Case studies: stories listed alphabetically

Here is a complete list of current stories:

Allergan, Inc - Allergan, Inc. is a technologydriven health care company providing specialty pharmaceutical products worldwide. Based in California, the company operates 33 commercial locations, four research and development facilities, and three manufacturing plants. Allergan markets neuromuscular, eye care and skin care products in more than 100 countries. Representative products include Lumigan® and Alphagan® Pophthalmic solutions, TAZORAC® and BOTOX®.

Alpha Credit Belgium - Alpha Credit Belgium, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fortis Bank, is in the consumer credit business. The service provider offers both expiring credit (a fixed-amount loan providing the entire amount in one installment, for a fixed rate and term) and revolving credit (a form of financing that is selected if additional spending capacity is required for a longer period). In Belgium and Luxembourg, Alpha Credit is a major player in vehicle financing, providing loans through importers and dealer networks under their brand names. Alpha Credit also manages several of its own revolvingcredit products, such as Optiline and Rondo. In addition, it is a service supplier for other financial services organizations such as Fortis Bank, Bank van de Post, and Cora Hypermarkets.

ALPS Electric Europa GmbH - A subsidiary of Tokyo-based ALPS Electric Co., Ltd., ALPS Electric Europa specializes in passive and electromechanical components and supplies, offering more than 170,000 different products that address a wide spectrum of customer needs.

American Airline - In an intensely competitive marketplace, knowledge is power. The more an airline can learn about what its customers like and don't like about its offerings, the more effective it can be at building customer loyalty and maximizing its revenues. Of course, the resource cost of obtaining and processing this information must be carefully controlled.

American Airlines

Aspen Publishers - For the past 40 years, Maryland-based Aspen Publishers Inc. has been a leading professional publisher, providing educational materials for fields such as healthcare, law, science, and business.

Atlanta Police Department - Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal initiative led by the United States Attorney General, works to create safer neighborhoods in America by coordinating with existing local programs that target gun-related crime. In Atlanta, Project Safe Neighborhoods concentrates on the Atlanta Police Department's (APD) firearm-related crime hot spots.

Austereo Group Ltd - Austereo Group Ltd. is the largest radio broadcaster in Australia. The company operates top rated radio stations in all six mainland Australian capital cities and in the two major regional cities of Newcastle and Canberra.

Avans University - On January 1, 2004, Avans University of Applied Sciences was formed from the merger of Hogeschool Brabant and Hogeschool 's-Hertogenbosch, two universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands. These universities were already working closely together under one executive board and now, thanks to the merger, are a single institution called Avans University. The university offers a wide range of courses within various disciplines and with various study tracks. It has three sites in the Netherlands: Breda, 's-Hertogenbosch, and Tilburg.

B/E Aerospace, Inc - The world's leading manufacturer of aircraft cabin interior products, and a leading aftermarket distributor of aircraft component parts, B/E Aerospace, Inc. serves virtually all of the world's airlines and aircraft manufacturers. The company designs, develops, manufactures, sells and services a broad line of passenger cabin interior products for both commercial aircraft and business jets, and provides interior design, econfiguration and conversion services to its customers throughout the world.

Babson College - Babson College, a small college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, was founded in 1919. It has nearly 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students with a curriculum that incorporates a cross-disciplinary integration of learning experiences in management and the liberal arts.

Banca Lombarda - Gruppo Banca Lombarda, headquartered in Brescia, Italy, is one of Italy’s top 10 banking groups. Like most banks that adhere to international guidelines, Banca Lombarda needed to revise its approach to measuring credit risk. The change was prompted by a new capital accord issued by the Basel Committee (so named because it meets in Basel, Switzerland) that becomes effective in December 2006.

Banco Espi­rito Santo (BES) - Emerging global opportunities and technology are revolutionizing the banking industry and fostering intense competition and high customer expectations. Once loyal customers now move their assets to new banks effortlessly and with alarming frequency.

Barclays Bank - In October 1998, Barclays Bank, a leading U.K. financial services group, became the first organization outside the market research industry to use the Quancept Telephony System (QTS) in a call center*. The 36 QTS interviewing stations have enabled the U.K. Personal Market Research Team at Barclays to field surveys more efficiently and, consequently, gain more value from data when researching customer needs.

Battelle - Battelle is a major not–for–profit research foundation comprising 7,500 researchers and scientists and handling nearly $1 billion in research and technology development projects for government and commercial organizations throughout the United States. The Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation (CPHRE) is a division of Batelle which operates from six centers in the country, four of which carry out surveys on the phone, face–to–face and via mail.

Bend-La Pine School District - Bend-La Pine School District is Oregon’s seventh-largest public school district, comprised of 14 elementary schools, five middle schools, and five high schools. In total, the district serves 15,000 students and 65,000 residents in the three communities.

BlueSky - BlueSky International is a marketing research and consulting company specializing in the financial services sector. Based in Paris, France, the company provides a range of fact-based diagnostic services to banks, brokers, private banks and investment houses in all of the world's major financial centers. BlueSky's mission is to help its clients determine their strategic options and support their tactical plans through a deep understanding of what their customers consider is important in their products and processes, thereby enabling them to increase their profitability by increasing the satisfaction and retention of their most valuable customers.

Booth Research - Booth Research is a marketing and survey research organization experienced in virtually all research methodologies including: telephone, mail, intercept surveys and qualitative studies as well as focus groups and in–depth interviews. The firm offers exceptional client service through extensive experience and comprehensive in–house capabilities, which include the Booth Research WATS Center, a modern facility designed and built for the express purpose of marketing and survey research. It includes a 75–station computer–assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) research center, mail survey processing facilities, and field study assembly accommodations.

Branion GmbH - In 1999, Büro Actuell eG and Soennecken eG, which were both founded in 1926, joined forces to form one of the world's leading purchasing and marketing cooperatives in the area of office supplies. Today, ranion acts as a full–service hub for more than 800 office supply stores, offering them combined resources in areas such as service, purchasing, sales, logistics, marketing, consulting and IT.

BT - IAURIF (Institut d'Amènagement et d'Urbanism de la Région d'île–de–France) is an organization responsible for a variety of planning and development projects for the île–de–France region, which is dominated by the city of Paris and its suburbs.

Burke Inc - Burke, Inc. provides full-service market research, analysis and consulting to hundreds of its consumer and business-to-business-based clients. Since its inception in 1931, Burke has worked with multiple blue-chip companies. In 1999, the Cincinnati, OH-based market research leader employed 250 full-time and 400 part-time people and generated $48.8 million in revenues.

Burke Inc. - Burke, Inc. provides full–service market research, analysis and consulting to hundreds of its consumer and business–to–business–based clients. Since its inception in 1931, Burke has worked with multiple blue–chip companies. In 1999, the Cincinnati, OH–based market research leader employed 250 full–time and 400 part–time people and generated $48.8 million in revenues.

Buystream - Founded in February 1999, Buystream develops analytical and reporting software specifically for business-to-consumer Web retailers. Its research and consulting division provides clients with data mining, online surveys and visit-to-buy conversion rates. An international company headquartered in Ottawa, Buystream employs about 100 staff and has offices in New York, San Francisco, Austin, Texas and London.

Cabrillo College - Cabrillo College, a two-year community college in Aptos, California, was founded in 1959. The college has approximately 14,500 undergraduate students that are either starting or continuing their education through programs that transfer to four-year universities or occupational job training. Cabrillo College maintains a positive reputation both locally and nationally, and is ranked third in the state for the percentage of students successfully transferring to the ten campuses of the University of California system. The Council for Aid to Education, a subsidiary of Rand Corporation, ranks Cabrillo College first in the nation out of 1,400 community colleges for the number of donors contributing to its Foundation.

Canon UK - Canon is a world leader in imaging products and solutions for digital home and office environments, including digital imaging devices, digital and analog copiers, image filing systems, printers, fax machines, bubble jet printers, scanners, cameras, video cameras, binoculars and calculators. Canon also provides complete network solutions, from IT consulting to installation of voice/data networks, including computers and telephone systems.

Center Parcs Europe - Center Parcs is Europe's market leader in the field of short break holidays. The company operates fifteen vacation parks in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France, which combined welcome over three million visitors a year and generate revenues of over $500 million per year. Center Parcs is a subsidiary of Pierre & Vacances, Europe's largest tour operator.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department - One of five police departments in the County of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) offers a full range of police services to a population of 650,000 residents. The department employs approximately 2,000 staff members, including more than 1,200 uniformed officers, and has an operating budget of more than $127 million.

Chelsea Building Society - Chelsea Building Society is the sixth largest building society in the United Kingdom. It has 500,000 saving accounts and more than 80,000 borrowers with a network of 35 branch offices across southern and central England. As a mutual building society, the company is owned by its members. Because it doesn't have to pay dividends to shareholders, it can return more profit to its members by offering better value products, including higher rates for savers and lower mortgage rates for borrowers.

Children's Memorial Hospital - Each year, nearly 3,000 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with brain tumors. Almost half will die within five years, making it the most fatal cancer among children. If a child does survive a brain tumor, the long-term effects can be significant, including neurological disabilities, retardation and psychological problems.

ClearCommerce Corporation - ClearCommerce® Corporation is a leading provider of payment processing and fraud detection solutions for Internet merchants.

CMSS - CMSS is the largest buildings savings bank in the Czech Republic, with more than three million customers. It offers a range of loans for building- and housing-related finance such as mortgages, redevelopment, and construction.

Coinstar, Inc. - According to the U.S. Mint, it is estimated that people have more than $7.7 billion in coins sitting in their homes. On average, these coins total $30 to $50 per household—about twice what the average consumer believes them to be. The perceived inconvenience associated with large amounts of coins has transformed Coinstar into the largest coin-to-cash conversion business in the market today. Coinstar machines count shoppers' accumulated coins and dispense a voucher that can be exchanged in the store for cash or groceries. It's a priority for Coinstar to identify new and profitable locations on an on-going basis as demand for Coinstar's services continues to grow.

Consumer Link - Consumer Link is recognized as one of the most innovative market research data collection and processing organizations in New Zealand. With an ongoing commitment to investment in technology, facilities, people, training and client service, it is the country’s pre–eminent contract data collection facility.

Contrans - Contrans has ten divisions, each operated independently, and each using its own business model and metrics.

Corona Direct - Founded in 1931, Corona Direct is Belgium's second largest direct insurance company, employing 150 people and generating revenues of $25.8 million in 2002. A subsidiary of the Belgian-French banking and insurance company DEXIA, Corona Direct provides customers with products such as car, fire, and property insurance.

Credilogros - Credilogros Cía Financiera S.A. is a credit company based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and owned by the gST Group (Grupo de Servicios y Transacciones). Its assets are valued at $95.7 million and it is the fifth largest credit company in Argentina. After acquiring Credilogros in 2006, gST began a search for a new system to enable the company to better manage customer credit risk. It was important for Credilogros to identify the risk potential associated with prospective customers up front, so that risk exposure could be minimized.

Credit Suisse - One of the world's leading financial services companies, Credit Suisse Group provides banking and insurance solutions for private clients, companies and institutions. The Group primarily focuses on investment banking and managing customer assets. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Credit Suisse employs 80,000 people worldwide.

Czech Television - Czech Television is a state-run, publicly owned station in the Czech Republic. Its employees are charged with reporting the daily news responsibly, promptly, and accurately.

Database and Relationship - Companies are increasingly outsourcing e-commerce solutions such as database marketing and relationship marketing. One Pennsylvania-based firm is a leading provider of these kinds of solutions for nationally recognized retailers, manufacturers, and professional sports organizations.

De Bijenkorf - De Bijenkorf, part of Vendex KBB N.V., is a trend–setting department store with outlets in 12 major Dutch cities. Each store offers approximately 750,000 different items from the fashion, cosmetics, accessories, home, media, sports, and food sectors.

DeBoeck - As a renowned player in the publishing market, with 220 employees and a turnover of €32 million, the De Boeck group includes six specialized publishing houses: De Boeck Education (school, university, and scientific publications) Uitgeverij De Boeck (school, university, and scientific publications) Larcier (legal publications) Estem (medical publications) Duculot (university and scientific publications) Lexalis (professional publishing on the Internet) Furthermore, the group also has an IT subsidiary that develops and commercializes solutions for knowledge management and publishing on the Internet, for its internal publishing houses and important customers such as the European Parliament, the Court of Justice, and the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

DekaBank - DekaBank is a central institution of the German Savings Banks Financial Group and operates in the wholesale banking and investment fund segments. With a group balance sheet total of €115 billion ($144.2 billion) at the end of 2005, assets under management of more than €140 billion ($175.5 billion), and equity capital of €3.7 billion ($4.6 billion), it is one of Germany’s leading financial services providers.

Del Monte Fresh Produce - Del Monte Fresh Produce is one of the world’s leading producers, marketers, and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables. The company is also a leading producer and distributor of prepared fruit and vegetables, juices, beverages, snacks, and desserts across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu International - Deloitte & Touche Denmark, a financial services firm in Copenhagen, Denmark, was founded in 1901. Its 1,800 employees serve nearly 13,000 public and private businesses across 19 cities in Denmark, and four in Greenland. With annual revenues exceeding $250 million, it is the largest auditing firm in Denmark.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu International - Spreadsheets don't have the power, flexibility and wide range of quantifiable information people need. But tools like SPSS do.

Direct Wines - Direct Wines is the world's largest mail order wine company, celebrating its 30th anniversary last year, from a humble start as a single shop in Windsor. Direct Wines now runs a variety of wine clubs, including the Sunday Times wine club, the Bordeaux wine club and various other clubs with business partners and charities. The company turns over £132 million a year. The company has grown significantly over the last few years, even faster than the market for wine, and now sends out 500,000 mailings a month. As a result, the membership database has dramatically increased in size too.

Directions Research, Inc. - Directions Research, Inc. (Directions) is a full–service, custom market research firm. The company has in–depth expertise in a wide range of industries, including financial services, consumer packaged goods, healthcare, insurance, hospitality, retail, telecommunications, and technology.