3rd to last quarterly delivery

Today starts my third to last quarterly delivery cycle for my large global client.

On the heels of a not-so-great Q4'25 delivery, we're under major scrutiny to deliver flawlessly for Q1'26. In most businesses, you're only as good as your last delivery, and we absolutely need to turn the corner.

The pressure is on for the next eight business days until dashboard and automated report release. We've added on to our internal QC efforts and I've spent a lot of extra time reviewing the status of every study so that data processing team knows exactly what they are supposed to do. We've added in an extra set of eyes to review some priority markets and some additional ones to ensure that everything comes out perfect.

Over the years, I have learned to not micromanage unless it's absolutely necessary. If you continue to micromanage everyone, they become completely dependent upon YOU for every single thing they do and that's just not sustainable.

This becomes even more important in the fact that after the next quarter, I'll be working with current staff to start transitioning some of my responsibilities during these high delivery periods so that by the time I DO sign off for the last time, everyone is fully trained and up to speed to carry on in my stead.

I've fallen behind on my 'historical documentation' document which is being created not only as a reference source but, by nature of where it will be eventually posted, completely CoPilot enabled and searchable. Other than changes in structure of the business and research methods, I'm hopefully capturing all of the mistakes we've made along the way to serve as warning signs along the highway of this program.

It's not all mistakes, it's also "things learned under the internal design structure" as well. Companies like ours will build largely automated ways to deliver research programs at scale and often times they rarely discuss the nuances of massive, global clients and don't "bake-in" critical items that are not just requirements but "mandatory features" that our clients have come to accept.

Fun times. Here's hoping that in a few weeks, there are minimal complaints or concerns from our clients on our delivery.

The Final Countdown

The final countdown is upon us, there are now 365 days left until retirement.

My hopes are that, although this blog has been mostly dead for many years now, I can journal my way through the highs and lows of winding down a full time career in the Market Research Industry. The need to continue to service clients external and internal. The need to cross-train someone new to lead the Operations on the global accounts. The emotional journey of goodbye and farewell to some who I've worked with my entire career, as well as those who I've grown close to in just 6-8 years most recently.

Aiming for a post a week, but depending on what's going on, maybe more or maybe less.

My wife retires in just 14 days!!!  She's beating me to the finish line but this has been our goal since we got married almost 21 years ago.

What lays ahead is definitely some massive research into health insurance (we'll have a gap until Medicare), financial discipline and seeing our spawn head off to college since he'll be graduating in just 60 days!!

And, although I may be retiring from the career that has defined my life, I still may dabble in something part-time to see if I can snag some insurance or just to keep myself active. Who knows.

We do have a cool vacation coming up in September to Grenada, and a couple months after my retirement next year, we're doing 2 luxury weeks in Jamaica to celebrate.

The clock is now ticking, but in a very positive way.

Big Data - Data Integration #Fail

I know we're still in the early days of the whole Big Data/Data Integration/Data Intelligence experience, but there are some days where you see something and it's just not right and you have to analyze it.

As we're on our way upwards towards the 'Peak of Inflated Expectations', something like this appears in my LinkedIn timeline a couple hours ago.  This announcement was a surprise to me!

So, first of all, I check my brain and wonder if I really AM traveling soon.  I'm not.

Secondly, I know that I personally know of two other Brian LoCicero's (one even has the middle initial P, like myself) living in the United States (one in CA and the other in FL) and wonder if maybe our timelines got goofed up.  They haven't.

Thirdly, I realize that at one point, I integrated my "TripIt" account with my LinkedIn account because our corporate travel agency owns that site and well, it was fun to see when I was traveling, if any of my professional contacts were also going to be in those cities and hopefully, if they are competitors, NOT at my client ;-p. (You know who you are!!!)

Yes, that was it.  However, I added no trip to my TripIt account whereby _I_ was going to Memphis this week.  But I know someone who IS going there.

Ahhh, that's it!!  Separately, I also let the TripIt website connect with my personal email account where I forward all of my work travel plans so that it could periodically scan my email, pick up travel emails that have specific details and then integrate them into the TripIt site so my lazy butt wouldn't have to type all of them in.  TripIt also has a nice mobile app for when you're traveling which is a convenient place to find your itinerary.

But here's where the intelligence broke down.  My WIFE actually forwarded me her travel itinerary so that I'd know where she's going to be and when.  TripIt wasn't smart enough to pick up it wasn't travel for ME and integrated it and then LinkedIn picked up the feed off of there.

One could see how this sort of mix-up could make spouses get a little nervous that communication has broken down.  What if my boss forwarded me his travel schedule which coincided with a conference I was going to.  It could make people freak.

I'm sure this will all get sorted as we move along the hype cycle but it shows how wrong one could be without thoroughly checking the data.

Have fun in Memphis honey!

Cautionary Advice: Big Game Advertsing and the "Polls"

Okay all my friends.

Most of America and a fair amount of the rest of the world will be sitting down on Sunday night to watch the "Big Game" (can't use the actual words in print/press for fear of lawsuit by the NFL) and inevitably what will be most discussed is the commercials, or adverts that run during the game.

As a seasoned Market Research Professional, here's why the news and all of you should put little to no weight behind those morning after polls or meters on what was the "best ad" during the game.

First of all, although there will be more polls than ever this year, many of the new ones will claim that they gathered their data via Facebook and Twitter which on the face of it makes it seem like it's the opinion of MILLIONS of people and therefore "more valid".  In reality, and from a sampling statistics point of view, the sample is inherently biased in that it's only of people who are willing to give an opinion and who do so via social media.  There will be no controls to ensure that, for example, Mississippi represents the .95% of the US that it does.  So if, for some reason, 3% of the responses are from MS and plenty of other variations across the States it erodes the confidence level of those results.  Additionally, there's no balance based on age, gender, income, etc., which are important things when it comes to the validity of research and that's why specifically the USA Today poll is not scientific one bit.

Secondly, in almost all advertising testing that we do, we randomize the order of the ads we show consumers.  The ads during the game will play in a prescribed order and all viewers will see them in the same order.  If, for some reason, the second or third ad is really really funny, and very well could be the best, then all ads after it are evaluated to the standard set by that ad and maybe an ad that ends up in 3rd or 4th place in these "polls", if it had been seen first in order, would have been the winner.  This is a basic tenet of good research that each and every year is ignored.

Thirdly, let's be honest, people do not pay attention to every ad.  There are bathroom breaks, there's the euphoria after a big score or big play that might be being debated at your viewing party or celebrated as the network goes to commercial and if, for some reason, it's a blow-out, then people turn back to the social aspect of their parties and pay less attention to the ads running in the 3rd or 4th quarter unfortunately penalizing those ads.

Lastly, and this is the thing that has irked me the most in the last couple of weeks, several of the advertisers (Honda, Acura to name a few) have truly blown up their own "spot" by running the ads, either in protracted version or in edited version on YouTube or their own websites far in advance of the big game.  This pre-exposure taints the ability for any true immediate impression of the ad to be measured.  Why a company would pay $3.5M for their :30 to run and then run it on the Internet prior to that is beyond me, but I would argue that by the time of the game, they may already be experiencing some wear-out of the ad.

That's the argument from the Market Research background on why those polls really aren't a true measure of what ads are the "best".

This year will also have commercials dominated by attempts to integrate social media into their big spend. Watch for some of these horribly used social media tools by almost every advertiser as most are still struggling with how to "play in the social media space".  Although I have to say my last bullet point has the biggest potential to be the best one used during the day, and is the one attempt I've seen, being used the most properly.

• The hashtag # will likely be in almost every ad.  You've seen this in many ads already but if you're not a regular user of Twitter, then it's probably meaningless.  Additionally, I'm not sure I want to be following the hashtag on my Twitter feed because frankly, it's going to be a sea of opinions from many that won't mean much
• 2D QR codes.  GoDaddy has already said that they will have a 2D code in their ads so it can take you right to their website.  You can do this if a) you even know what it is, b) you either pause your TV (with your DVR) or go back to it so you can take a picture of it with your mobile phone, c) you have a piece of free software on your phone to interpret the code and be able to use it's functionality.   This all is fine and well but if it just takes you to a website, then the advertiser is missing a key opportunity with the consumer.  Give us something for their effort (and for most who are technically challenged it IS an effort) and it'll be successful but I bet you 95% of any use of this tool just takes consumers to the advertiser's website (boring)
• Shazam logo.  I really like this one.  There is a app on iPhones, Android devices and others that "listens" to the media being played via the microphone on the phone and then the app will direct you to some additional enhanced content or offer.  The primary use of this app is so when you hear a song on the radio (or on tv or in a movie or anywhere) and you don't know who sings it, you can "tag" it and then you can buy it and download it or look it's details up later.  Some retailers and advertisers as well as some cable programs (Covert Affairs for one) are now using this app in genius ways to get consumers to specialized, app-only content.  If that happens with any ads during the game I'll be really pleased.  If it just takes you to a website, again it's a #fail.  UPDATE: IT WILL HAPPEN DURING GAME

UPDATE 2:  I got this email from Shazam (as an app user).  Very excited to see them proactively doing this, it's going to be huge for them although I can't say I'm excited about them getting into the "poll" business either.  The universe of app users can't be a balanced sample either!!

Okay, so I've probably bored most of you and I don't say all this to take any fun out of the game but I think as with political polls, Americans need to have more open eyes and transparency into what goes into quality-based market research and what happens when you lack the controls around sampling when doing it.

There are going to be some really good advertising and some real duds, but that's what we talk about every year and we all have fun re-living for days after the game.

For the record, I don't have a preference one way or another on who wins the game and since I have many friends who support both teams, I'll just say "Go Team"!

Thanks for listening.  It's how I make a living and I've been doing it for 20+ years.  Views expressed here are mine alone and not those of my employer(s).

Reason 532 why I love...

...working on the same floor as all of IT support:

Hearing the rolling of the track wheel and pressing of keys on a Blackberry from INSIDE the stalls in the bathroom.

Added bonus when an alert tone goes off for a text message or a new email.

Dudes, drop your deuce and leave the crackberry at your desk.

Funny Work emails: Episode 1

I think we all would love to reply-all to a company-wide email with smart ass remarks, but then, in this crappy economy we all need our jobs more than we need food.

Here's today's gem, which, we get every two weeks throughout the year:

     All,
     A reminder that Housekeeping will be cleaning out both the 4th and 6th floor refrigerators this coming Friday.  Please see to it that all your personal items are removed before then.
     Thanks,

I would love to reply with:
     "Oh, thanks so much for the reminder.  I need to get that severed woman's head and hands out of there before the authorities find them."

The next time you tell someone it must be fun they travel for business....

So, although I've had a bit of a hiatus on the business travel front, I had to head to North Carolina today for a quick, one-day meeting with one of our Kantar OpCos.

I always love how, when people find out you travel for work and they don't, they usually ponder out loud, and right to your face, how fun it must be to travel for business.  Going all those fun places, having it paid for....

And so all of my friends who DO travel for business, and some of you put me to shame with the amount you do, have our war stories from the road and here's mine from today.

Day started out pretty normal although there was "weather" in Missouri and the thoughts were that it would head towards Chicago thus putting flight departures in jeopardy.  But by the time I got to O'Hare, things were running fine and my flight still showed as leaving on time.  But that's where it starts going a little funky.

I was able to go through Premium Security which usually means a shorter line and with people who normally fly for business, know the routine and don't take long to get through.  But not today.  It was backed up something fierce and well, given that we shot and killed the #1 leading terrorist in the world, I could forgive it.  Until I got up to the conveyor belt and started pulling out the laptop, taking off the shoes, etc.  There was this couple who was traveling with their cats (in those little pet carrier type duffel bags) and I guess one of the cats decided to share with everyone his nervousness by having some explosive, target-spraying liquid joy which went all over its owners and on the floor.  THANK GOD the woman in front of me yelled back to me to look out because I damn near stepped in it in my stocking feet.  I heard one TSA agent drop some nasty language and there was another unlucky TSA guy who had to come over with spray and paper towels to clean it all up.

I overheard the one owner saying "Well, she's a nervous flier".  A TSA agent standing by her said "Well, some people just don't understand these things".  Really?  Look, I'm a pet owner and even _I_ realize that my dog is a schizophrenic traveler which is why we don't bring her to the airport.  If your pet can't take it, don't you think you're doing a bit more damage to them?  ughh.  Drive a damn car already.

So the incoming flight (to my one leaving) pulled up at the gate about 15 minutes late and the gate agent was too busy schmoozing with some of the Executive Premier Platinum 500K World Rulers to go down the jet way and get those waiting, off the plane.  Eventually our pilots and flight attendants show up and head down to turn around the aircraft and whilst the pilots were looking over the plane, they've found a "mechanical issue" that needed attention.  At least they found this before we all boarded.  Well, you likely won't be able to see this in the picture, but the "mechanical issue" was a huge gouge that was on the front nose fuselage.  Yep, they must have hit a bird or space shuttle debris.

Here is a lovely mechanic plotting (with a black marker) the area that will eventually need to be replaced.

So thankfully since Chicago O'Hare is United Airlines global hub and headquarters, there was a spare plane sitting around and with only about a 35-40 minute delay, we pushed back from the gate.

The flight was uneventful thankfully and we landed in Raleigh-Durham about 20 minutes later than originally scheduled.  My pre-arranged ride to the hotel was waiting and ready to go and off we went.

We arrive at the Courtyard Marriott, I wave goodbye to my ride and go to check in.  Oh, Mr. LoCicero, we have this waiting for you.  We unfortunately have overbooked and we've arranged for you to stay across the street.  Now this can go one of two ways, either a worse location or a better location.  Thankfully I've been here before and the suggested new place is a big step up.  It's actually a conference center that's run by the UNC-Chapel Hill Business School.  Good room, good digs, free pantry for all guests that has unlimited free soda and Dove Ice Cream bars....what's not to like?

However, my 0.4 mile trip between the two locations was an adventure from hell.  After being given my "walk" papers, I was told that they had called a ride to take me over there and it was just 10 minutes away.  10 minutes became 15, became 20 and finally this broken down taxi-van showed up.  The front desk clerk ran outside to ensure this was the right ride for me and it was.  I got in and he looked at me and said, where are we going?  That's my first warning sign.  I told him the Rizzo Center across the street and he looked at me like I was speaking Hungarian.  So off we go.

I asked him if we were in the wrong lane and he said know that he knew where he was going.  About 2 minutes later we pull in, to the aLoft hotel?  Um, this isn't the place dude.  I told him once again, I'm supposed to go the Rizzo Center.  Oh, he knows now and off we go.  I don't think we turn the right direction and I make him stop.  He says he DOES know where he's going and now he's getting mad at me for questioning him so much.  I pull out the iPad and fire up the Google Maps GPS and see that he's totally going in the wrong direction.  He promises me he knows how to get there.

We pull up at what looks like a regular apartment building and he jumps out getting ready to dump me off and I tell him that I'm not getting out until I call back to the Courtyard.  I talk to the front desk guy and tell him we're not even close to the place.  He asks me if the driver has taken me to the aLoft hotel and I laugh saying that we've already been there and this is the second place.  He lets me know that he'll call back to the driver and tell him where to go.

We finally get here and from this point on, everything has been grand.  I can only imagine what tomorrow will bring.  Fingers, toes, eyeballs and hair crossed.

I'm off on the road to India....

Cue Hope and Crosby with the rest, well, substitute India for Morocco.

So now within 18 hours of take-off for an 18 hour set of flights to Hyderabad, India.

Lots of stuff running through my head, none more important than the instability in the Middle East and the fact that I'll be half a world away from my loved ones.

Freedom is a wacky thing, innit?  To get it, you have to fight like hell and it's never easy, lives are lost and there is a lot of pain.  Then when you have it, you fight like hell about what kind of version of freedom is best (see Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, etc. etc. etc.)

So I'm trying to pack lightly and think I won't have a problem with that.  Most of my days are in business-type meetings and for the few days I have to my own I can pretty much wear the same pants, just change shirts.  Although I'm gone for 8 calendar days, you basically spend 2 in the air, so it's not a difficult pack to do.

I also bought something on the advice of my friend Thomas who is also on this trip with me.  It's called a SteriPen and it's a rather small device that uses Ultra-Violet light to sterilize quantities of drinking water.  The link is the version I bought (Dick's Sporting Goods only had 2 choices) and it can take care of 0.5L and 1.0L quantities in something like 24 seconds.

I've started downing my malaria pills as well.  One a day for two days before being in-country and then one each day there and then one a day for 7 days after returning home.  I also have some Ciprofloxacin in case I get a case of Montezuma's revenge.  Although since I'll be in India what would it be called?  Ghandi's revenge? But he was a pacifist so that doesn't work.

I also had to quickly find some adapters for electronic devices.  Because India was long-held a British territory their outlets are UK-like, however, it's not the modern-day UK plug, it's the "old world" kind which most places do not sell.  Thank the Lord that we have a decent sized Indian population in Chicago as I was able to find no less than 20 electronic stores, most on Devon Ave. (Little India) but I did find one out near O'Hare airport.  They couldn't have been nicer people and frankly at $1.79 a piece, I bought 3!

For my last "dinner", we took a somewhat cranky Aidan to Buffalo Wild Wings and they had a new limited time sauce called Thai Curry.  I tried it and it was pretty good.  Might as well get my body ready for the curry (yes, I know Thai is not Indian, that's not the point).

Just synchronizing up my laptop so that all my files are backed up on the corporate network and then I'll finish packing.  Oh hey, and for all my metal-head friends, I'm downloading the Lemmy documentary which would be something only I would watch in my household so better to enjoy it on a long flight.  Here's a 5-minute movie trailer for those who want to enjoy!!  (and you know who you are!)




Until later.......Namaste!

When is a vacation, not a vacation?

When you bring THREE laptops along.

Yes, sadly, we lugged three laptops on our vacation.  Our normal/family one, my work one, my wife's work one (yes, working vacations, vacations working).

Add to this of course, an iPad, iPod, Blackberry, HTC Evo and two sets of Bose noise-reduction headphones.  Further add in a 35mm digital camera, a pocket-sized digital camera and a Flip Video.

I needed a damn carry-on for just all the cords, wires and chargers!!

We're sad people........ but we're still having fun and by the time we get on the Disney Cruise ship on Sunday we'll be divorced from technology for at least a couple days.

India plans progressing

So yesterday my process of getting all plans sorted for my trip to India continued.

Airlines are now booked.  I'm flying business class Air India from O'Hare to Delhi to Hyderabad.  We don't have to get off the plane in Delhi which makes this an 18 hour trip.

Hotel is the Taj Krishna Hyderabad and the only pictures I can really find of the place all are taken from the pool area so here you go.

It looks like a huge hotel and it's only about 4 miles from the airport which is good since we get in around 8:00pm and then will have to negotiate customs, etc.

On the way back though, I'm going to stop in Delhi and spend two days sightseeing based out of there.  To get from Hyderabad to Delhi I'm flying on Kingfisher Airlines.


Now, I know they make a pretty decent beer as I've had it COUNTLESS times at all my favorite Indian restaurants, but I wonder what kind of airline they are?  Well, based on the pictures of the owner who looks like a cross between Richard Branson and, well, the kinda guys you find in big-time dance clubs in NYC, I'm thinking it's gonna be a pretty rockin' two-hour flight.


Yeah baby, let's party!

I have my first trip to the doctor on Friday to determine which sets of shots I'm going to need and scheduling when I'm supposed to get them. I also have to book my hotel in Delhi at some point as well. Anyone have any suggestions?

Countdown has begun and it's now only 37 days until I leave.  Stay tuned!

I put Hyderabad into my GPS...

...and my cyber-bitch said "I can only take you to the airport, the rest is on your own".

So at the end of February/beginning of March I will be taking a business trip to Hyderabad, India.  We have some fairly large operations there and our parent company is sponsoring an Operations Conference.

When I first heard, of course, my thoughts go to being away from my family and being really FAR from my family for about a week, especially since we're going to be on personal vacation for just about the two weeks just before this.

Then my thoughts went to the almost 18 hours in the air it's going to take to get there and I wondered if I would go stir crazy on either leg of the trip.

I've long been used to the eight hours to mainland Europe but on the last couple of trips I found myself getting very antsy about five hours in.  What in the world will I do for 18 hours?  You can only watch so many movies, listen to so much iPod, sleep so much.  Truth be told, I'm a horrible worker on a plane.  I can never get comfortable enough to work on my laptop plus I usually don't have an electrical outlet near me and for some reason the work laptop's batteries only last about two hours at max!

But eventually it has sunk in how fortunate I am to work for a company who wanted me at this conference and feel that my presence there is important to our longer term strategy and plans.

I'm also excited to take a day or two for personal excursions.  I'm not sure what all is around Hyderabad or even how close some of the favorite tourist spots are yet.  If you haven't taken a look at it in awhile, it's a massively huge country.  It's the seventh largest country (land area) in the world and the second largest by population.  On the Southern end it looks like there's some prime relaxation near a massive coastline and a short hop, skip and jump over to Sri Lanka.  Of course, to the North, you're heading up near Nepal and Pakistan.  What will NOT be lost on me is how close I'll be to Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq and as an American these are important spots in my lifetime.
Today we got a list of things we need to get done before we even THINK about heading to India.  Need to get a visa (what? MasterCard isn't good enough? I keed!) and so I have to submit my passport, copy of my driver's license, money (of course), 2 more passport-type photos, letters from my employer, our operations in India as well as a legal firm who works with the Indian consulate to get all this stuff done, oh and a short power of attorney-type statement for that firm.

 And if the paperwork don't kill ya', I gots to go and get me a whole bunch of shots (not the Jägermeister kind either!) to ward off whatever ails me or what CAN ail me.

So hey, if anything, there's gonna be some good blogging material over the next couple of months, plus loads of pictures!!  Stay tuned!

What a week!!

This was an incredibly tough week at work.  So much so that I'm not even going to talk about it ;-p

I also was battling a sinus infection which was killer.  Thanks to Doc Mercado (he's from Bolivia and is a great MD), I got some instant meds which took about 24 hours to kick in and I'm almost back to normal.

That was key for the week though as I'm traveling for the next four weeks solid for work.  I've been told that flying with a sinus infection is one of the most dangerous things out there and that wouldn't have been fun.

Last Sunday we stopped for lunch at the re-born Tastee-Freez on Rte 31 in North Aurora.  When I first moved out here in '98, it was on its last legs and ended up closing that summer.  Since then it's had several attempts at quick drive-in food but mostly has been a closed, vacant building over the last 12 years.

Yummy-tummy as Aidan says.  They have expanded their flavors of soft-serve and the types of treats you can get.  Aidan had a small strawberry/vanilla twist in a cup, MK had strawberry, chocolate dipped and I had their version of the DQ Blizzard called a Freezee with Reese's Pieces.

I'm glad they are back.  It adds some more character to that entrance to our fine Village.  There's a lot of "scary" looking buildings over there but a healthy TIF district combined with some new businesses and a brand new Police Station set to open in September are good positive signs in a crappy economy that there's hope.

So the next four weeks see me in the lovely destinations of Atlanta, Warwick (England), back to Atlanta and then off to New York City.  Between the first two is a quick Labor Day weekend at my in-laws cottage in Michigan where I hope we have great weather.  There's also a looming trip to Fairfield, CT (yes, get excited all my FFD peeps, it's been TOO LONG since I've been there) either in the FIFTH week or the week after but that won't be confirmed for awhile.

I'm going to try to enjoy my weekend, but I'm also very conscious that I'm going to be away from my adorable son too too much over the next four weeks.  Makes all the days I'm with him that much more special.