Performing research tasks may be unworkable at first because of the lack of resources or budget. However, some of the proposed processes can be carried out without investing a large amount of resources.
Without knowing the problem well, it is very difficult to provide an adequate solution. If it is not possible to perform a detailed study of the tasks for which we will provide solutions, try to analyze the behavior of a small group of users. A fieldwork vision is always fruitful and helps us understand the way the user thinks, avoiding solutions that, while they may be effective, are not suitable for the specific environment of your users.
A competition study will be very useful for all departments besides the design department. It will give us an interesting insight into the effectiveness of certain types of solutions and helps us place ourselves in the market...