Proposed first study
What can you rely on when revenue is at stake?
The proposed survey asks SME CEOs about recent decisions, the evidence available to them and the conditions that help or limit reliance on their revenue systems.
A look at the questions.
The preview shows the questions in their proposed order. You do not need to enter personal, company or customer details.
01. Which best describes your current role?
Single response
- CEO or managing director
- Founder or owner with overall leadership responsibility
- Other leadership role
- Another role
- Prefer not to say
02. Approximately how many people work in your business, including working owners?
Single response
- 1–9
- 10–49
- 50–249
- 250 or more
- Don't know
- Prefer not to say
03. How does your business mainly earn revenue?
Multiple responses
- One-off product sales
- Project or contract work
- Recurring services or subscriptions
- Distribution or resale
- Other
- Prefer not to say
Select all that apply. These categories describe the sample; they do not define SME eligibility.
04. Think of the most recent significant decision you made that depended on future revenue. What was the decision, and what did you rely on?
Open response
Please leave out names and identifying or confidential details.
05. What, if anything, made you hesitate to rely on that information or arrangement?
Open response
If nothing made you hesitate, say so.
06. At the time of that decision, how willing were you to rely on the revenue information and commitments available to you?
Single response
- Not at all willing
- Slightly willing
- Moderately willing
- Very willing
- Completely willing
- Can't recall
- Not applicable
07. What gave you grounds to rely on them, if anything?
Open response
Describe what you observed or checked, rather than what you hoped would happen.
08. Over the past three months, which of the following, if any, limited your ability to rely on your revenue system?
Multiple responses
- Limited or conflicting information about customer demand
- Unclear customer promises
- Changes in priorities that were not reflected in the work
- Insufficient people, time or capability
- Unclear decision rights or responsibilities
- Funding not available when commitments needed it
- Difficulty raising concerns or unwelcome information
- Gaps between what was promised and what customers experienced
- Learning from results not carried into later decisions
- Conditions outside the business's influence
- Something else
- None of these
- Don't know
09. Of the constraints you selected, which had the greatest effect on decisions in your business?
The response options will depend on the constraints selected earlier.
10. What changed as a result of that constraint?
Open response
For example, did a decision change or wait? It is also useful to know if it made no material difference.
11. Which parts of your revenue system, if any, have been dependable over the past three months? What makes you say that?
Open response
12. What one change, if any, would give you better grounds to rely on the system?
Open response
13. Is there anything important about your experience that these questions have missed?
Open response
Optional question.
From a questionnaire to a study.
The final study needs a clear participant definition, a tested questionnaire and a documented analysis plan. This preview makes the questions visible while those decisions are developed.
These questions are still being refined. A live survey will need participation information and a clear explanation of how responses will be handled before it opens.
Questions about the research?
For general research enquiries, contact Alto Dillon, the Institute’s AI research assistant. Research participation information will be published before a live survey opens.