2 February 2010

The ZEF-method and system were granted a patent in the U.S.A. The patent covers the basic concept of the ZEF-method from the feedback given by the group, and its processing into two-dimensional reports.

29 January 2010

Finland´s leading filmrenter chain Makuuni carried out a customer satisfaction survey in January 2010. The customers were invited to take part in the survey by dealing out invitations in connection with rental or purchase in the renters. The result of the survey was an extremely comprehensive report on the opinions of the circle of customers.

The survey was carried out using ZEF Evaluation Engine as a collaboration between Makuuni and ZEF Solutions.

18 January 2010

Europcar has launched a test on its web pages, which helps you to choose a suitable removal van. The questions take into account the apartment size, removal distance and driving environment, i.e. if you mostly drive in city centers or on the highway. The test results also take into account if the driver has a truck driving licence.

The test was created using ZEF Comparison Engine.

11 January 2010

Are you taking care of your health? Do you have the makings of a pitchy stump?

Etera calls the people, who manage to stay in working life for a long time, pitchy stumps. Etera has launched the Pitchy Stump Test on its web pages, which helps you to find out how much of a pitchy stump you are. The higher the percentage you get, the more likely it is for you be, or become, a pitchy stump in your working life. The test consists of questions relating to life-style, attitudes and working habits.

The Pitchy Stump Test was created using ZEF Comparison Engine.

8 January 2010

Are you civilized and humble like apostle Luke? Or are you more like Peter?

The Evangelican Lutheran Church of Finland has published a test on its web pages, in which you can see which of the people close to Jesus you resemble the most. In this easy and quick-to-do test you answer twelve questions or statements, after which the engine analyzes the answers and gives the result.

The test was created using ZEF Comparison Engine.

28 December 2009

Would you like to study project management skills? And how intested are you in issues concerning environment and well-being?

The Engineer Engine has now been launched on insinooriksi.fi web pages, which helps you to find yourself the best-suited training programs from the selection of different vocational institutes of higher education. In the Engineer engine, you answer thirteen questions, after which the engine compares your answers to the view of the training program representatives on the contents of the training, and sets the training programs in order of quality based on this view.

The Engineer Engine was created using ZEF Comparison Engine.

Try the Engineer Engine...

21 December 2009

Can you talk even Väinämöinen into the swamp? Are you interested in the digitalizing world?

These questions can be found in the test Suomen liikemiesten Kauppaopisto has launched on its web pages, which helps you to find out if you are a tradenom or a datanom. In this test you answer approximately ten questions, after which the engine gives the results.

The test was created using ZEF Comparison Engine.

14 December 2009

Suuri Suomalainen Kirjakerho has launched the Christmas Gift Selector (Joululahjavalitsin), with which you can search for a perfect book to give for a present for granny, godparent, child, neighbour, friend or even yourself.

In SSKK Christmas Gift Selector, the user first chooses the age group of the gift receiver and then answers ten questions at the most, depending on the age group. After the answers, the engine makes a list of ten books that suit the user´s answers the best.

You can get to know the engine, that offers the best reading experiences for Christmas on both Suuri Suomalainen Kirjakerho and Suuri Kuu-book store web pages..

The Christmas Gift Selector was created using The Christmas Gift Selector was created using ZEF Comparison Engine.

7 December 2009

How well do you take care of your brain?

The brain is the center that guides and regulates human action, and you had better take good care of it! Etera has launched the Brain Engine on its web pages, which helps you to find out how well you take care of your brain. The user answers sixteen questions, after which the engine tells in which condition the brain is. The closer the result is to a hundred per cent, the better your brain is looked after.

The Brain Engine was created using The Brain Engine was created using ZEF Comparison Engine.

30 November 2009

Do you find it difficult to find a suitable present for a child? Would you like new ideas for buying a gift?

S-group hypermarket chain Prisma has opened the Toy Gift Engine on its web pages, with which you can search for ideas for you toy gift purchases. In the Toy Gift Engine, you answer six questions relating to the qualities of the gift receiver and his playing with toys. Based on the answers given, the engine recommends suitable toys from the selection of over 200 different toys.

The Toy Gift Engine was created in collaboration with Prisma and ZEF Solutions

Go to Prisma.fi pages...

23 November 2009

Would you like a traditional Christmas pineapple cake? Or would you like to try crispy bits of anchovy?

Pirkka.fi web service has launched the Christmas Recipe Engine on its web pages, which helps to you look for Christmas recipes for both baking and cooking food. You can find recipes to suit many different tastes, both from international and Finnish cuisine.

In Pirkka.fi Christmas Recipe Engine you answer thirteen questions, after which the engine serves you the most suitable Christmas food recipes, especially to your liking.

The Christmas Recipe Engine was created in collaboration with Markkinointiviestintä Dialogi Oy, Pirkka.fi and ZEF Solutions.

Go to the Christmas Recipe Engine...

20 November 2009

With the Boss Test, designed by Fakta magazine, you can find out which boss you resemble.

If great visions and risk-taking are your style, your management style resembles that of Marimekko´s Mika Ihamuotila! And if you concentrate more on details and get straight to the point, you are closer to Fortum´s Anne Brunila in management style.

In Boss Test you answer eight questions charting your management style, after which the engine tells you which well-known Finnish manager you resemble in your management style.

9 November 2009

Cooking course on Thursday at 18.00? Or how about motor sledging at the dusk through the snowy scenery?

Ruka-Kuusamo has launched the Weekly Program Engine on its web pages, that helps you to find suitable pastime from the wide-ranged weekly program selection. The visitor answers ten questions after which the Weekly Program Engine offers ten weekly program products, that best suit the user´s answers.

The Weekly Program Engine was created in collaboration with Ruka-Kuusamo and ZEF Solutions.

2 november 2009

The most popular photoservice in Finland , iFolor, has launched the Father´s Day Gift Engine on its web pages , which helps the visitors to search for a suitable gift for Father´s Day. In the Gift Engine, you answer seven questions, after which the engine suggests those Father´s Day gifts, which best suit the visitor´s answers.

The Father´s Day Gift Engine was created in collaboration with iFolor and ZEF Solutions.

26 October 2009

The biggest financial magazine in the Nordic countries, Talouselämä, has opened the Management Engine in its web service, where the visitors can test the management system of their organization. In the Management Engine, the visitors evaluate the most important areas of operation in their management system, and the engine tells which measures are needed to develop the management system. The Management Engine is based on the new book Laadunkehittäjän työkalupakki

The Management Engine was created in collaboration with Talouselämä and ZEF Solutions.

19 October 2009

Finland´s biggest company that concentrates on preserving memories on film, Rajala, has opened the Systems Camera Selection Engine on its web pages , where visitors can search for a suitable camera especially for their needs. In the Selection Engine the visitors answer questions relating to taking photos and the qualities expected from the camera, and the engine tells which systems camera best meets the qualities desired. In this test are the most common systems cameras from the big manufacturers.

The Systems Camera Selection Engine was created in collaboration with Rajala and ZEF Solutions.

12 October 2009

The international Vianor-chain, concentrated on motoring and tyre services, has opened the Winter Tyre Selector in its web service, where the motorists can search for a suitable winter tyre for their needs. In the selector, you adjust your own needs with a slide control, and the engine always tells immediately which tyre model suits each need.

The Winter Tyre Selector was created in collaboration with Vianor and ZEF Solutions.

5 October 2009

Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences has launched the Career Barometer (Urapuntari) on its website. The service is designed to help in career planning, letting users test what is the best career for them. Users answer sixteen questions on their personalities and interests, on the basis of which the Career Barometer recommends suitable degree programmes. All available Bachelor’s degrees are included.

ZEF Solutions created the Career Barometer in collaboration with Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences and Ilme advertising agency.

28 September 2009

The Oikotie.fi web service, which gathers together classified ads from all of Finland’s leading newspapers, has launched the Lifestyle Engine (Lifestylekone) on its site, for users to find out about their lifestyles. Visitors answer fifteen questions on their personalities, on the basis of which the engine analyses their lifestyle. Visitors can also use the results to find a house, car or job that suits their style.

ZEF Solutions created the Lifestyle Engine in collaboration with Oikotie.

21 September 2009

Established in 1955, KB-tuote is Finland’s oldest corporate gift company and has always been a pioneer in the sector. Now KB-tuote is the first service provider of its kind in Finland to offer a novel comparison engine that makes it easy to choose suitable business gifts, at liikelahjamoottori.fi. The Corporate Gift Engine (Liikelahjamoottori) chooses from hundreds of products to find the best gifts with just a few mouse clicks.

“In today’s challenging times, it is more important than ever for companies to show their appreciation for good clients. Meanwhile there is less time to spend on customer choices. The Corporate Gift Engine makes the decision quick and easy, as it picks the most suitable gift options from KB’s selection for you. Customers answer a handful of product-related questions on the website. The engine scores the products and presents them to the customer in order, from the most suitable to the least,” explains KB-tuote’s Managing Director Tommi Kortelainen. (Source: KB-tuote.fi)

ZEF Solutions created the Corporate Gift Engine in collaboration with KB-tuote.

14 September 2009

Finland’s biggest toy importer and marketer, Amo Oy, has launched the Game Engine (Leikkikone) on its site, for parents to find playing ideas for their kids. Users answer questions related to the nature of the game being sought, and the engine recommends the most suitable games to play. Several dozen fun games are included.

ZEF Solutions created the Game Engine in collaboration with Amo.

7 September 2009

The Stara entertainment magazine website now offers the Star Engine™ (Starakone™), where visitors can check which celebrity they resemble the most. Users give answers on their personality and public appearance, which the engine compares to celebrities to find those who most resemble the respondent. The database contains hundreds of celebrities from Finland and abroad, ranging from actors to sportspeople and singers to reality TV stars.

ZEF Solutions created the Star Engine™ in collaboration with Stara magazine.

31 August 2009

Floorball stick manufacturer Exel Floorball has launched the EXEL-PROFILATOR on its site, for users to find the most suitable stick to match their playing styles. The Profilator asks eight questions related to playing methods and the player’s style, on the basis of which it recommends a suitable stick from the extensive EXEL selection.

ZEF Solutions created the EXEL-PROFILATOR in collaboration with Cape Nordic and Marketing i2.

24 August 2009

Isku Kitchens, which specialises in Finnish kitchen design, has launched a test on its website for visitors to find out what style of kitchen is most suitable for them. The test asks questions related to the visitor’s character and preferred kitchen features in order to suggest the optimal kitchen style.

ZEF Solutions created What type of kitchen are you? in collaboration with Isku Kitchens.

17 August 2009

Finnish footwear chain Andiamo now offers the Shoe Engine (Kenkäkone) on its website, for trend- and fashion-conscious women to find the most suitable shoes for any situation. Visitors answer six questions on shoe characteristics, on the basis of which the ten most suitable shoes from a collection of more than 200 styles are suggested.

ZEF Solutions created the Shoe Engine in collaboration with Andiamo.

9 June 2009

Finland’s biggest used-car dealership search engine, Autotalli.com, has launched the Car Assistant (Autoapuri) service on its site. It is a new way to conduct need-based searches for the most suitable car out of what is available for sale. Users of the service don’t have to know much about cars or their technology; it is enough to tell the search engine what kind of a car they are looking for and what characteristics they value in a vehicle.

In the Car Assistant, users evaluate their needs and values with the help of sliding controls, which causes the Top-5 list of new and second-hand cars by the side of the window to update according to the choices. Users can also click through to a broader selection of cars and compare individual cars’ properties to their needs.

ZEF Solutions created the Car Assistant in collaboration with Autotalli.com.

7 May 2009

Finland’s biggest motorcycle chain, Procycle, recently launched the Bike Engine (MP-kone) on its website, for people interested in motorcycles to find the optimal bike for their needs. Visitors answer questions related to their motorcycle preferences, on the basis of which the tool suggests suitable bikes. The engine includes 231 bike models evaluated by Procycle’s experts.

ZEF Solutions created the Bike Engine in collaboration with Procycle and marketing agency Finnovation.

28 April 2009

In partnership with Oikotien, Ilta-Sanomat newspaper has launched a personality test on its website. The test poses questions related to the user’s personality, in order to reveal what sort of person and colleague they are.

The questions and answers were created by Professor Vesa Routamaa of the University of Vaasa. When answered honestly, the test gives significantly more reliable results than many other translated tests published online and in magazines mainly for entertainment purposes.

The Personality Test was created using ZEF Comparison, and on its launch day it already attracted 50,000 users.

21 April 2009

MTV3 is again at the service of voters and candidates by providing an election engine for the European Elections (EU-vaalikone) in collaboration with ZEF Solutions.

Users of the engine answer questions in order to compare their own opinions with the views of candidates, and, if possible, to find just the right candidate to vote for.

The Election Engine is designed to be as visual and user-friendly as possible, and it offers valuable comparative data on which to base voting decisions.

7 April 2009

TESO, the organisation for social service and health care entrepreneurs in Finland, collaborated with ZEF Solutions to create a shared model for measuring occupational welfare in the sector. In the model, each employee fills in the survey anonymously. Responses are sent online. Employees receive an invitation by email or, if they don’t have an email address, they are provided the web address by different means. After responses have been received, the company is provided with a report consisting of graphs in ready-analysed, easy-to-read format. For companies with several places of business, results are provided separately for each unit. In addition, each company is provided with comparative data from all participating social service operators.

For TESO members, the survey costs EUR 300 per place of business. “Place of business” refers to one care home or a unit with at most 15 employees.

The survey was first conducted in March 2009, and will take place next in early September for new units that sign up. The first stage had around 50 units participating in the survey, and there will be at least 100 units in the autumn’s retake. The survey contains 50 questions for employees on individual working conditions (10 questions), on the functionality of the work community (15 questions), on line managers and management in general (10 questions) and on suggested practical measures (15 questions).

The results of the March survey will be presented collectively at an information event at the TERVE-SOS 2009 trade fair on Wednesday 13 May 2009 from 3:30 pm, at Wanha Satama in Helsinki.

Further information:

Association of Health Care and Social Service Entrepreneurs (TESO)
Marjo Ronkä
tel. +358 (0)40 592 8777

ZEF Solutions Oy
Markus Karjula
tel. +358 (0)45 138 8690

16 March 2009

The Union of Health and Social Care Professionals in Finland (Tehy) has launched an election engine where voters can familiarise themselves with election candidates and their ideas. The questions in the engine relate to issues such as competitive remuneration and the protection of care personnel interests in Finland. There are also questions on creating a work/life balance, on the future and management of health care, and on the focal points of Tehy’s operations.

The union meeting of Tehy exercises the highest decision-making power of the union and convenes every four years. It appoints the union’s chairman and board and makes up an action plan for the next four years. New decision-makers are appointed in the union meeting and council elections. At the union meeting, 290 representatives and 60 council representatives are elected.

Tehy created the Election Engine in collaboration with communications agency Drum and ZEF Solutions.

11 March 2009

The Welsh Springer Spaniel is the leading choice for the average user in the Puppy Engine (Hauvakone) service provided by Ilta-Sanomat newspaper, after one million visits. In the Puppy Engine, users search for the most suitable dog breed by comparing their views regarding the characteristics of suitable dogs with experts’ appraisals. All users’ responses are saved.

Average users’ favourites in the Puppy Engine:

1. Welsh Springer Spaniel
2. Gordon Setter
3. American Cocker Spaniel
4. Spanish Water Dog
5. Wheaten Terrier
6. PIrish Red Setter
7. Puli
8. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
9. Irish Red and White Setter
10. Field Spaniel

Ilta-Sanomat offers the Puppy Engine to its readers in collaboration with the Hauva.com web service. The Puppy Engine was created using ZEF Comparison.

4 March 2009

According to the “Innovating through the Downturn” review carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Finnish companies are increasingly outsourcing their research and development to other countries. According to the study, the proportion of R&D investments planned for Finland will go down by ten percentage points, from 55 to 45.

“Even if the percentage of investments realised in Finland goes down, the actual monetary amount invested into R&D may stay level or even increase. Therefore the research outcomes do not automatically indicate a further economic downturn or increased unemployment,” explains Jani Saarinen, innovation and technology expert at PwC.

The study investigated Finnish companies’ innovation environments, innovation strategies and innovation and technology policies during the recession.

It was conducted as a partnership between PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Ministry and ZEF Solutions. Minister of Economic Affairs Mauri Pekkarinen published the results on 4 March 2009.

16 February 2009

Candy manufacturer Leaf has launched a test on its Tupla.com website for visitors to find out which top floorball player they most resemble. Respondents answer questions on their playing styles and personalities, after which their responses are compared to those of star players in the Finnish floorball league. The comparison includes 32 floorball players from various teams.

The “What Top Floorball League Player Do You Resemble?” test was created using ZEF Comparison.

10 February 2009

Just over two years ago, the City of Joensuu began using ZEF Evaluation as an aid and efficiency booster in risk assessment. The city council’s aim was that within a reasonable time frame of two to three years and in parallel with ordinary operations, all workplaces would have risk assessments carried out according to a new system for the first time. The project progressed by administrative branch, bringing together the assessments of for example all fire stations, day care centres or schools within a period of two months. Before the beginning of the assessments, the managers of each administrative branch were invited to attend a shared training session, in which the date for the evaluation meeting of each workplace was agreed. A couple of weeks before each workplace’s evaluation meeting, all members of the unit’s staff received a risk assessment questionnaire consisting of 63 questions in nine areas. The assessment was completed using open-ended feedback and 2D questions concerning the degree and recurrence of each risk.

One of the major improvements made in comparison with earlier surveys was that the online system allowed for all employees to participate in the assessment. Employees were very keen to take an active and constructive part in developing their working conditions. Very comprehensive and useful reports were obtained for use in the workplace-specific risk assessment meetings. The new system made it significantly more efficient to review the assessment summaries and to agree on corrective measures; on average, the meetings lasted 45 to 90 minutes and resulted in a clear memo in table format, indicating each defect that was found, the agreed corrective measure and the person in charge of it.

The Head of Human Resources Development, Sari Asikainen, and Health and Safety Representative Seija Mutanen agree that staff and managers alike responded very well and with a great deal of commitment to the assessments. Responding to the questions was easier than envisaged, thanks to the easy-to-use software, which made the workplace response rates extremely high in general. As the assessments and the agreed, genuinely fulfilled corrective measures resulted in real improvements to the work environment or the workplaces in general, everyone was even more satisfied with the process. The employees feel they have received a whole new way of effectively influencing the work environment and developing the workplace, which has increased general interest in occupational safety. The HR management also received a much more comprehensive view of the state of workplaces and of the content of the employees’ work.

2 February 2009

Fakta magazine has published a Scheming Test on its web service, for users to test how much scheming goes on in their workplaces. Respondents answer 15 statements which reveal the level of scheming in their workplace. The test is based on a study by the British researcher David A. Buchanan, who investigated British directors.

The Scheming Test was created using ZEF Comparison.

27 January 2009

The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has published a risk-taking test on its riskithaltuun.fi risk advice website, where users answer questions related to their risk-taking and creativity and compare their responses to risk-taker classifications created by Richard E. Byrd. The results tell the users what their risk-taking type is, giving an accurate description of its strengths and weaknesses.

The riskithaltuun.fi site forms a part of the European campaign for Safety and Health at Work. The “What Kind of Risk-Taker Are You?” test was created using ZEF Comparison.

14 January 2009

The Puppy Engine (Hauvakone) on the Ilta-Sanomat web service allows users to find the most suitable breed of dog by comparing their views on the preferred characteristics of dogs with experts’ appraisals. At the time of writing, the Puppy Engine had had 900,000 visitors. All responses are saved.

The image shows the average ratings of questions on canine characteristics. The ellipse around the average point shows standard deviation.

Responses show that the average user is looking for a child-friendly, gentle, intelligent dog that does not bark too much. Ease fur care was also valued. The Puppy Engine gives the following breeds as the most suitable for the average visitor: Gordon Setter, Welsh Springer Spaniel and American Cocker Spaniel.

Ilta-Sanomat offers the Puppy Engine in collaboration with the Hauva.com dog portal. The engine was created using ZEF Comparison.

19 December 2008

The users of MTV3’s Municipal Election Engine (Kunnallisvaalikone) compared their opinions to the views of municipal candidates. The responses of visitors to the highly popular election engine were saved. This series of news stories publishes some of the results of the engine.

The image shoes the average point of Finnish voters’ responses and the averages of municipal candidates included in the engine, by political party. The ellipse around the average point indicates standard deviation.

The responses show that the average voter fears aging because municipal councils cannot afford to care for the elderly. The candidates had more confidence than voters, on average; only the True Finns felt there was cause to fear aging in financial terms. The Centre Party and the National Coalition Party had the greatest confidence in this matter.

30 October 2008

Nokian Tyres has launched a Studded or Friction Tyres? selector on its website. Users respond to questions on their driving habits, on the basis of which the selector gives suggestions and advice on the type of winter tyres to choose. The question topics relate to the driver’s experience and driving style, the driving environment and the car’s safety equipment.

The Studded or Friction Tyres? selector was created using ZEF Comparison.

6 October 2008

An International strategy and roadmap were recently made using a service from ZEF. The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation and the University of Oulu recently published an international strategy for wireless technology and mobile solutions in health care, as well as a roadmap to 2014. ZEF Analysis was used to collect data on 15 countries from around 200 experts, and a few dozen experts were interviewed. The ZEF reports used needs analyses of the current situation, as well as target and risk analyses of the future. ZEF was once again found to be the only possible solution for handling such a complex process. Without ZEF, it would have been very difficult to find a consensus between the conflicting views of companies, hospitals, other health care personnel and the researchers.

16 September 2008

MTV3 News has launched a Municipal Election Engine (Kunnallisvaalikone) on its website, where voters can compare their opinions to the views of municipal candidates. The election engine was created in collaboration with ZEF Solutions.

The aim for the Municipal Election Engine was to maximise user-friendliness and speed. Earlier Presidential and Parliamentary Election Engines by MTV3 have been some of the most popular in Finland.

Research has shown that voters’ interest in online election tools is growing in each election. Last time, MTV3’s election engine was used by more than one million Finn; an even higher number is expected for these municipal elections. The MTV3 website receives approximately 1.2 million visitors per week, which makes it one of Finland’s most popular sites.

News Editor Sami Ruokangas says that the election engine is also a meeting place where voters can find candidates’ photographs, websites and email addresses.

“Researchers have said that online election engines should be directed at a young audience, because Internet users are generally young. However, we wanted to make the engine usable for all voters and candidates.”

The MTV3 election engine includes questions on life values and hobbies.

“On the basis of feedback we have received, these things are just as important for voters as the municipal economy, for example. It is not a question of the entertainment profile of our channel, but of the fact that voters are keen to find out about these aspects of their candidates.”

“The difficulty with election engines is that they emphasise the individual, although political decision-making is about teamwork. Perhaps future election engines will focus more on the candidates’ team-working skills.” (MTV3 News 16 September 2008)

26 August 2008

The University of Lapland conducted a study on the suitability of the ZEF survey technique for evaluating climate change. The outcomes were published in a report.

The report was edited by Suvi Ronkainen (“Ilmastonmuutoksen ennakointi ja vaikutusten arviointi Lapissa. Raportti sähköisen kyselyn ja kaksiulotteisen kysymisen toimivuudesta globaalimuutosta tutkittaessa”; University of Lapland, publications of the Department of Research Methodology 2 e, 63 p.) Professor Ronkainen, who led the research, says in her introduction: ”Electronic, visual questionnaires and especially two-dimensional question types are making the world of creating and responding to surveys easier and more efficient, which is very important from the point of view of conducting evaluations and forecasts.”

In her article on the visions of Lapland’s decision-makers on climate change, Mirja Vihersalo states: “The response rate was surprisingly high, probably due to the ease of responding. That is also likely to be the reason behind the high rate of open responses, which were given by 31 respondents. Most feedback was positive regarding the topic, the questions and the survey method.”

Heidi Lehtiharju studied the impact of climate change on tourism. In her article she discusses the survey technology: “The respondents’ feedback on ZEF was generally positive. Praise was given to the survey technology, the ease of use and the functionality of the site. Respondents were happy with the clarity of the questions. I feel I succeeded fairly well in my aim of creating a respondent-friendly questionnaire.” One of her respondents went as far as saying: “What great technology you used in your survey!!! That’s the way to go!”

Mikko Airto wanted to find out how suitable ZEF survey technology was for forecasting municipal decision-making, particularly in relation to combating climate change. Towards the end of his article, he states that “ZEF is a very good tool to use as a part of the forecasting process. Naturally it is suitable for standalone studies, but it is also very good as a tool that allows for Delphi-style question rounds. 2D questions are highly suitable for this; they make responses visual in an easy-to-understand way and stimulate further debate.”

10 July 2008

The Design-Talo house design site now includes the House Barometer (Talopuntari) service, where visitors can compare the characteristics of their dream house with those of the package houses offered by Design-Talo.

The barometer allows visitors to find the most suitable house model by answering a few questions on their dream house and then viewing the results of the house comparison. The House Barometer contains all 26 house models offered by Design-Talo.

The House Barometer was created using ZEF Comparison.

4 July 2008

Ilta-Sanomat now offers the Puppy Engine (Hauvakone) in collaboration with the Hauva.com dog portal. Visitors can find the most suitable breed of dog by answering questions formulated by experts, after which they receive a list of the recommended breeds. The questions relate to the users’ wishes and habits. Initially the Puppy Engine includes around 150 breeds, but it will later be expanded to contain all 300 breeds currently found in Finland.

The engine was created using ZEF Comparison.

28 April 2008

A three-year research project conducted at the University of Lapland’s Department of Research Methodology on graphical survey methods (“Case ZEF”) has been completed. The project resulted in a number of scientific and lay articles for Finnish and international publications, textbooks, reports and several Master’s theses. Later, a further three doctoral theses will be published on the topic.

Main research outcomes of the project:

1) A graphical, two-dimensional question format is more effective than a paper questionnaire or a traditional survey, especially when the topic under review contains different contents.

2) A graphical, two-dimensional questionnaire is a very flexible way of gathering research and field data. Its usability ranges from scientific studies to strategy development, and from a purely qualitative research approach to a quantitative one. It is particularly good for research containing meanings and valuations which, instead of purely measuring, wants people to take a stand on the content and compare the values of different alternatives.

3) The accrual property solves the traditional problem with surveys, known as the context effect. The accrual effect arises from the interactive quality of the survey, which makes it reliable in evaluations.

4) The survey method combines the characteristics of qualitative and quantitative research. It is extremely user-friendly, in terms of creating surveys, responding and reporting.

19 March 2008

Best Business Plan:

The American company MedApps, which develops mobile technology for health care, was selected as having the best business plan. The MedApps Mobile Wireless Health Monitoring System allows those suffering from a chronic illness such as asthma or diabetes to transmit measurable values related to their illness over a mobile connection, for instance to a health care provider. The MedApps mobile solution allows the chronically ill to enjoy a more active life.

The following applications won the mobile application contest series:

Best Multimedia Application:

MyStrands Social Player by MyStrands

The MyStrands Social Player allows users to search for and play new music according to their preferences, to meet other people with the same preferences, and to see how much their music is played and by whom. Six million tracks are available for the MyStrands Social Player.

Best Multiplayer Application:

GAMICA Multiplayer/Connected Games Application: Sumo-Sumo

Sumo-Sumo is a Tetris-style multiplayer game that builds stacks out of coloured pieces.

Best Infortainment Application:

Earthcomber LLC Infotainment Application: Earthcomber

Earthcomber is an innovative navigation application based on free GPS maps. Earthcomber users start or join groups that share information on diverse events or facts such as where a film was shot or where a specific crime took place.

Best Business Application:

UpCode Ltd/UPC Enterprise Consulting Ltd Application: UpCode Parking

UpCode Parking is a mobile parking charge system that uses the optical scanner in mobile phones. The application is based on 2D code with a built-in smart component. It allows for the use of a locally applicable payment system controlled by an ordinary mobile phone.

The uniqueness, design, user-friendliness and general user experience of the entered applications were evaluated using ZEF. In business plans, ZEF was used to assess innovativeness, market potential and business opportunities.

12 March 2007

MTV3 is the first media company in Finland to start up a continuous election engine, which will be provided by ZEF Solutions. The continuous election engine will be a meeting place for citizens, members of parliament and experts. The content of the engine will change monthly, with the sitting MPs and possibly other experts being invited to answer questions. When ordinary citizens answer the same questions online, they immediately see their match rates with the MPs and experts. This allows users to find out which politicians’ views most closely resemble their own.

The continuous election engine collects a wealth of information for news reporting and increases interaction between citizens and their representatives.

31 October 2006

Juhani Anttila: “We have collaboratively developed the ZEF application for the overall evaluation of organisations’ functional and management performance. In the evaluation we simultaneously apply business excellence models by Malcolm Baldrige and EFQM, as well as ISO 9000 standards, which leads to the name of ‘3-in-1 evaluation’. Also in the International Organization for Standardization’s Technical Committee ISO/TC 176 we have for a while placed particular emphasis, when developing the next generation of ISO 9000 standards, on how the abovementioned important international reference models can be used effectively to support each other. We can now present a ZEF application where this is implemented in practice. Another essential question under consideration was how we can effectively integrate quality assurance into organisations’ business management. Even this is fulfilled at ZEF, where we understand that in practice ‘quality management’ refers to both the management of quality and the quality of management.”

Managing Director Jaakko Alasaarela: “We have been honoured to have renowned quality expert Juhani Anttila in our team for the development of evaluation methods needed for different organisational functions.” Anttila has been involved in introducing ISO 9000 standards and quality awards processes to Finland and Finnish organisations. He is still an expert member of the ISO/TC 176 committee, as well as an international quality academician and an honorary member of Excellence Finland.

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