02
Primary research
Tests the baseline in interviews with executives, manufacturers, product managers, distributors and suppliers, consultants, subject matter experts and end users.
A desk-based view that trails what the market is actually doing.
Home / Research Methodology
Research Methodology
From Data to Decisions
SNS Insider reports are built to withstand scrutiny in the boardroom. Every market figure starts with documented evidence, is tested in conversation with the people who operate across the value chain, and is sized from more than one direction before it is accepted.
Demand-side and supply-side evidence are then set against the estimate, and four review gates clear the report before it is published. This page explains each stage, so you can judge how far the numbers can be trusted before you act on them.
The standard every report is held to
01
Evidence first
Published and commercial sources set the baseline before a single interview is held.
02
Tested by the market
People who operate in the value chain confirm, correct or overturn that baseline.
03
Reconciled, then reviewed
Top-down, bottom-up, demand and supply views are compared, and four review gates clear the report.
Methodology at a glance
From raw evidence to a published number.
Five phases, each feeding the next. Nothing skips a phase, and nothing is published without passing the last one.
A · Evidence
Secondary research
Filings, regulators, trade bodies and market databases
Primary research
Interviews across the value chain
B · Sizing
Top-down
Macro data narrowed to segments
Bottom-up
Company data aggregated to the total
C · Cross-check
Demand-side
Consumption and adoption
Supply-side
Capacity, output and shipments
D · Control
Four review gates
Research, data validation, editorial and final production
E · Output
Published report
Executive summary, insights, forecasts and recommendations
The process
Six stages, each one built to remove a specific risk from your decision.
The sequence is deliberate. Records come first, market voices second, and no estimate is released until it has been sized more than one way and checked by people who did not produce it.
StageWhat we doRisk it removes
01
Secondary research
Builds the baseline from company filings, government and regulatory data, trade associations and journals, white papers, company websites and press releases, and news and market databases.
Starting from opinion instead of the public record.
03
Market size estimation
Sizes the market top-down from macro-level data and bottom-up from company, product and segment data, then compares the two.
The blind spots of any single method.
04
Demand-side assessment
Analyses purchasing behaviour, consumption volumes and adoption rates across industries and applications.
Capacity mistaken for demand.
05
Supply-side assessment
Assesses manufacturing capacity, supplier and distribution networks, availability, production volumes and shipment data.
Demand assumed without the supply to serve it.
06
QA/QC and delivery
Passes the report through four review gates covering research, data, editorial and final production before it is uploaded.
Errors and gaps reaching the client.
What we draw on
Documented sources
The baseline comes from material that can be traced and checked.
- Annual reports and investor presentations
- Government publications and regulatory databases
- Industry associations and trade journals
- White papers and technical publications
- Company websites and press releases
- News sources and market databases
Who we ask
People across the value chain
Interviews are how the baseline is challenged. Participants are chosen to match the market being sized.
- CEOs and senior executives
- Manufacturers
- Product managers
- Industry consultants
- Sales and marketing professionals
- Subject matter experts
- Distributors and suppliers
- End users and customers
Market size estimation
Two routes to the number, compared before it is published.
A market figure that only one method supports is an opinion. We size from both ends and treat any gap between them as something to explain.
ROUTE A
Top-down
Starts from the overall market and narrows to the segments, regions and applications that matter. Best for a fast read on total potential and regional opportunity.
Total market
Regions
Segments
Applications
ROUTE B
Bottom-up
Builds from company, product and segment data and aggregates to the market total. Best for markets with diverse segments, where vendor-level evidence carries the most weight.
Company data
Vendor shares
Segment totals
Market total
Where the methods meet
Four views of the same market, reconciled into one estimate.
VIEW 1
Top-down estimate
Top-down estimate
VIEW 2
Bottom-up estimate
Bottom-up estimate
VIEW 3
Demand-side evidence
Demand-side evidence
VIEW 4
Supply-side evidence
Supply-side evidence
One reconciled estimate
Where suitable data is available, the views are compared. Inconsistencies are traced back to their inputs and resolved before the estimate is finalised and the forecast is built.
DEMAND-SIDE
What buyers consume →
Market size, checked from both sides
SUPPLY-SIDE
← What producers deliver
Demand-side assessment
What buyers do, and why.
Estimates market size from how the product is actually consumed across end-use industries.
- Purchasing behaviour. Frequency, preferences, and the weight of price, quality and brand.
- Demand by industry and application. Where revenue is largest and where growth is fastest.
- Consumption and adoption. Volumes and adoption rates, grounded in historical sales and usage.
- Forward demand. Economic indicators, statistical models, urbanization, sustainability initiatives and shifting preferences.
Supply-side assessment
What the market can actually deliver.
Estimates market size from what producers can make, ship and distribute.
- Capacity and output. Manufacturing capacity, production and facility expansion plans.
- Supplier and distribution networks. Supplier relationships, channels and logistics.
- Availability against demand. Inventory, output and product availability.
- Size from supply. Production volumes, shipment statistics and company revenue, validated through manufacturer interviews and industry reports.
Quality assurance
Nothing reaches the platform until four gates have cleared it.
Final checks run before upload. They remove duplicates and typos, validate every number and confirm that no key information is missing.
Carried out by
Writers, editors, research heads and graphics designers.
1
Research review
Sources, assumptions and key findings are checked.
2
Data validation
Calculations, figures and consistency are reviewed.
3
Editorial review
Clarity, completeness and language are checked.
4
Final production check
Charts, tables and report presentation are reviewed.
✓
Published
The report goes live on the platform.
The final report
What you receive in every report.
01
Executive Summary
Key findings, opportunities, competition and outlook on a page you can forward.
02
Market Insights
Industry dynamics, customer behaviour and competitive trends.
03
Charts and Visualizations
Trends, comparisons and forecasts shown visually.
04
Strategic Recommendations
Actions to support planning and market positioning.
05
Market Forecasts
Structured estimates and forecasts for business planning.
06
Competitive Landscape
Key participants, positioning and market developments.
FAQ
What buyers ask before they rely on our numbers.
What happens if top-down and bottom-up disagree?+
The gap is treated as a finding. We trace it back to the inputs on each side, including the demand-side and supply-side evidence, and resolve it before the estimate is finalised.
Who do you interview, and why?+
Executives, manufacturers, product managers, distributors, suppliers, consultants, subject matter experts and end users, selected to match the market. Their job is to confirm or challenge what the published record suggests.
How are figures checked before publishing?+
Four review gates: research, data validation, editorial and final production. Writers, editors, research heads and graphics designers each take part.
Can I walk through the methodology for my market before buying?+
Yes. Request a free sample or an analyst call and we will show how your market would be sized.
See this methodology applied to your market.
Check the method against a real report, or speak with the analyst who would build yours.