Since the launch on 29 March 2013, Nfield has grown to a large scale platform used for data collection around the globe. Nfield is NIPO’s cloud-based Online and CAPI survey solution for market research professionals

ISO/IEC 27001 is the world’s best-known standard for managing information security. Satisfying its stringent specifications is essential for any organization that is entrusted with large amounts of user data, as we are here at NIPO. 

Security and compliance have been core pillars of NIPO’s Nfield platform ever since it was launched in 2011. Having secured our first ISO 27001 certification back in 2013, we have continuously maintained it through rigorous annual audits.

Following intensive work upgrading our systems to conform with the latest ISO standards, we’re delighted to announce that NIPO has transitioned to ISO 27001:2022, with certification confirmed by SGS on 17 July 2025.

Data security guaranteed for your clients

This is not just a milestone for NIPO; it directly benefits all Nfield users. We know this certification is increasingly vital for securing new projects, as clients rightly demand assurance that their data is safe and secure. With Nfield, that assurance is guaranteed.

The ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standard represents a substantial upgrade from the previous 2013 version. While the core framework remains intact, the 2022 revision introduces refinements that better align with today’s digital landscape and emerging threats.

Achieving this strategic information security management systems evolution required NIPO to undergo full recertification. A massive thank you goes out to the dedicated NIPO ISO Champions team for their fantastic work. Now, our business and our clients can truly benefit!

The certificate can be downloaded on the Compliance section of the Nfield Trust Center.

Validity of NIPO’s ISO certificate can be checked here:
https://www.sgs.com/en/certified-clients-and-products/verify-certificate?id=8d288c95-5220-4c5d-9947-bbe9655f78d9

Keeping your valuable data safe is an absolute priority for us. It’s an obligation that guides everything we do when shaping and powering Nfield’s features. Every conceivable measure is taken to ensure both our team and our software solutions comply with the highest security standards.

Holistic operation

Keeping your data secure depends on a wide range of measures working harmoniously together. A good way to visualize this is to imagine Nfield as a physical office building, where all the different market research and security departments are based. As with all commercial buildings, it is itself protected and complemented with off-site operations. 

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Data security is underpinned by two core foundations  

Our Information Security Management System is ISO 27001:2022 certified. The same as followed by our platform provider, Microsoft.  

NIPO security

We maintain a strong security policy that ensures both your data, and our products are safeguarded round the clock. Independent security experts (ethical hackers) scrutinize our security procedures every year to evaluate our tools, processes and people. The measures to conform with ISO 27001:2022 for our Information Security Management System, as certified by an auditor (Auditor), are strictly followed in every wire connection and by every person in our company. As a matter of principle, the smallest possible number of NIPO specialists have access to Nfield’s infrastructure for carrying out deployments and maintenance. See the Nfield Trust Center where you’ll find information about NIPO practices related to security, compliance, and privacy, in the form of documents that can be shared with your clients.

Microsoft security

Nfield runs on Microsoft Azure, the highly secured cloud known for its flawless, trusted performance, extensive data storage and reliability. Microsoft’s engineers work 24/7 to protect the cloud, scale its powers and administer other services which run on it, including Office365. For more information, please visit the Microsoft Trust Center for up-to-date details on policies, processes, and practices that help you manage data control and comply with industry and government regulations.

Your security controls 

Nfield provides a number of different features that enable you to secure your domain to the highest level.  

Strong Authentication

Two-factor Authentication (2FA): Nfield accounts secured with two-factor authentication require users to enter a code (a token) generated by a standard authenticator app on a mobile phone. This has the effect of complementing something you know (your username and password) with a code obtained through something you have (your phone). It effectively blocks any unauthorized access to your Nfield account, even from those who have obtained your username and password, as these people (or their machines) are unable to retrieve the second factor code from the phone. Your valuable Nfield fieldwork and respondent data is thereby protected from prying eyes. Learn more in our article Protecting your Nfield login with two-factor authentication. 

Single-Sign-On (SSO): For enterprises, Nfield can be set up to use Office 365 accounts for Nfield login. Administration of your Nfield user accounts, for as many Nfield domains as you have, is centralized in your organization’s single-sign-on layer. In the case of an employee leaving the organization or other reason for revoking a person’s system access (e.g. because of a security breach), Nfield will automatically be included in the revoked permissions, with immediate effect from when the account in the single-sign-on layer is disabled or reset. With SSO, your password policy for accessing Nfield is automatically aligned with that of your organization.    

Strong password policy: Nfield can easily be configured to comply with strong password policies. Domain administrators can set rules for things such as password expiration period, old password re-use and strong password requirements (e.g. minimum number of characters and different character sets). You should also regularly revalidate your authorized users and ensure immediate removal of departing employees.

GDPR compliance toolkit 

Survey group access restriction 

Surveys contain valuable, and sometimes sensitive, information. It’s therefore essential to restrict access to certain parts of surveys to those who really need it to do their jobs. This is done by assigning users with specific roles which only allow access to designated areas and functionality. Find out more in our article Controlling access to survey rights. Setting the right access also limits the scope of risk in the case of data breach.

Our security management and facilities

The hypothetical building we’ve used to illustrate Nfield’s operation is managed by NIPO, who take care of its security and facilities to ensure compliance with the highest security and privacy standards. Our Information Security Management System is ISO 27001:2022 certified. We have procedures for everything, encrypt your data everywhere, limit access across the board and continuously test for potential security flaws.  

Private, individual domains 

Your projects are stored in your own individual domain, inaccessible to anyone else – even our employees – unless explicitly requested by you for customer support purposes. 

Access control and logging 

Nfield allows administrators to configure access on a user-by-user basis, defining the scope of activities every user is allowed to perform. Password requirements can also be set to enforce your chosen password policy, however strong you need it to be. All user actions are tracked and domain administrators can review them individually. The system automatically signs users out when inactive for more than 15 minutes. 

Data backup

Your collected data is stored in secure Microsoft SQL database servers and replicated in other data centers so it can be restored in the event of something going wrong. Microsoft security policies strictly regulate access to its data centers. 

Data encryption 

All your data is secured by SSL and encrypted, both at rest and during transfer, to protect it from sniffing.

Local data storage option 

Different countries and industries often have their own specific regulations when it comes to data storage. To comply with this, market research companies need to give careful consideration to where their respondent data is stored. To enable data storage compliance, we have developed the ability to separate survey deployment from storage of respondent data. This means it is now possible, for example, to deploy a survey from the Hong Kong SAR Microsoft Data Center and store the respondent data in the Singapore Microsoft Data Center. Find out more in our article Local Data Storage Compliance, around the World.  

Specific measures for Nfield CAPI 

Tablet devices are desirable prizes for thieves. Their thin, lightweight nature also makes them easy to forget about and accidentally leave behind. Nfield therefore also deploys additional measures to limit the extent of data exposure risk due to being locally stored on a mobile device.  

Minimal information 

Nfield ensures the minimum amount of information possible is present on any mobile device at any given moment. Each device is only sent the surveys and associated respondent information specifically assigned to its user(s). Data that no longer needs to be accessible is removed as soon as possible. 

• You control which surveys and respondent details are assigned to each interviewer, so can limit exposure. 
• Survey response data is transferred to a local, encrypted database and removed from the device as soon as possible after each interview is completed. (As soon as the interviewer connects to internet network.) 
• Upon completion of each interviewer’s involvement, all information relating to a project is deleted from their device as soon as you unassign them or close the project (once the interviewer has connected to the internet and synchronized their device with the Nfield system).  

Secure device sharing 

The same mobile device can be shared by multiple interviewers. Each survey and its collected data is only accessible to the relevant interviewer, via their login credentials. Interviewers cannot review, start or modify any surveys not specifically assigned to them. 

Encoded questionnaires 

Nfield questionnaires are stored in an encoded proprietary format. The original script is never displayed in an interviewer’s device, so interviewers cannot make changes.

Get our full security whitepaper

We ❤ secure solutions

Fully compliant practices, means you can rest assured when it comes to data security. And with cloud-based operation delivering unbeatable cost-efficiency together with all the capacity you need, whenever you need it, Nfield is the ultimate solution for improving both your quality of work and your profit margins. 

Trust is critical in market research, especially with regards to raw data. Your respondents trust you with all kinds of sensitive data about their lives, you need to be able to trust us to keep that data safe. That is why NIPO is committed to offering the most secure survey solutions for the professional market research industry. Our ISO 27001:2022 certification is strong and independent proof in how we are leading the area of data security.

Nfield includes features to assist you in your efforts to address GDPR controls. Such features include the ability to search cross surveys for respondents, to delete or pseudomize interviews and to anonymize data in surveys.

Our goal is simple: To provide functionality in nfield so our customers can address GDPR controls without having them compromise on data collection efficiency.

For this we created a booklet, we call it our Nfield GDPR toolkit, that highlights the Nfield features that can help you to address GDPR. A guide like this can never be 100% complete, so please feel free to reach out to your sales representative with any questions you might have around Nfield and its functionality.

Please note that this toolkit is not a replacement for legal advice. We recommend that, in case you have not done so yet, you seek legal advice on how GDPR applies specifically to your organization, and how best to ensure compliance.

At NIPO, we’ve always prioritized the principles of security, privacy, compliance, and transparency in everything we do. These values form the foundation of the Nfield platform, ensuring every user can confidently entrust us with their data. The Nfield Trust Center supports our commitment to these principles by providing access to all relevant documentation. 

What is the Nfield Trust Center? 

The Nfield Trust Center is a central repository for all information related to our practices around security, compliance, and privacy. It facilitates full transparency into how we handle and protect our users’ data, providing documentation that can also be shared with market research clients to demonstrate Nfield’s reliability. 

The Nfield Trust Center provides access to essential documents and resources covering: 

1. Security: Insights into the robust measures we employ to protect data. 
2. Compliance: An overview of how Nfield aligns with global and regional regulations. 
3. Privacy: Details about our commitment to safeguarding sensitive information. 

Benefits for market researchers 

The Nfield Trust Center is a practical resource that market researchers can turn to for information, reassurance and guidance. It provides transparency which can be shared with clients, to breed the trust that is a cornerstone of successful partnerships and supports business growth.  

Confidence-building transparency 
Providing centralized access to all key documents and information, the Nfield Trust Center ensures researchers can obtain everything needed for building client confidence. Whether it’s a security policy, compliance certification, or privacy guidelines, it’s all here to view and share. 

Authoritative reassurance 
When market research clients have questions about data security, compliance, or privacy, the Nfield Trust Center equips Nfield users with clear and authoritative answers. As well as providing reassurance, this helps market research businesses demonstrate their own commitment to ethical and secure research practices. 

Alignment with global standards 
The Nfield platform is designed to meet or exceed international standards for data protection, including GDPR and ISO certifications. The Nfield Trust Center enables market researchers to confidently navigate and comply with these regulations, thereby reducing risk and fostering compliance. 

Looking forward 

NIPO is committed to continually enhancing the Nfield Trust Center, ensuring it remains a valuable resource for researchers worldwide. As we expand and refine our offerings, you can look forward to even greater transparency and support.  Take a moment to explore the Nfield Trust Center and find out for yourself how it can benefit your market research business.

Market research and the technology that supports it are evolving fast, which means versatility is key. That’s why Nfield’s leading SaaS survey platform is designed with open architecture, so users can adjust it to every need. Both robust and flexible, Nfield’s extensive integration capabilities revolutionize how market researchers can gather, process, and utilize data.

From leveraging APIs to taking advantage of our centralized data repository and ability to integrate with panel providers, here are a few examples of what Nfield’s open architecture makes possible.   

Task automation through the Nfield API

One of the features that really sets Nfield apart is its own powerful API, which can enable any manual action in Nfield Manager to be automated. This API opens the door to numerous opportunities for streamlining market research workflows and boosting efficiency.

Benefits of task automation via the Nfield API

1. Time-saving and efficiency: Automating repetitive tasks such as survey deployment, respondent management, and data collection frees up valuable time for researchers to focus on analysis and insights.
2. Accuracy and consistency: Automation of manual processes minimizes the risk of human errors, which ensures data integrity and consistent execution of tasks.
3. Scalability: Operations can be scaled without proportional increases in manual workload. Automation ensures smooth and efficient management of surveys of any size, from small local studies to extensive international research.
4. Custom workflows: Workflows can be tailored to specific project needs.

Check out these examples of how the Nfield API can be used:

• Five Ways No-Code Automation Can Improve Efficiency in MR Operations: Nfield API + Microsoft Power Automate
• How to Automate Sending of Quota Progress Reports: Nfield API + Microsoft Power Automate, No Coding Required

Integrate and enhance using external APIs

Nfield’s ability to call external APIs within scripts is a game-changer for integrating and enhancing data collection processes. It means market researchers can seamlessly retrieve data from and update external systems, to benefit from a more comprehensive and connected research environment. For a deeper understanding of this feature, watch Academy 48 – Request command.

External API integration lets you achieve

1. Real-time data enrichment: Enhance survey responses with real-time data from external sources, to obtain richer and more contextual insights.
2. Dynamic questionnaires: Improve respondent engagement and data relevance by using external data to create questionnaires that adapt according to real-time information.
3. Centralized data management: Streamline processes by integrating with CRM systems, social media platforms, and other data repositories.
4. Automated updates: Keep all platforms synchronized and up-to-date by ensuring new data is automatically transferred.

Seamless data repository access for advanced analytics

Nfield stores collected survey data in a centralized repository, from where it can be directly retrieved for reporting and further processing. This offers significant advantages for data analysis and decision-making. For more details, see Data Repository feature delivers real-time survey insights  and watch Academy 35 – Standard and custom reporting.

Benefits of direct-from-database retrieval

1. Advanced reporting: Having direct access to raw data supports in-depth analysis using advanced statistical tools and techniques, to achieve deeper insights into research findings.
2. Custom dashboards: Visualizations can be customized to specific research needs, so data can be presented and interpreted in the most appropriate way.
3. Efficient data processing: Data processing is more streamlined, as there is less to transfer and convert.
4. Real-time insights: The ability to generate real-time reports and analytics enables quick decision-making and agile responses to emerging trends.

Integration with panel providers

Nfield’s ability to integrate with panel providers is another key feature that enhances its versatility and reach. It means market researchers can seamlessly access a broader and more diverse respondent pool, to collect better-quality data.

Benefits of panel provider integration

1. Expanded reach: Access to a bigger pool of respondents, for a more diverse and representative sample for your market research.
2. Streamlined recruitment: The respondent recruitment process is simplified, reducing the time and effort required to find suitable participants.
3. Higher-quality data: Ability to leverage panel providers’ expertise and quality controls leads to higher-quality, more reliable data collection.
4. Cost-effective: Research budgets can be optimized by leveraging existing panel providers’ infrastructures, which reduces the need for extensive in-house recruitment efforts.

For more information on how Nfield integrates with panel providers, see Integration between Nfield Online and Panel Providers.

Conclusion

Nfield’s open architecture empowers market research companies to conduct more efficient, accurate, and insightful market research.

From automating tasks with the Nfield API to enhancing data collection with external API integrations, and leveraging direct database retrieval for advanced analytics, Nfield offers a comprehensive solution tailored to modern research needs. Integration with panel providers further extends these capabilities, making Nfield an indispensable platform for any market research professional.

Embrace the power of Nfield to transform your market research processes today!

ISO 27001 is an international standard for managing information security, and a must-have for any organization that is entrusted with large amounts of user data, as we are here at NIPO.

Following an intensive 5-day audit which scrutinized both our Amsterdam and Madrid offices, we are pleased to share the news that NIPO’s ISO 27001:2013 certification has once again been extended. Performed by SGS, this audit was fully focused on NIPO’s ISMS.

NIPO has been certified to ISO 27001:2013 since 2016. We have retained this by undergoing re-certification audits every three years, along with two additional annual surveillance audits in between.

Continuous improvement is at the heart of both the ISO 27001 certification and NIPO. In line with this, we are now working on all the measures necessary to conform to the latest iteration, ISO 27001:2022, before October 2025.

Alongside ISO certification, we also implement many additional security measures to ensure every Nfield customer can use our market research platform with confidence. To learn about these, see Your data is secure with Nfield: here’s how.

ISO certificate

Happy New Year everyone! As we enter 2024, we hope you are looking forward to a positive year ahead. That’s certainly the case for us here at NIPO, where we never stop looking for ways to make Nfield even better aligned with users’ needs.

While we’re hard at work improving our products and developing new features, we thought this would be a good moment to reflect on the changes Nfield underwent during 2023. The 24 releases made over the course of the past year included the following major developments:

Automatic Clean-Up: to streamline data management

Keeping your Nfield domain clean – by deleting outdated surveys to avoid unnecessary data storage –  is vital for your GDPR compliance, security, and efficient operation. Helping you achieve this is all part of our responsibility within Nfield’s ISO 27001:2013 certification.

To make it as simple as possible, we introduced an automatic survey clean-up feature. You can learn all about it in our 30-minute webinar Academy #39 Automatic clean-up feature session recording.

Maintaining a clean, clutter-free domain promotes internal collaboration and enhances teamwork. Doing this will also help you keep in line with Nfield’s acceptable use policy, making it less likely that you’ll incur additional charges from exceeding storage limits.

Survey Blueprints: for faster survey set up

When you’re creating a new survey with the same configuration as one you’ve done before, starting again from scratch is a real waste of time, right? That’s why we introduced blueprints, which let you quickly set up new surveys based on identical channels and quota frames, without having to manually enter the details all over again. Pretty much like a template.

Thanks to blueprints, you no longer need to hold on to old surveys as setup references. Find out how to benefit from the efficiency of blueprints in our 22-minute webinar Academy #40 – Survey blueprints.

CAPI Fieldwork Progress Report and Repository: a streamlined data delivery pipeline

You wanted a more integrated and streamlined data management experience. We responded by developing a way to transmit CAPI data directly into the Nfield data delivery pipeline, enabling instant availability of comprehensive fieldwork progress reports.

This is still a work in progress, but Beta access is now open for integrating CAPI survey data into fieldwork progress reports and repositories.

Enhanced ODIN Developer: optimizing scripting efficiency

Scripting continues to evolve, and so do our tools for checking your scripts are free from logic errors. The NIPO ODIN Developer now incorporates both the legacy (NFS) parser and the new (Nfield) parser for ODIN questionnaire scripts. At the time of writing, both parsers are currently available, but the legacy parser will be phased out during 2024.

While developing the new Nfield parser, we discovered several commands and constructs that are no longer functional in Nfield. To help you transition to updated practices, these commands and constructs are now proactively reported as warnings.

Additional CAPI capability in Nfield Manager: further streamlining survey management

To make your CAPI survey experience even better, we enhanced Nfield Manager capabilities to enable truly seamless management, including for surveys with Sampling Points, Addresses, and Quotas. Day-to-day survey management is now even more streamlined via a more intuitive interface, and includes added support for Excel upload. As a result, the Nfield Manager lets you do more in one place, without having to use separate tools. So you get to enjoy even more convenience, efficiency and user-friendliness. This latest evolution of the Nfield Manager has led to retirement of the Classic Manager.

Nfield Status Page: providing real-time service insights

We know how frustrating it can be when you’re experiencing performance or availability issues and you don’t know if anything is being done to address them. That’s why we introduced our Nfield Status Page to provide real-time information about availability of our main services across different regions. Through this page, you can easily check whether the issue you’re encountering is already known to our team before deciding to raise a support ticket. It’s all part of our commitment to giving you the smoothest and most efficient service possible.

New Nfield API EndPoints: helping you accomplish tasks with even greater efficiency

In 2023, we gave our users a gleaming new toolbox for streamlining the process of Nfield domain configuration. Nfield API Endpoints v2 is a set of meticulously crafted tools, such as DomainEmailSettings, DomainLanguageTranslations, and DomainPasswordSettings, designed to make your work faster, smoother, and better overall.

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) act as a bridge connecting two completely different programs (e.g. Nfield and CRM / Nfield and Membership database / Nfield and your reporting system. See API – What researchers need to know for further explanation.

With the release of this updated toolbox, the older v1 endpoints have been deprecated, as indicated in the Nfield API help page.

On to 2024, and beyond

Our improvement journey is continual, and Nfield customers can look ahead to yet more innovations aimed at further enhancing the user experience and data collection efficiency.

For every visible change, a significant amount of hardening, performance improvement, security enhancements, and maintenance work also goes on behind the scenes. It all adds up to fulfilling our commitment to delivering a robust and reliable platform for every single one of our valued customers.

Here’s to an exciting, inquisitive, and productive year ahead in market research!

Market research is all about helping organizations stay ahead of their competition. To be successful, market researchers themselves need to lead by example, using tools which leverage cutting-edge technology to produce thorough insights, in any given situation. 

NIPO’s Nfield platform does all this, at the same time as considering research companies’ own business needs. With unwavering commitment to security and compliance, robust architecture, user-friendly design, and seamless API integration, Nfield provides a game-changing package for even the most complex data collection and analysis projects.

Data security and compliance – fully assured

Data security is paramount in every business situation, and carries a whole new level of responsibility when data from a large number of third-parties is involved. Nfield is as prepared for this as it is possible to be. Certified to ISO27001, the international standard for information security management systems, Nfield guarantees all data is safeguarded against any unauthorized access, theft, or damage.

This highest-level certification is complemented with GDPR compliance, meaning Nfield adheres to the stringent General Data Protection Regulation set forth by the European Union (and CCPA).

For market researchers and their clients alike, this combination of data security and privacy compliance gives full peace of mind that everybody’s valuable and sensitive information is in safe hands. To learn more, visit the NIPO Data Security page.

Read More:
Faultless ISO 27001-2013 audit for Nfield
Keeping your Nfield domain clean for compliance, security and efficient working

Robust and scalable – for every situation

Market research clients come in many different forms and seek insights from all kind of places. That’s why Nfield has been designed to seamlessly accommodate every eventuality, without missing a beat.

Leveraging the power of the Microsoft Azure PaaS environment, Nfield scales automatically as and when necessary to provide the right capacity for every size of project. And, thanks to strategically positioned servers across Europe, Asia Pacific, China and America, offers the fastest possible response times for researchers and respondents alike, wherever they’re located.

Nfield’s dedicated operations team continually maintains the platform to ensure reliability and uninterrupted access. Making the most of Microsoft Azure’s features and capabilities, including high availability and disaster recovery, Nfield delivers consistent and reliable performance to every size of company, all around the world.

Read More:
Seamlessly Migrating a High Volume Online Survey
Nfield sets new activity record, with 104,758 interview completes in 24 hours

Perfectly-presented access via any device

Market research doesn’t all take place at a desk. That’s why Nfield is as mobile as the world we live in. The platform, complete with its responsive, user-friendly design, is effortlessly accessible via smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops. So there are no limitations to where and when responses can be gathered.

Read More:
Bringing True Mobility to your Surveys
Customer Satisfaction Surveys: Nfield brings you Closer to Impactful Outcomes
Employee Satisfaction Surveys: Superior Nfield Capabilities leave Clients more Satisfied too!

API Integration

Nfield’s API enables seamless connection with other software solutions of your choice, such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems and analytics platforms, to streamline workflows and enhance data accuracy. With endless possibilities for automation, data transfer and generation of custom reports, Nfield’s API integration can supercharge productivity while facilitating next-level customization.

Read More:
API – What researchers need to know

An empowering market research platform – for companies that really mean business

In our fiercely competitive world, speedy ability to leverage data-driven insights is key. Leaving no stone unturned in this highly complex task, Nfield is the ultimate industrial-strength survey platform for market research companies that really mean business. Nfield’s scalability and reach mean companies of every size, and in any location, can be empowered by fast, user-friendly processes that take our industry to the next level.

Nfield is a powerful cloud-based platform that’s specifically designed for conducting Online and CAPI surveys. Its ability to support high respondent numbers and complexity makes it an invaluable tool for professional market researchers in every field, whether working for businesses, authorities or in academia, to name just three examples.

Nfield functionality: what you can do

Nfield provides comprehensive, end-to-end solutions, all the way from survey design to data collection and review. It facilitates fast, efficient working, while being highly customizable to individual requirements. And, very importantly, it’s easy-to-use.

Let’s take a look at the range of functionality Nfield offers:

Survey design

Nfield’s user-friendly interface brings simplicity to designing complex surveys. It supports a wide range of question types to cater to every need, including multiple choice, rating scales, grids, and open-ended. Nfield also enables easy handling of complex survey logic by providing features such as skip patterns and branching.

Responsive design, which is all part of the Nfield experience, ensures surveys are displayed in the right way for every screen they’re viewed on, whether that’s a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer.

With Nfield, you’ve therefore got everything you need to create surveys that are engaging, interactive, and tailored to each specific target audience. Which ultimately delivers better response rates and more comprehensive data to work with.

Survey distribution

Nfield Online surveys can be distributed via email invitations, web links, and social media, so you can choose the most suitable method(s) in every case.

Nfield CAPI surveys, which facilitate offline survey data collection from face-to-face interviews, can be distributed to field interviewers according to your chosen sampling method, whether that be address-based, free intercept or something else. Nfield CAPI enables surveys to be conducted even in remote areas without reliable internet access, while being flexible enough to collect data via various devices, including mobile phones and tablets. With all this, Nfield CAPI offers a truly efficient solution for fieldwork, in whatever location or form it takes place.

Interviewer management

For CAPI surveys, Nfield’s Interviewer Management feature enables management of interviewer workloads and monitoring of whether interviews are being conducted as specified. It has tools for assigning interviews to specific interviewers, monitoring progress, and tracking performance.

Data collection

Collecting survey data is, of course, as essential as getting well-designed surveys in front of the right respondents. Nfield runs in the highly reliable and scalable Microsoft Azure cloud, which robustly supports the handling of large volumes of data and smooth survey execution.

At the same time, Nfield security measures ensure participant data is protected at all times, so both you and your respondents can have peace of mind that their data is safe and secure.

Fieldwork monitoring

Nfield’s Fieldwork Monitoring features give researchers the ability to track and view survey progress in real-time. As well as monitoring response rates, completion rates, and interview durations, it’s also possible to view the collected data via filters which can be set to things such as demographics or response patterns.

Data reporting

Nfield’s Data Repository feature provides a centralized location for storing and managing survey data. This is very advantageous, as it means custom reports can be generated in real-time. By automating the reporting process and enabling fast creation of reports in a variety of formats, this feature saves researchers a lot of time and effort.

Nfield uses: types of surveys

Nfield’s versatility makes it ideal for all kinds of different sectors and purposes, where market research might cover anything from commercial insights to practical user studies, political leanings and employee satisfaction. Here are just a few examples of survey types that can be conducted using Nfield:

• Market research surveys: To gather target audience insights such as preferences, behaviors, and attitudes. These can be used to identify market trends, opportunities, and challenges, and make data-driven decisions for improving products or services. Surveys are easy to design and distribute, while collected data can be viewed and analyzed in real-time.

• Product testing studies: To get user feedback on specific products, with the aim of gaining understanding of how they are perceived, what users like or dislike about them, and how they can be improved. Surveys can be designed as appropriate for specific products and target audiences.

• Brand perception studies: To get insights into how consumers perceive a brand, so the information can be used to identify areas of strength and weakness. These kinds of surveys can incorporate questions relating to things such as brand awareness, brand loyalty, and brand associations.

• Political polls: To ascertain respondents’ political preferences or opinions. These polls can aid understanding of how voters feel about specific issues or candidates, and can provide valuable insights into the political landscape. Questions can be asked about things such as voting behavior, party affiliation, and policy preferences.

• Customer satisfaction surveys: To measure how satisfied customers are with specific products or services. These surveys typically ask respondents to rate their experience on a scale and provide feedback on areas for improvement. The collected data can help with identifying trends and making data-driven decisions for improving customer satisfaction.

• Brand awareness surveys: To measure a brand’s awareness and perception among a specific audience. These surveys typically ask respondents to compare the brand-in-question against a list of competitors and describe how they feel about it. The collected data can aid understanding of how a specific brand is perceived in the market and data-driven decisions for improving brand awareness.

• Employee satisfaction surveys: To measure employee satisfaction, engagement, and feedback. These surveys typically ask employees to describe how they feel about their work environment, job satisfaction, and overall experience with the company. The collected data can aid identification of areas for improvement and data-driven decisions for improving employee satisfaction and retention.

Want to know more?

You’re never on your own with Nfield, as we provide a wide variety of supporting materials and resources.

The NIPO Academy section offers a range of training videos and webinars that cover topics such as Academy #33 – Nfield Online introduction session, and Academy #25: CAPI in the new Nfield Manager II. These videos provide a great starting point for those who are new to Nfield or want to refresh their knowledge.

In the Nfield Manager, you’ll find a range of support materials, including user guides and technical documentation.

And for further personal assistance and guidance, you can always reach out to NIPO’s customer support team.

As a highly responsible SaaS provider to market research companies, NIPO, the company behind Nfield, fully understands the importance of protecting personal data and safeguarding against potential data breaches. Alongside our own comprehensive measures to prevent data breaches and swiftly lock down in the event of these being bypassed, we are also committed to helping our clients do all they can to protect their valuable data within the Nfield platform.

Prevention

NIPO has the following measures in place to prevent data breaches:

• Encryption – All sensitive data stored in our servers (in the Azure cloud) is encrypted via strong algorithms. This means that even if an attacker gains access to the data, they will not be able to read it without the encryption key.

• Access Controls – We have strict access controls which ensure only authorized personnel can get into our servers and databases. We also have regular reviews of access rights to make sure they are up-to-date and appropriate.

• Network Security – We have robust network security measures in place, including firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and other security tools. These help us to detect external threats and prevent malicious parties from gaining access to our network and systems. Nfield runs in the Microsoft Azure cloud, which is, itself, highly secure and monitored 24/7 by Microsoft’s own engineers.

• Security Measures for Programming Code – Like many other organizations, we use a variety of security tools to check our programming code and test it for security vulnerabilities. In addition to these, we also have security checks carried out by external third-parties, such as Secura, to ensure our code is thoroughly tested and secure.

• Employee Training – We provide our employees with regular training and awareness programs to ensure they are kept up-to-date on the latest security threats and how to prevent them. This includes training on topics such as phishing emails, social engineering attacks, and password security.

Data breach handling

In the unlikely event of a data breach, NIPO has a dedicated incident response team that follows a well-defined plan to mitigate the impact. This plan includes the following steps:

• Investigation – We immediately launch an investigation to determine the cause and extent of the breach.

• Containment – Once we have identified the source of the breach, we take immediate steps to contain it and prevent any further unauthorized access to our systems.

• Notification – We notify any affected clients as required by law or contractual obligations. We are committed to being transparent and open with our clients about any potential security incidents.

• Remediation – We take steps to remediate any damage caused by the breach, such as restoring backups or implementing new security measures. We also conduct a post-incident review to identify any lessons learned and make improvements to our security measures.

What you can do to protect your respondent data

It is also vitally important that market researchers implement all available measures to protect respondents’ personal data and adhere to GDPR, or other applicable local regulations. At NIPO, we provide resources to help our clients with this, including our GDPR and Nfield Toolkit.

Here are some other simple steps you can take, which include making use of tools and features included in our Nfield platform:

• Data Minimization – Collect only the minimum amount of personal data necessary for each research project. Once you have it, this data should only be kept for as long as absolutely necessary, and then securely disposed of.
  
  We also advise clients to store personal identifiers in the sample table, which will enable you to easily delete sample data from the survey by pseudonymizing or anonymizing it. You can do this for all the sample data, for only specific sample data fields, for all interviews, or for a selection of interviews. This allows you to maintain detailed management of which data you keep in Nfield.
  
  Recently, we also introduced a new automatic survey clean-up feature into Nfield, which deletes inactive surveys that have reached their expiration date. For information about this, see keeping Nfield domains clean helps clients ensure compliance, security, and efficient working.

• Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) – This gives accounts an extra layer of security, so that even if an attacker does obtain a password, they still won’t be able to gain access because they won’t have the second code necessary. Read Protecting your Nfield login with two-factor authentication.

• Use the latest Anti-Virus Software – Installing and keeping anti-virus software up-to-date can help protect against malware and other security threats.

• Be Security-Aware – Market researchers should be aware of the latest security threats, such as phishing emails, and take steps to avoid them. This includes not clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources.

Committed to protecting data

At NIPO, we are committed to protecting personal data and safeguarding against potential data breaches. By implementing a comprehensive security strategy and incident response plan, we are prepared to handle any potential security incidents quickly and effectively. We also provide resources and guidance to help our customers protect themselves and adhere to GDPR regulations. With our commitment to data security, NIPO remains a trusted partner for market researchers looking to conduct research in a secure and compliant manner.

IMPORTANT: suspected data breach?

If you suspect a data breach or security incident related to your use of NIPO’s services, please report it immediately by contacting our Data Protection Officer at [email protected]. Reporting a suspected data breach promptly helps us to take swift action to contain and mitigate the impact of the incident. We take all reports of data breaches seriously and have a dedicated team in place to investigate and respond to incidents as quickly as possible.

Since the launch on 29 March 2013, Nfield has grown to a large scale platform used for data collection around the globe. Nfield is NIPO’s cloud-based Online and CAPI survey solution for market research professionals

As a creator of truly purposeful survey solutions, we want every user to be able to get the best out of them. That means ensuring our customers fully understand what our products are capable of and how to utilize that capability to their own advantage. 

Because our Nfield survey platform offers such a wide range of features, specifically designed to meet professional market researchers’ needs, there is a great deal to know. We therefore take a step-by-step approach to educating every individual customer, so the right knowledge is gained at the right time and nobody ever feels overwhelmed.

The Nfield learning process starts while you’re still considering whether we’re right for you. If you decide to come on board with us, we’ll get you fully up-to-speed using your product and continue providing guidance and, if required, access to external support services, for as long as you are an Nfield user.

1. While you’re deciding if Nfield is right for you

A member of the NIPO Sales Team in your region will discuss your specific needs and determine whether, and how, Nfield can meet them. We want to forge successful long-term partnerships which means making sure you’ll be delighted with our service, so we start by carefully assessing whether we are right for each other. 

While doing this, we’ll talk you through the various features Nfield offers for conducting online, face-to-face and (soon) telephone research, as necessary. We’ll point out the things you’ll need to consider, such as the possibility of needing additional training on some of our more advanced features or paid-for optional services (e.g. scripting, styling) delivered by an external partner. 

Of course you’ll be keen to see Nfield in action, so we are happy to oblige via a live demo. We’ll schedule an online session that demonstrates scenarios related to your own requirements. Upon request, we can record the session so you can then share it with others in your organization.

2. Getting you started

Once you’ve signed up to Nfield, the sales representative you dealt with will hand you over to a member of our support team, who’ll work with you to get you up and running. Because the NIPO sales and support teams are closely integrated, the information we’ve already shared will be readily available to every support team member. So you won’t have to explain yourself all over again and they will be fully prepared to set you up. 

We’ll start with a free 2-hour introductory training session, during which you’ll learn how to use the system and launch a survey, as well as other basics which are relevant to your specific needs. You’ll then be ready to start putting Nfield to work.

We’ll introduce you to our support website where you can access documentation, training and NIPO Academy videos, consult support cases and get useful tools.

3. Helpdesk support

You’ll have access to our Helpdesk support team who’ll be happy to help with any problem you might encounter. Our support policy is to respond within 24 hours, but in practice we usually address queries much sooner. Support is free and provided from 2 locations: Amsterdam and Mumbai.  In the event that your closest support center can’t respond fast enough, another center will handle the issue so you’re not kept waiting. There are no limitations to the number of support queries you can submit. If we feel the type of support requests indicate additional training is required, we’ll discuss this with you.

4. Ongoing Training

Via the NIPO Academy, we regularly present free webinars about new Nfield features, best practices and troubleshooting. You can see a recent session wherein we did the Nfield Online introduction training session.

5. Advanced Training

Once you’ve become comfortable with using Nfield, you might want to get trained in advanced skills such as scripting, effective fieldwork management, safeguarding email reputation and many more. ODIN scripting, which gives you the power to fully customize NIPO survey functionality, is a particularly popular course. A lot of Nfield users also like to bring us in to train their newcomers. Please note that Advanced Training and onboarding new personnel are paid-for services.

6. External Services

Because some of our customers prefer to focus on their core market research activities, rather than also getting involved with more technical matters, NIPO has teamed up with an external partner to offer services for:

• Scripting: to customize questionnaire structure and logic.
• Theming: to develop custom look and feel (useful for branded surveys).
• Visualization: to advise on data processing and visualization of collected data.
• Hosting: to host and manage surveys in Nfield.

7. Become certified

Nfield users who have acquired sufficient knowledge to independently conduct research on the Nfield platform have the opportunity to get certified. NIPO provides a training and certification program with courses that teach you more about survey scripting, ODIN Developer capabilities, managing fieldwork and market research in general. More information.

Ensuring your success

Our onboarding process and follow-up support and services enable every customer to get the most out of Nfield. From feeling comfortable at the start to becoming an expert over time, with access to all the materials, information, tools and services you need to work in the most productive way.

If you’d like more information on how we can help you, please contact us at [email protected].

See what Nfield can do for you, ask us for a live demo.

It is our pleasure to report that the Microsoft Partner Network has upgraded NIPO’s Security competency status from Silver to Gold. This means we now have Microsoft’s highest possible recognition for four competencies: Application Development, Cloud Platform, Application Integration and Security. A quartet of achievements which reflect our commitment to having our team members certified to the most up-to-date standards, as we determinedly adopt the latest Microsoft technology and standards within our Nfield platform.

We want to wholeheartedly thank all our team members for their ongoing support and commitment towards continuous training and certification, in the course of growing our status within the Microsoft Partner Network.

Jeroen Noordman, NIPO Managing Director: “This latest status upgrade is great news for Nfield users, who can confidently reassure their own customers that their data is 100% safe and secure by referring to this recognition, in tandem with our ISO 27001 certification. In my experience, sharing evidence of leading external recognition has a hugely positive impact. Everyone will understand Microsoft’s authority in the field of security.”

Gavriella Schuster, corporate vice president at One Commercial Partner (OCP) at Microsoft Corp.: “Achieving Gold Competency confirms that partners have demonstrated the highest, most consistent capability and commitment to the latest Microsoft technology. These partners have deep expertise that positions them at the top of our partner ecosystem, with a proficiency which can help customers drive innovative solutions.”

Security is one of NIPO’s top priorities, with both security and compliance positioned at the heart of our organization, and our Nfield platform. As such, we ensure these topics are always addressed in the foundations of our work, during the design stage. Never as a last-minute concern. And we have been doing it like this since we started developing Nfield back in 2011.

This means NIPO employees are constantly considering security. A fact which is reflected in our ISO 27001:2013 certification, for both our security management and the security controls we give our customers.

But we don’t stop there.

When Microsoft provided the opportunity for developers to become certified as Azure Security Engineers, we encouraged our team members to attain this status. This requires an individual developer to study and practice hard, before taking a challenging exam. In April 2022, another of our colleagues passed the Azure Security Engineer (AZ-500) exam, bringing our total number of developers with this highly desirable status to five.

We’re really proud of this latest achievement and wish to thank the individual concerned, along with all our Azure Security Engineers, for their support and ongoing commitment to security.

If you want to know more about how your data is secure with Nfield, see our article on this topic.