Industry overview
What is shaping defence
Defence organisations work with suppliers, veterans and the public on sensitive topics. Every engagement in this sector is handled under strict confidentiality and clearance requirements.
- Indigenous manufacturing is building a new supplier base
- Veteran welfare and resettlement need better evidence
- Public perception supports recruitment
Client background
A public sector engineering undertaking, working in India. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A public sector engineering undertaking
- Sector
- Defence
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Business panel, Quantitative research, Reporting & insights
Client challenge
The undertaking wanted structured feedback from its institutional customers on product quality, delivery, documentation and after-sales support.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: measuring customer satisfaction for a public sector manufacturer.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of customer organisations.
- Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 7 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 60 customer organisations.
- customer organisations60
Audiences we typically reach in defence
Defence suppliers and MSMEsVeterans and familiesServing personnel (where permitted)Young people considering careersThe general public
Geographic coverage
Coverage: India. Market: India.
- India
Research methodology
A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.
- 1Brief
- 2Structured customer interviews
- 3Insight
We conducted confidential structured interviews with customer representatives, covering satisfaction across the customer lifecycle, with strict information-handling protocols.
Business panelQuantitative researchReporting & insights
Sampling strategy
- customer organisations
- 60
- Business respondents were screened on role, company size and involvement in the decision before being invited.
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- After-sales spares availability emerged as the main improvement area.
Confidential, independent interviews encouraged candid feedback.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: confidential, independent interviews encouraged candid feedback.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: after-sales spares availability emerged as the main improvement area.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The undertaking set up a dedicated spares coordination cell.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: what do veterans need after service?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.