Survey Automation Explained

Survey automation is the process of converting a paper survey or offering a survey in electronic form. Surveys can be taken by computer using the Internet or over the phone using interactive voice response (IVR) technology. Participants can even start the survey in one medium and finish it in another.

You can also automate participant contact. Automated assessment technology allows you to send automatic invitations with survey instructions and deadlines. Mid-process, the system can provide real-time survey status and send reminder emails to those who need to complete their surveys. This valuable feature saves simplifies mid-process changes, such as deadline or participant changes, and keeps your 360 evaluation flowing smoothly.

Data processing becomes automated too. You can eliminate the error-prone hand-entering of data. Responses are collected using the automation technology. Instead of spending days tracking down paper surveys, data can be processed quickly and accurately. The result is a more cost-effective, less time-consuming, more accurate process.

Automated follow-up: Once your 360-degree survey is complete and reports have been distributed you can help your participants reach the goals they set with automated telephone coaching. Daily calls remind participants of their goals and report their progress. Online reports allow participants to track their progress over time.> Back to top

Reasons To Automate Your 360

360-degree feedback automation reduces your burden and makes the entire process more effective.

Flexibility: Mid-process changes can be made easily at less cost. Because the costs of printing and distributing are virtually eliminated, you can make changes and corrections without disrupting the entire system. Communicating with participants mid-process is now painless and effective.

Efficiency: Automation means no paper surveys to track down. Data is automatically entered into the system without having to input information manually. Errors are reduced if not eliminated. Confidentiality is improved since only administrators have access to the data. Survey status information is always available. Data processing and report generation delay is reduced.

Cost: By eliminating the need for human data entry or paper collection, costs are reduced even as efficiency increases. Printing costs are practically eliminated. Survey automation is amazingly cost effective.

Accuracy: Assessment automation increases accuracy. Paper surveys are too easily misplaced or lost. Hand-entered data has an innate propensity for error. Automation reduces the potential for human error and increases the speed at which data can be collected and processed. All responses will be entered as they are received.

Ease of administration: 360 survey automation allows you to reach all of your participants. Administrators can check online any time to see how the 360 process is progressing. Without paper surveys to track down, you can easily remind those who have not yet submitted survey without compromising confidentiality. Administrators can easily send mid-process reminders or make minor mid-process changes without disrupting the process. Online admin tools means administrators are always informed.

Options for participants: Even in today’s world, not everyone is comfortable with Internet and computer technologies. Automation allows participants to take their 360 survey by phone or over the Internet. You can offer an accessible 360-degree feedback survey without resorting to paper surveys. Participants have the option to use most convenient medium for them. They can even even start the survey in one format and finish in another. Survey results are best when the response rate is high. Reducing barriers to participation means more responses and more complete results.> Back to top

Combining Web And Voice Technologies

Interactive Voice Response technology and the Internet make survey automation simple and effective. Participants can take surveys over the phone or on computer. They can even start the survey in one format and finish it in another.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is a telephone-based voice or key recognition system that is able to collect information without the use of a live person. For 360-degree feedback assessments, responses are usually entered using the telephone keypad. Survey instructions are adapted to be easily understood in an auditory format. Computer technology is able to communicate the data to the database used to store the data.

Internet-Based Surveys use an online format to present survey instructions and accept responses. Participants are able to input their responses by clicking on the responses of their choice. The survey questions are often organized by category and participants are able to answer a group of question on each screen.

Both the IVR and Internet-Based survey formats are able to consolidate the gathered data into one database. The information is then stored for processing and status reports are available at any time to survey administrators. If participants need to exit the survey before they have completed it, the data they have entered is saved. When they return, they can review their already entered responses or simply pick up where they left off.

The seamless combination and coordination of these technologies allows for easy automation of the surveys for all participants. Surveys are still accessible but data is collected effectively and administration is simplified. The entire survey process is able to flow smoothly.> Back to top