Precise Research of SAP Distributors for a Client in the Chemical Industry [outsourcing]

Client

Markedsagentene  is a Norwegian marketing agency that conducts strategic and lead generation projects for B2B companies. In this case, it represented the end client - ASAP NORWAY, a company operating in the field of industrial use of superabsorbent polymers (SAP).

Challenge

ASAP NORWAY wanted to identify high-quality SAP suppliers who:

• meet specific technical parameters (e.g. VORTEX >3s, absorbency >490g/g, particle size <600μm),
• provide clear data on pricing, delivery times, and certifications,
• offer biodegradable SAP alternatives,
• operate in the markets of the EU, UK, Canada, and the USA.

An additional requirement was to keep the costs within USD 400, without acquiring data through direct contact (due to GDPR and budget constraints).

Solution

Reduction of the group from over 5800 companies to approx. 500 analyzed

The initial base included:

• ~800 chemical distributors,
• 5000 manufacturers (eventually excluded at the client’s request).

After considering budgetary and industry-specific criteria, we focused exclusively on distributors operating in the required countries.

Reducing the original database of over 5800 companies to 500 precisely selected ones demonstrates that in data analysis, the greatest value lies not in scale, but in the relevance and adequacy of the results for a specific decision-making goal. When technical criteria and budgetary constraints are clearly defined at the outset, it becomes possible to obtain data that genuinely supports purchasing or operational activities. In this case, the decision to narrow the analysis exclusively to distributors significantly increased the utility of the final dataset while enabling more rational use of available resources.

Validation of technical data and contacts
As part of the process, we analyzed each record for compliance with key criteria defined in the TDS sheet provided by the client. In particular, we verified:

• Whether the website includes technical data confirming SAP parameters:
  
  • absorbency >490g/g,
  • absorption speed by VORTEX method >3 seconds,
  • particles <600 microns,
• Whether the company offers biodegradable versions of SAP or refers to eco-friendly alternatives,
• What quality and compliance certifications (e.g. ISO) are provided,
• What contact information is available: direct contact to a responsible person (e.g. B2B sales manager, product engineer) or at least a corporate email address.

Where information was not publicly available or was ambiguous, we recorded this as "no data" and did not take further steps to obtain data directly (in accordance with budget constraints and GDPR assumptions). In this way, the final database contained only data that met the requirements of completeness and compliance, enabling real use in purchasing analyses.