TARGET uses henceforth CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing) method instead of questionnaires written on a paper to conduct interview of consumers during market researches requiring indoor interviews such as taste test, package test and advertisement test. . CAPI method provides a lot advantages: savings of time since information are directly recorded in computer, gain on productivity since there will be no longer use of encoders (keyboarders) anymore and expenses in terms of questionnaires printing will no longer exist neither even in terms of transport fees as well as freight of questionnaires (in the event of a research to be carried out in another town).

In order to better conduct interview with CAPI method, TARGET SPRL agency has just bought about ten laptop computers and the most recent up-to-date version of Sphinx software called (SphinxiQ) which has not only all available functionalities of the last version SphinxPlus²  but also includes new functionalities such as multi varied analysis, textual analysis and computer-aided design of questionnaire. SphinxiQ is for the time being the reference software for quantitative and qualitative market research used by many research agencies throughout the world.  

TARGET surveyors’ team of Kinshasa has been trained in the new interview method (CAPI) on 24 April 2013. The said training has been provided by Mr. Blaise PEZO (IT Specialist of TARGET SPRL) in the presence of Madam Hortense MBUMBA (Project Manager of TARGET SPRL). Similar training is planned for TARGET teams of other towns within the next months.

TARGET medium-term goal is to generalize CAPI method over all quantitative researches and this is to be done thanks to the purchasing of appropriated equipments (PDA, Tablets,…) with the support of different partners (backers, customers, banks,…). Other modern methods of surveys such as CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) and CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interviewing) shall be progressively incorporated in TARGET working means in order to propose to our partners a high-quality service complying with international standards of ICC ESOMAR.

TARGET is presently the only research agency in DR Congo to be officially affiliated to ESOMAR CORPORATE (world association of market research agencies based at Amsterdam in Netherlands) and intends to position by 2015 amongst reference research agencies of Central Africa.