Support : Publications : Chronolog Archives : January/February 2004

Dialog Customer Advisory Board

The Dialog Customer Advisory Board is comprised of about 30 customers spanning the range of market segments served by Dialog. Over the last year, the Board has been involved in many types of interactions with Dialog staff, providing feedback on different aspects of product, service and strategy. And, they have some fun, too! This brief summary serves to illustrate the myriad ways in which their expertise is used.

One of the most useful tools for getting a quick reaction from the Board is via Web surveys. During the year, questionnaires were sent to collect input on very specific topics such as preferences for billing/reporting tools, display of non-English language sources and remote links. Web surveys were also used for broader strategic topics such as future content needs, approaches to hiring and developing information professional staff and views on corporate information policy. The Advisory Board also participated in a series of live demonstrations and discussions conducted by WebEx, enabling members to have early glimpses of products under development, some of which are still in the concept stage.

There are two major meetings for the board each spring. The North American Board members met in Boston in early April, staying at the Waterfront Seaport Hotel and taking advantage of the meeting facilities of nearby Thomson University. As a break from two days of meetings and discussion, the group took a trolley car tour to a classic Italian restaurant in Boston's historic North End. The European Board met at Theobald's Park, a 1763 Georgian mansion set in 55 acres of park in Hertfordshire, England, enjoying a glimpse of country living combined with modern meeting facilities.

At both meetings the agenda included an update on Dialog strategy from President and CEO Roy Martin, as well as details on forthcoming products and technology changes from the Dialog CTO. There was in-depth feedback from board members on emerging customer needs and trends in information usage across industry segments, and lots of interaction about building long-term relationships to meet those needs. Almost all the members of the Dialog executive team participated in the meetings to take advantage of this unique opportunity for feedback.

Members of the Board serve a two-year term, and about half of the board rotates off each year. Retired board members have a couple of opportunities each year to get together with Dialog staff and the current board. Those reunions took place this year over dinner at the Library Hotel in New York during the SLA annual conference and over lunch at the Kensington Roof Gardens during the London Online meeting.

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