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The Experiences of Web Based Data Collection from Enterprises in Finland

The Experiences of Web Based Data Collection from Enterprises in Finland. August 9th 2006, JSM Seattle USA. Introduction - Strategies And Methods. Statistics Finland’s Strategy for EDR To offer an electronic option in all data collections by 2007 (not in person statistics)

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The Experiences of Web Based Data Collection from Enterprises in Finland

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  1. The Experiences of Web Based Data Collection from Enterprises in Finland August 9th 2006, JSM Seattle USA

  2. Introduction - Strategies And Methods Statistics Finland’s Strategy for EDR • To offer an electronic option in all data collections by 2007 (not in person statistics) • It’s the respondent’s choice whether to use it or not Data Collection Methods • About 97% of data are derived from administrative registers • About 3% are from direct data collection (paper forms, machine readable data / primary EDI, EDR, interviews by CATI/CAPI systems: mainly Blaise) Business Data Collections • About 50 surveys (excluding collections with less than 30 respondents) • 45 Web (Internet form) collections in use Rami Peltola

  3. Background - Data Collection And Infrastructure • Traditionally high response rates (in both annual and sub-annual business surveys) • Up to over 99%, persistent staff • Good relations with data providers • Experienced staff, continuous personal contacts, high level of trust • High level of using the Internet • Almost every enterprise has access to the internet(employees 10+  98%, employees 100+  100%) • Business surveys are directed to the largest enterprises • Positive atmosphere for using internet with the government • Respondents are even enthusiastic about using the Internet • “It’s fun to fill in web forms instead of paper ones!” Rami Peltola

  4. Background - Three Generations of In-house EDR Solutions • 1. Generation: Building cost index 2001 • Built using Microsoft Windows DNA (Distributed Internet Application Architecture) • 2. Generation: 7 EDR solutions 2002-2005 • VB.NET • 3. Generation: 23 EDR solutions 2005-2006 • XCola • 11 EDR solutions made by outside service provider 1997-2006 • Pilot in integrated data collection (tourism statistics) Rami Peltola

  5. Technical information - XCola in a Nutshell • A generic application for Web surveys • Processes the XML questionnaires and transforms them into Web applications • Supports client and server side validations • Executed on the server side, does not require any installation on the respondent side • Works on every modern browser • Easy to implement new questionnaires in just hours • Main developer: Mr. Toni Räikkönen, toni.raikkonen@stat.fi Rami Peltola

  6. Benefits - Summary of Main Benefits • Simplifying data collection process • Reducing need for human resources • Reducing other data collection costs • Improving the quality of collected data • Decreasing non-response • Speeding up the data accumulation • Reducing response burden • Enabling direct individual feedback for respondents • Enabling browsing of previously submitted data • Assuring high level data security Cost-efficiency Accuracy Timeliness Data providerrelations Rami Peltola

  7. Achieved Cost-Efficiency - 2nd Generation • Four second generation solutions have been in production for 3 years (3300 respondents per month plus 800 per quarter) • Average per cent of work saved in the data collection phase is over 40 (2 person years) • The amount of ground mail has been reduced by 65% (0.5 person years) • Number of reminders sent has gone down by half • “Mass e-mailer” for all kinds of collections • Investment is paid off in about a year Rami Peltola

  8. Cost-Efficiency Continues to Improve - 3rd Generation • Common framework (one engine) for similar systems  An effective build-up • Simple method for transferring data between collection and production databases • Only one application to maintain and support • Support and development knowledge easier to acquire and spread • Reducing need for human resources  As manual handling diminishes, it can be replaced by more rewarding tasks Rami Peltola

  9. An Example - Working Hours Used in Data Collection and Validation in Sale Inquiry hours 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 years Rami Peltola

  10. Accuracy and Timeliness • The data received are of better quality: “25% less errors”(both annual and sub-annual surveys) • Response rates have remained on high level • The average response time of monthly surveys has reduced • in the best case by 8-10 days or 30% • The number of reminders sent has decreased substantially • in the best case by 50% (from 1000 to 500 in just 4 months) • The share of the respondents using EDR -solution has in most cases reached high level • sub-annual surveys > 60% (in the best case 85%) • annual surveys ~ 30% (in the best case 75%) Rami Peltola

  11. An Example - Sale Inquiry Accumulation of Data 01/2002 - 01/2006 responses Rami Peltola

  12. Data Provider Relations • Perceived response burden has gone down • E-mail informs of the survey and reminds to answer • Questionnaire is “always” available and fast to fill-in • Option to fill in the questionnaire in separate sessions • Good designing of the questionnaire • Helpful validity checks - no additional inquiries • Contextual on-line help • Support for several languages • Individually tailored feedback • Access to all the previously submitted data and pre-filled questionnaires Rami Peltola

  13. High Level of Data Security • Data security audit by an outside consult • All traffic on the Internet is SSL -encrypted • An authentication / authorisation -process is always needed • New user IDs and passwords every year • User IDs and passwords are initially sent in a letter • Only one of them can be sent by email • The other one must always be sent in a letter or given over by telephone • Only a certain number of our staff have access to user IDs and passwords (usually two persons per survey) Rami Peltola

  14. An Example - Sale Inquiry Change in Response Media 12/2001 - 12/2005 responses Rami Peltola

  15. Costs - Investment and Maintenance • The costs have dropped by 60-70% during the last few years • Average investment cost per new EDR -solution (today) • An outside service provider: was EUR 5000 • In-house solution (XCola): less than 150 hours of work • Maintenance costs of EDR solution per year (today) • An outside service provider: was EUR 1000 • In-house solution (XCola): less than 50 hours of work • During the first and second phases the total resource input was about 2,5 person years (“learning by doing”) • Included the development of a secure communication environment • Included the implementation of 7 solutions Rami Peltola

  16. An Example - Work Done in Development and Maintenance of An EDR Solution (Sale Inquiry) Includes hours used in development of infrastrucre hours 2002 2003 2004 2005 Rami Peltola

  17. Challenges - In-house Development and Maintenance • The development of surveys can be very fast if the IT -personnel have good skills in XML and related techniques • At the moment the number of very skilled survey developers is limited • The whole production environment around XCola is not yet finished • Somewhat dependent on certain named persons • The statistics departments typically have a lot of requirements for the surveys • Some minor development in XCola is needed all the time Rami Peltola

  18. Pilot - Integrated Data Collection (Tourism) • Data are delivered directly from hotel management systems into our database • No manual work needed (except to initiate the transfer) • After their reception data are submitted to the standard validation process • Software vendors implement a module for the hotel’s management software using Statistics Finland’s definitions for data and service interface • Implemented using typical B2B integration technique: XML Web Services Rami Peltola

  19. Near Future - Productisation and Integration More integrated data collections? • Co-operation with management system providers Project for productisation of XCola (since June 2006) • Has already been made (Xcola v. 3.1): • Developer’s manual, finalised administration tools • Routines for transfers between collection and production databases • XCola version for outside evaluation has been built • Under development • Graphical editor for building questionnaires and links to metadata Project for co-ordination of business surveys • In the future more co-ordinated surveys - instead of many independent surveys targeted towards businesses Rami Peltola

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