In order to investigate the future for the agency’s data collection of business surveys, Statistics Canada pursued new electronic reporting options. Response burden reduction and benefits from the elimination of keying of data are driving factors behind this investigation.

Electronic data reporting consists of data collection and data transfer. Options for data collection include questionnaires on diskettes or WWW, Questionnaires or electronic files incorporated into ‘commercial’ software, TDE and so on. Options for data transfer contains mail/courier (diskettes), direct dial-up, Internet, VANS and so on.

Retail Trade Section is a successful example of venture into electronic reporting by Statistics Canada. An electronic collection vehicle called PERQS (personalized electronic reporting questionnaire system) was developed for its annual retail chain and department store survey. PERQS falls under the category of a questionnaire on a diskette. Respondents are questioned on Corporate-level revenue, expense, cost of goods sold, sales and other information for each and every one of their retail locations. Obviously the response burden for the survey was high.

PERQS has following features to solve the above problems:

• It is a WINDOWS based FOXPRO application offered at no cost to survey respondents.

• It allows the respondents to easily import the "location data" from a spreadsheet or database.

• It has interactive edits that allow for instant personalized instructions.

PERQS was started for the 1994 reference year as a pilot covering 50 large retail chains accounting for over 25% of the survey’s total number of locations. Three years later it has been offered to approximately 320 chains covering 60% of the locations and 65% of the sales. PERQS is fit for the largest, most complex of the survey respondents, not the smaller, less complex retails since they found no appreciable time saving over paper.

Feedback from respondents shows that the system is easier and faster to report. The data quality from the reporters is better than in the past. There were also cost savings to both the respondent and to Statistics Canada.

The recommendations worth to others considering venturing into electronic reporting are made in the end of the paper.