I first learned about Computer Intuition from a direct mail letter I received from them.  My first reaction was, “Who are these guys?”  I was also very skeptical about their claim that they could amplify my intuition with computer analysis of qualitative data.  However, since it was intriguing, I saved the letter, and tucked it away into my vendor files.

Then, a situation came where we detected complications with a newly launched pharmaceutical product.  The product was thoroughly researched prior to launch.  We also conducted post launch focus groups.  A manual analysis of the post launch focus groups indicated problems with some of the key messages.  There was really no other way to go than to try something very novel, such as Computer Intuition.  I pulled the letter out, talked to them, and decided to try it and see if Computer Intuition could help me out. 

We sent them the focus groups with the conflicting messages for analysis.  The results were almost uncanny.  They confirmed the value of our original positioning and the importance of the main messages.  Subsequent research also confirmed the results from the Computer Intuition analysis and the value of the original campaign.  The product management team kept the campaign intact.  Two years post-launch the product became #1 in its fragmented and competitive market!  Let me emphasize, without Computer Intuition we probably would have gone back to the drawing board and tried to "fix" the original launch campaign, and most likely hurt our product in the process. 

I was very grateful to SCI for having this kind of capability to understand the customer.  The Computer Intuition analysis has the ability to detect, on an intuitive level, those statements that are said with greatest conviction, and therefore, predict the customer’s behavior. 

One time this ability to predict the future blew me away completely.  We have done some work with an ophthalmic medication for pain associated with surgery.  We conducted a series of focus groups for market background, and sent them to SCI for analysis by the Computer Intuition program.  One of the top findings from the analysis contradicted the conventional medical wisdom at the time.  This finding said that patients don’t experience much pain after undergoing this kind of surgery.  Two weeks after receiving the results, I went to a medical conference where I met a clinical investigator who told me that he performed a study with 80 patients where he collected data on the relationship between the specific surgery and pain.  When I asked about his results, he told me that the patients experienced minimal to no post-surgery pain, exactly as the computer predicted!  The physician admitted that he was completely surprised by this finding.  I was so excited about what the physician had told me that, although it was late at night, I called Hanan at home and told him about the physician's finding. 

I have worked with SCI a number of times.  In the variety of different studies we have done, they always produced very strong, useable results, which, as promised, amplified our own intuition, and produced powerful insights.  In addition, follow-up discussions with Hanan and his team produced even more insights. 

I’ve consistently received the support that I’ve needed.  It’s actually fun working with the SCI team.  I find that the team I’ve worked with has been sort of a “roll up the sleeves and get in,” very helpful.  Plus, I’ve found them very responsive to those midnight calls.  I actually received additional support from Hanan himself in helping me think through problems and issues strategically. 

I plan on using them again, especially for projects where there is conflicting data, or for sensitive data such as customer satisfaction and/or repositioning.  A new product launch would be a terrific place to use Computer Intuition to understand the different dynamics of a new product.  Also, Computer Intuition helps to understand which products, features, and benefits really need to be highlighted.  It gives you great confidence in knowing that Computer Intuition has identified the important issues.  It is important to recognize, up front, the opportunity that Computer Intuition can offer in doing this analysis. 

Initially, the price of the service seemed high to me because it was not budgeted.  But, the findings are so insightful; it’s definitely worth the price.  Candidly, there’s really nothing out there to compare it to.  There’s no other service, that I’m aware of, which offers this type of benefit.  My experience with Computer Intuition, Hanan's breakthrough product, is that it sells itself.  Each time I have recommended it to my in-house clients they included it in their research budget. 

Computer Intuition helped me understand and predict my customers’ behavior, exactly as they had initially said, exactly what I had been rather skeptical about.

• Allergan Pharmacetuicals
• Frontier Communications
• IBM
• Hewlett-Packard
• Apple Computer