We write for Research World: Connecting insights to create more value over time

Research programs are designed to answer questions and, over time, they also create something else: institutional knowledge. Years of tracking data, customer feedback, market intelligence and business reporting can become a valuable asset for an organization, provided that knowledge remains accessible and usable. In her recent Research World article, Keri Vermaak examines what happens when organizations try to connect those pieces together and build on what they have already learned. 

You probably already have the knowledge

Most organisations are constantly generating new information through tracking studies that monitor change over time all the way to customer experience programs collect feedback across journeys and touchpoints. Brand, innovation and segmentation research all contribute their own perspective. Alongside this sits sales reporting, retailer information, market data and operational metrics.

In the article, Keri writes about how  as valuable learning becomes spread across different teams, suppliers, systems and reporting environments, the broader context becomes harder to access. Practically, this means that teams spend time searching for historical work, validating whether comparisons are still relevant and reconstructing context that once existed but is no longer easily accessible.

As Keri writes, "You start seeing smart people recreate work that already exists because finding and aligning previous insight takes too much effort."

Value grows when knowledge can connect

A theme running throughout the article is that research often becomes more valuable as additional information is added around it. A single study can answer a specific question, while collection of studies, combined with operational and market information, can help explain broader patterns, shifts in behavior and changes taking place over time.

Keri shares an example of a global beverage company trying to understand consumer sentiment, sales movement, regional differences and external market conditions across multiple markets. None of those sources provided the full picture on their own. The value came from understanding how they related to one another.

That idea sits at the center of the article. Research programs create more long-term value when new findings can be connected to existing knowledge rather than sitting alongside it.

Why this matters for AI

Keri noted that many organizations are experimenting with AI tools to help analyse information more quickly and surface patterns that may otherwise take longer to identify. Those capabilities are creating new opportunities for insights teams, but we still have to think about context.

Historical relationships, differences between markets, methodological considerations and previous learning often sit across multiple studies and systems. When that information remains disconnected, it becomes harder for both people and technology to incorporate it into decision-making.

"Faster analysis helps, but organizations still need environments where knowledge can accumulate over time and connect across studies, systems and business functions."

This is one of the ideas that has shaped the development of Harmoni over many years. The platform was built to help organisations bring research, reporting and other sources of information together so knowledge can be explored, compared and built upon over time. More recently, ChatHarmoni has extended those capabilities by helping researchers navigate connected information more efficiently while maintaining access to the context behind the findings.

A useful perspective for insights leaders

One takeaway from Keri's article is that research programs should not be viewed as a series of isolated projects, because every study contributes to a growing body of organizational knowledge. The more effectively that knowledge can be connected, preserved and reused, the more value it creates for the business.

As Keri writes, the organisations that adapt most effectively will be those that can "connect knowledge across the business, preserve context over time and create environments where insight continues building and becoming more useful as new information enters the system."

Read Keri Vermaak's full article in Research World, Connecting insights to create more value over time.