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.

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