition mainly includes the following aspects:

Market name: The market name is a brief description of the market, usually composed of the name and geographical scope of the product or service, such as "China IT operation and maintenance service market".

Market content: Market content is a specific description of the products or services covered by the market, including the definition, classification, characteristics, functions, uses, etc. of the products or services, such as "IT operation and maintenance services refer to the services that provide customers with the monitoring, maintenance, management and optimization of IT infrastructure and application systems, including IT infrastructure operation and maintenance services, IT application system operation and maintenance services, security management services, network access services, content information services and integrated management services".

市场主体：市场主体是指市场中参与产品或服务的生产、销售、购买和使用的各方，包括供给方、需求方、中介方和监管方等，如“IT运维服务市场的主要供给方是IT运维服务提供商，主要需求方是IT运维服务的使用者，主要中介方是IT运维服务的代理商和分销商，主要监管方是IT运维服务的相关政府部门和行业协会等”。

Market boundary: Market boundary refers to the spatial and temporal scope of the market, usually determined by geography, time and industry, such as "the market boundary studied in this paper is the Chinese IT operation and maintenance services market in 2022, mainly involving finance, manufacturing, Internet and other industries".

二、市场划分

市场划分是市场调查的第二步，也是最重要的步骤，它是根据市场中的产品或服务、客户或用户、竞争对手等因素，将市场细分为若干相对均衡、相对独立、相对稳定的子市场或细分市场，以便更好地了解和分析市场的特点和规律。市场划分主要包括以下几个方面：

Basis for division: the basis for division is the basis for market division. it is the standard for classifying the market according to one or more characteristics or attributes in the market. for example, "according to the type of it operation and maintenance service, the market is divided into it infrastructure operation and maintenance service market, it application system operation and maintenance service market, security management service market, network access service market, content information service market and comprehensive management service market".

划分方法：划分方法是市场划分的过程，是根据划分依据，运用一定的技术手段，将市场进行分割的具体方式，如“根据IT运维服务的类型，运用层次分析法，将市场按照不同的层级进行划分，如图1所示”。

三、市场规模

Market size is the third and most intuitive step of market research. It refers to the sales volume or sales volume of products or services in the market, reflecting the overall level and development potential of the market. The market size mainly includes the following aspects:

规模计算：规模计算是市场规模的核心，是根据市场中的销售数据，运用一定的统计方法，得到市场的总量或总额的过程，如“根据市场中各类IT运维服务的销售数据，运用加权平均法，得到市场的总额为42.6亿元”。

Scale analysis: Scale analysis is the market size analysis is an extension of the market size, is based on the total amount or total amount of the market, the use of certain analytical methods, to obtain the market structure or proportion of the process, such as "according to the total amount of the market, the use of the percentage method.

Scale evaluation: scale evaluation is the purpose of market scale, which is the process of obtaining the advantages, disadvantages or potential of the market by using certain evaluation methods according to the total amount or total amount of the market. For example, "according to the total amount of the market, using the growth rate method, the growth rate of the market is 15.6, which is higher than the average level of the industry, indicating that the market has great development potential".

4. market demand

Market demand is the fourth and most critical step of market research. It refers to the willingness and ability of customers or users to buy products or services in the market, reflecting the driving force and direction of the market. Market demand mainly includes the following aspects:

Demand measurement: Demand measurement is the basis of market demand. It is a process of obtaining market demand or demand amount by using certain statistical methods according to the number, characteristics, behaviors, attitudes and other data of customers or users in the market. For example, "according to the number, scale, industry, region and other data of users of various IT operation and maintenance services in the market, the market demand amount is 4.53 billion yuan by using multiple regression method".

Demand analysis: demand analysis is the core of market demand, is based on the market demand or demand amount, the use of certain analytical methods, to obtain the market demand structure or demand characteristics of the process, such as "according to the market demand amount, the use of cluster analysis, to obtain the market demand structure as shown in Figure 3".

Demand forecasting: Demand forecasting is an extension of market demand, is based on the market demand or demand amount, the use of certain forecasting methods, to obtain the future demand of the market process, such as "according to the market demand amount, the use of exponential smoothing method, to obtain the market's 2023 demand amount of 5.27 billion yuan".

5. market competition

Market competition is the fifth and most complex step of market research, which refers to the various activities between suppliers in the market in order to compete for market share and profit, reflecting the competitiveness of the market and competitive strategy. Market competition mainly includes the following aspects:

Competition evaluation: competition evaluation is the basis of market competition. it is the process of obtaining the competition degree or competition pattern of the market by using certain evaluation methods according to the data of the quantity, scale, products or services, prices, channels, promotions, brands and so on of the suppliers in the market, such as "according to the data of various IT operation and maintenance service providers in the market, the competition degree of the market is medium by using Porter's five-force model, the competitive landscape is oligopoly".

Competition analysis: competition analysis is the core of market competition, is based on the degree of competition in the market or competition pattern, the use of certain analysis methods, to get the market competitive advantage or competitive disadvantage process, such as "according to the degree of competition in the market and competition pattern, the use of SWOT analysis, to get the market competitive advantage for technological innovation, service quality and customer loyalty, competitive disadvantages are cost control, market expansion and policy risk".

Competition prediction: competition prediction is an extension of market competition. it is a process of obtaining the future competition trend or competition change of the market according to the competitive advantage or competitive disadvantage of the market and using certain prediction methods. for example, "according to the competitive advantage and competitive disadvantage of the market, using the game theory, the competition trend of the market in 2023 is intensified competition and the competition change is differentiated competition".

6. market forecast

Market forecasting is the sixth and most comprehensive step of market research, which refers to the process of obtaining the future development of the market by using certain forecasting methods based on the size, demand, competition and other factors of the market, reflecting the prospects and opportunities of the market. The market forecast mainly includes the following aspects:

Forecast target: The forecast target is the direction of market forecast, which determines the content and scope of market forecast according to the purpose and requirements of market research, such as "the forecast target of this article is the size, demand, competition and opportunities of China's IT operation and maintenance service market in 2023".

Forecasting method: The forecasting method is a tool for market forecasting, which is based on the objectives and data of market forecasting, the selection of appropriate forecasting techniques, the specific way of market forecasting, such as "the forecasting method of this paper is the comprehensive use of trend extrapolation, causal analysis, scenario analysis and expert judgment, market forecasting".

Forecast results: The forecast result is the product of market forecast, which is the data or information of the future development of the market according to the method of market forecast,.

7. market opportunities

Market opportunity is the seventh and most practical step of market research, which refers to the process of obtaining favorable conditions or available resources based on market forecasts and using certain evaluation methods, reflecting the attractiveness and feasibility of the market. Market opportunities include the following:

Opportunity identification: Opportunity identification is the basis of market opportunities. It is based on market forecasts to identify favorable factors such as demand gaps, competition gaps, favorable policies, and technological innovation that exist or may appear in the market. For example, "According to market forecasts, Identify opportunities that exist or may appear in the market as shown in Table 3".

Opportunity evaluation: opportunity evaluation is the core of market opportunities, is based on the favorable factors of the market, the use of certain evaluation methods, to get the market opportunity size or opportunity priority process, such as "according to the favorable factors of the market, the use of opportunity evaluation matrix method, to get the market opportunity size and opportunity priority as shown in Figure 4".

Opportunity selection: opportunity selection is the purpose of market opportunity, which is the process of obtaining the best opportunity or the best opportunity combination of the market by using certain selection methods according to the opportunity size or opportunity priority of the market, such as "according to the opportunity size and opportunity priority of the market, using multi-objective decision-making method to obtain the best opportunity of the market is the IT infrastructure operation and maintenance service market, the best combination of opportunities is the IT infrastructure operations services market and the security management services market".