Where one company is just beginning to set up a CRO program, another is already well advanced. No matter how far along you are with CRO, it is always advisable to map the CRO program and make improvements where possible. To validate and substantiate ideas, we at Online Dialogue use a number of models. This article discusses three different models and explains how these models are related.

To provide a clear picture of the models, we divide them into three layers:

• Layer 1: Organization & maturity: First, we will look at CRO within the organization and maturity. Based on this, you can get to work in a focused way with your goals, required skills, methods and capacity.
• Layer 2: Experimentation: in this layer we are going to look at what stages all have to go through when you get started experimenting and validating.
• Layer 3: Research: In this layer, we zoom in on research. How do you do thorough research and what should you pay attention to? 

Layer 1: Organization and maturity - The 5 success factors within CRO

To know what improvements can be made to the CRO program, it is first important to determine how mature the organization is in CRO. Maturity depends on several factors. We use "The 5 success factors within CRO" for this purpose:

• Strategy & culture: here we look at the culture within an organization. To what extent does the organization have a data- and experiment-driven culture and where are opportunities/improvements? 
• Objective & scope: here we look at where we want to work toward with the CRO program and to what extent objectives and targets have already been set. This involves broader organizational goals, as well as goals for CRO itself. For example, is there a test target? Is the focus on small or large experiments?
• Team & expertise: the people and areas of expertise on the team are a very important aspect in determining the maturity of an organization. For example, is there one CRO specialist or a whole team? And what is needed to achieve the objectives?
• Tooling & technology: another important factor in successfully deploying CRO is tooling. What tools are being used and does the technology lend itself to performing CRO?
• Process & methodology: what process is followed when it comes to experimentation and validation? 

Want to know more about this phase and are you curious about how to improve your organization's maturity? Then take a look at the Culture Change Model. 

Layer 2: Experimentation: FACT-ACT model

In Phase 2, we will zoom in a little further on the fifth success factor: Process & Methodology. To experiment successfully, a good process is very important. What stages do you go through when you start experimenting? This is summarized in our "FACT-ACT model. 

• Find: this is the research phase where we look at data, qualitative research, competitive analysis, etc., among other things. This phase lays the foundation for experiments. This is also where we look at where we can make the most impact with experiments.
• Analyze: in this phase, hypotheses are set based on the data collected from Find phase. Test planning is also done in this phase. 
• Create: then the hypotheses are transformed into a design that is built by development. 
• Test: in this phase, experiments are put live and monitored. 
• Analyze: after the experiment is over, this phase involves (automated) analysis and enriching the results with conclusions and advice. 
• Combine: it is very important to properly secure results of experiments and combine them where possible. That is what this phase is for.
• Tell: finally, of course, it is important to share the results of experiments within the organization. 

It's important to note here that CRO is a continuous process, where you go through these stages over and over again. Want to learn more about the FACT-ACT model? At this item is discussed in more detail. 

Layer 3: Research: the 6V model

An essential part of the CRO process is research. In the FACT-ACT model, this is in the Find phase. There are many different ways to conduct research. To keep this manageable, we have (yes ;-)) called another model into the world: 'The 6V model':

The important thing about this model is that to build solid hypotheses, you ideally combine multiple research sources. The more of these Vs you can complete, the more focused your experimentation can be. We also call this the behavioral study. In this item my colleague Ruben de Boer explains all about the 6V model including concrete examples. 

When it all comes together...

All three models provide guidance for setting up, maintaining and improving CRO work. Let's list them one more time:

• Layer 1: Organization & maturity. With the help of 'The 5 success factors within CRO' you look first of all at CRO within your organization and at the phase of maturity in which your organization finds itself. On this basis, you can start working in a more focused way and you will know where opportunities lie.
• Layer 2: Experimentation. The fifth success factor from layer 1, Process & Methodology, is about what process you adhere to while experimenting. For this we go through the various stages of the "FACT-ACT model. 
• Layer 3: Research. In the Find phase of the FACT-ACT model (layer 2) you lay the foundation for good hypotheses using research. To make the different forms of research clear, we use the '6V model'. 

To prevent you from losing sight of the forest through the models, below you'll find all three models in one clear sheet.

The figure below again clearly shows how the models are related:

I hope to give you more guidance with this article if you want to get started with CRO or if you want to improve the CRO program within your organization. Do you want to start working with CRO in a structured way? Or do you want to take your CRO program to the next level? We are happy to help you!