The CADAS software is a unified system, designed to support acquisition of source survey data (both quantitative as well as qualitative data) during social research and market surveys.

The complete system consists of 6 modules: CATI, CAWI, CAPI, MOBI, P&P and FoBo, which form the integrated MES (Manufacturing Execution System) application suite named CADAS (short for: Computer Assisted Data Acquisition Software),

CADAS is marketed under the "CADAS” brand name. This common brand name is used by the system developer, i.e. CADAS Software Sp. z o. o. (a limited liability company) for branding individual components and various configurations of the modular system. CADAS is provided to individual customers in the form of bundles, which are being set-up (configured) using ready-made components (modules), picked from the complete CADAS portfolio. In this way, each customer gets a set of modules and applications tailored to their individual needs in terms of IT support for field survey source data acquisition and exploration activities during market surveys or social research.

CADAS software effectively coordinates various concurrent activities performed by distributed cooperators assigned with different roles in the production process, as illustrated on the example below.

Cooperators, interacting on the CADAS Platform within the scope of polling and observation data collection, may be any entities who need to coordinate work of agents (interviewers, observers, auditors,etc.) that may be acting through various operational management units (CAPI, MOBI or CATI At Home interviewer network coordinators, centralized face-to-face interviewing centres, dedicated In-Hall phone-based survey centres, etc.

Telephone-based (CATI) interviewers, web (CAWI) respondents, panellists of moderated FoBo discussion groups, as well as CADAS Research Operations Utility (SCU) application users all have real-time (on-line) and direct access to relevant system modules.

CAPI and MOBI field agents communicate with the system's central module using dedicated client applications installed on their terminals and may automatically synchronize their results collected since the last login, with the centralised system repository.

Script writers, using the CADAS Questionnaire Designer (QET) application, are also working in the off-line mode, using it to design electronic forms for all field interviewing techniques. A traditional off-line Client-Server solution has been employed to overcome significant inconveniences and limitations constraints of web technologies.

Always up-to date CADAS resources can be precisely provisioned to authorized users for further processing, supervision, authorisation or for browsing only.

The CADAS software utilizes common web links, using standard data transmission technologies and protocols, as well as state-of-the-art data transmission protection and data security solutions. Below we include a block diagram illustrating sample communication flows between participants utilizing our offered solutions.

In practice, the way how the CADAS software is implemented and how its components and modules are distributed in the licensee’s IT infrastructure is unlimited. For an example of a common CADAS configuration in licensee’s infrastructure, see below.

Local office computer network of the Customer can be feature such components, as:

• a server room for: CADAS software server applications along with the complete set of dedicated functional modules, customized software from other manufacturers, corporate knowledge base, network access system, mail, LAN and WAN links for the whole system, to facilitate cooperation between licensee's users;

• a LAN for workstations at the licensee's office,

• a VPN link: 1) for external on-line CADAS CATI In-Hall terminals (e.g. supervisor terminals) of the local studio (call centre) and (2) to ensure data communication for a complete remote real-time CADAS CATI In-Hall solution;

• outbound WAN links for: (a) CADAS CATI At-Home terminals of external CATI At-Home interviewers networks (b) CADAS CAPI terminals of CAPI interviewer networks and (c) CADAS MOBI terminals of observer (researcher) networks, (d) for CAWI respondents or FoBo panellists using standard, office or home-based computer equipment.

Users appointed by the licensee to perform specific roles (e.g. system operator, field agent, web respondent or participant in a virtual discussion group) perform their tasks within the CADAS system using general-purpose hardware. The only requirement for the hardware is its compatibility with the available web links (i.e. WiFi or Ethernet link in any of the local networks available in the office, at home or in a public Hot-Spot.

Each of the external (contractd) participants of survey projects, who are cooperate with the licensee playing within the scope of available roles of: the interviewer network coordinator; a controller, an analyst, a surveyor, etc. access the system from their own, commonly-available machines equipped with operating system software, Internet access and e-mail software, on which they could independently install relevant CADAS client applications, if so required, and if so required by services being provided. They can also access the system using any common Internet access technology (e.g. over WiFi or an over an Ethernet link, from any local network available: in the office, at home or in a public HotSport area.

List of CADAS applications

CADAS has a modular architecture, which is suitable for both classic Client-Server system configurations employed in Local Area Networks or in Virtual Private Networks, as well as for web-based platforms supporting cooperation of users from multiple surveys and playing different roles, distributed over Wide Area Networks.

The complete CADAS software suite includes:

Server Applications

• CADAS Platform - the central module including the Apache Tomcat application server and PostresSQL database

• CADAS CallServer - an auxiliary CATI module with built-in SIP2 Asterisk switch control functionality

• CADAS Focus Board - a BBI web service - a platform for moderated FGI discussions

Client apps for system operators

• CADAS Research Operations Utility (SCU) – an ADMIN tool for field work departments

• CADAS Questionnaire Designer (QET) - a questionnaire design and encoding tool

Terminal applications

• Intended for CATI module workstations

  • CADAS SoftPhone – a system-wide VoIP telephony solution

  •  CADAS CDV – a system active questionnaire screen preview tool for local CATI workstations

There is no system-based CATI interviewer application (a standard MS IE 8.0+ web browser is required)

• Intended for respondents or for other customers being linked to the CAWI module

  • any web browser, suitable for home or office, desktop or mobile computer hardware is supported, excluding outdated applications ans applications which are not fully compatible with the computer hardware currently offered)

• Intended for CAPI module workstations

  • CADAS CAPI - a system interviewer's application intended for CAPI workstations

  •  CADAS CMI – a system application intended for synchronizing CAPI workstation data with the central module

• Intended for MOBI module workstations (for interviewers, researchers, auditors, etc.)

  • CADAS Mobi - a system application intended for surveying and synchronization of data from MOBI workstations with the central module (for Andriod devices)

• Intended for P&P module workstations

  •  CADAS Papi – a system interface permitting manual entry of data from paper-based questionnaires

• Intended for moderators and panellists of the FoBo module.

  • There is no system application for participants - access using any web browser, suitable for home or office PCs (or laptops), is supported instead