March 09, 2026
Forsta Introduces Purpose-Built Market Research Agents that Cut Reporting Time in Half
Press Ganey Forsta has launched a suite of AI agents inside its Research HX platform designed to help market research teams work faster without cutting corners on quality. The company says the agents can reduce reporting timelines by 50% by automating some of the most time-consuming stages of the research process, like data preparation and verbatim analysis.
The launch helps research teams, who are under growing pressure to deliver results quickly and with fewer resources. Rather than adding more headcount, Forsta is relying on AI embedded directly into each stage of the research workflow as the more scalable solution.
Three core capabilities make up the initial release: a metadata agent, a reporting agent, and a research agent.
A metadata agent cleans and standardises data before reporting begins, removing the manual groundwork that typically slows down project setup. A reporting agent automatically converts research data into PowerPoint-ready presentations, bypassing one of the most labour-intensive parts of any project. And a research agent surfaces key findings from completed reports on demand, allowing teams to query their own data and pull out decision-ready conclusions in seconds.
Additional agentic reporting and visualisation features are planned for later in 2026, according to the company.
Tobi Andersson, Forsta’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of Market Research, described the launch as part of a longer evolution of the Research HX platform. He said: “We are embedding purpose-built AI at critical stages of the research process — from auto-generating report slides and accelerating verbatim analysis, to metadata management that speeds report setup and slide-level evaluation that strengthens how insights are presented. These capabilities deliver meaningful productivity gains while helping research teams move faster without compromising quality, rigour, or control.”
The AI Stack Argument
Mike Thompson, Press Ganey Forsta’s Chief Analytics Officer, used the launch to caution against fragmented AI adoption. He argued that the industry has accumulated a patchwork of AI capabilities, such as text analytics, language models, and risk models, each working in isolation.
“We’re bringing the full AI stack of capabilities together to work toward a common goal. We’re investing heavily in agent orchestration, calling the right specialised agent at the right time, chaining insights into actions across experience management and research use cases,” he said.
The move reflects growing industry pressure on vendors to integrate AI across the full research workflow, a trend CXM has tracked closely heading into 2026.
Early Adopter Feedback
Novus Group International, an early adopter of the agents, has used them to handle initial data structuring and first-pass overviews, freeing analysts to spend more time on interpretation and strategic insight development.
AI handling the mechanical first layer so humans can focus on the harder analytical work is increasingly becoming the standard pitch from research technology vendors. Forsta’s version is notable in that it focuses squarely on the operational bottlenecks that slow down research delivery rather than on flashier generative capabilities.
In May 2025, the company acquired InMoment, combining experience measurement and analytics capabilities across healthcare and commercial sectors. The deal deepens its omnichannel listening capabilities and extends its reach into retail, automotive, and hospitality. The Research HX AI agents sit alongside that expanded portfolio as Forsta pushes to demonstrate that AI can drive tangible operational results.
