Abstract This paper discusses two feedbackloops that FedEx pays attention to: the production and business results that come out each month and the international trade indicators. The paper shows how FedEx analyzes the feedback and adjusts their business plan to maximize the company potential over the long-term. The paper posits that organizations that are able to observe the feedback, learn, and adjust will continue to operate successfully.
From the Paper "Feedback loops play a crucial role in any company. There are both positive and negative feedback loops which help to determine how a company is going to proceed in the future. A company that studies the feedback loops and organizes a strategy in both the short term and long term will continue to expand and produce profits. FedEx is a great example of a company that listens to the environment and pays attention to the feedback loops in the cargo industry. The first feedback that is important for the company to observe is the production and business results that come out monthly. The second feedback loop that is important to the company is the international trade indicators. These indicators are used by the company for feedback to develop both the long-term strategy the company is going to take and the short-term tactical strategies that help weather any economic storm and capitalize on economic booms."
Tags: international, trade, indicators, production, business
Abstract This paper discusses the impact of effective communications by Dell, Inc. to its external publics. The author cites three examples of the actual public relations tools used by the organization. The paper describes Dell, Inc..
From the Paper "According to Dell. com online, Dell Incorporated describes itself as the world's leading computer systems company. Dell is the largest and fastest growing among all major computer systems companies worldwide with more than ... employees. Dell designs builds and customizes products and services to satisfy a range of customer requirements. Its global strategy is to be the premiere provider of products and services including those that customers require to build their information technology and Internet infrastructures. Dell has manufacturing facilities and sales offices throughout the Americas."
Tags: effeective communication, busiess communication, public relations, press releases, SEC filings, ad campaigns, after salescustomersupportfeedbackloop
Abstract Examines the evolution of customer relationship management (CRM) and measures that contemporary companies are taking to improve customersupport and make it more cost-effective.
From the Paper "Customer support is critical for the success of any business. According to Computing Canada, on average companies "lose half of their customers every five years" (Brooks, 1998, p. 29). Traditionally customer service was seen as a cost ..."
An examination of the purpose and effectiveness of the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) in supporting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Abstract This paper discusses voluntary reporting systems for the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). It focuses on the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) which was primarily intended for supporting the mission of FAA in eliminating unsafe conditions and preventing avoidable accidents in the national aviation system. The paper specifically discusses the effectiveness with which the data is collected and stored by a program like ASRS and the potency of the feedbackloop, of the reporting system, to the industry and the reporters to whom its serves.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Overview of Voluntary Reporting Systems
Exhibit 1
From the Paper "A major aspect which contributes to the success of ASRS has been the participation of the complete aviation stakeholders' community in the structure of an Advisory Committee of the industry. The Committee offers its aviation expertise, criticism, guidance and advocacy. Semiannual meetings are held by NASA along with the Committee for reviewing the programmatic changes and proposed policies before they are implemented. In effect it can be seen that incident reporting systems which are confidential like the one based on the model of ASRS is not a foolproof method for acquiring data; they are exposed to the fears and biases of the humans. Although voluntary incident reports are treated as a representative model of the events that they describe, it cannot be considered to be so. However, since many years the ASRS model has demonstrated that if the users of the system are confident about reporting problems of safety encountered by them to a program in which they have faith in, the goals of safety would be attained much quicker than if the incidents were not reported by the volunteers. ("ASRS: The Case for Confidential Incident Reporting Systems", n. d.)"
Abstract This paper explains that the Veterans Health Administration uses aggregation, a process for clustering several similar products or services to group veteran types by age, priority level and enrollees type. It also shows how the VHA uses cost models to reflect the projected health care demand of the enrollees by preferred facility and to reflect the projected health care demands of enrollees by their county of residence. The author outlines the methodology used to develop the Veteran Enrollment, Health Care Utilization and Expenditure Projection Demand Models. The paper states that predictive forecasting customer demand models achieve for the VHA (1) an integrated healthcare plan including financial, capital assets and workforce needs to provide data-driven information for budgetary and legislative and regulatory negotiations with OMB, the President, and Congress; (2) a continuous feedbackloop for VHA to assess performance and outcomes and (3) needed information for mandated reporting to Congress. Charts.
From the Paper "The root of most business decisions is the challenge of forecasting customer demand; this function is a difficult task because the demand for goods and services can vary greatly. External factors impact the VA's demand for healthcare. External factors that affect demand for a firm's products or services are beyond management's control. For example, it is impossible to determine how world events will unfold. Those events that impact our economy and the use of our military may have a profound impact on veterans' enrollment in our health care programs as well as expenditure projections."
Abstract This paper explains that customer-centricity as a concept is applicable to virtually every area of the business paradigm. The paper also points out that customer satisfaction, as determined by many quantitative and qualitative factors, is the primary measure of the successful customer-centric organization.The paper further emphasizes that customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction can be seen as two sides of the same process. The paper then looks at ways that various companies utilize a consumer-centric approach that encourages the testing of new or amended policies in real-world situations.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Customer Satisfaction and Total Quality Management
Customer Relations: Caring for the Customer as a Unique Individual
Marketing Programs
Sales Automation
Support/Services Automations Software
Employee Satisfaction
Working Environment and the Happy Employee
Good Customer Service and Treating Employees Fairly
Human Resources Management
Business Intelligence
Conclusion
From the Paper "As computer manufacturers, Acer, and companies like it, would probably appreciate the electronic help that has become available in recent years within the field of customer relations. In today's business world, customer-centric organizations may take advantage of applications that are specially designed to handle the overall problems of customer relations. Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, software consists of programs designed to serve the needs of a company's customers - wherever those customers might be found."
Tags: policies, social identity theory, behavioral decision theory, improvements, best buy
Abstract This paper explains that the purpose of this database is to provide a means by which sales-persons can track contact information about potential customers including the history for each customer contact. The author relates that this database will be relational, using the Oracle database and will be interfaced with other existing database systems, primarily the employee database. The paper states that the data consistency is maintained in this system by means of the system assignment of values, validation of entries and limitations on access. Charts and diagram.
Table of Contents
Database Overview
Business Requirements
Interfaces
Consistency and Validation
Screens and Reports
Tables
1. Customer 2. Customer History
3. Employee
4. Sales Territories
5. City
6. State
7. Phone Number
Entity Relationship Diagram
From the Paper "The main business requirement is to allow salespersons access to customer information. Salespersons need to be able to find the customer's phone number and address, but they will have only the authority to add to the Phone Number table, if the customer's number is not already in the table. They also need to be able to view and update the Customer History. Employees may add customers and phone numbers, but they may not delete them. They will not have update authority on sales territories. They also will have no authority to update the City or State tables, except to relate a Customer to City."
Abstract This paper is a sales organization plan for a new sales organization within an already established company. The paper focuses on the new product, TrashWagon, within Trash to Transportation Technologies. The plan addresses supply problems, quality control issues, and customer service shortcomings, in order to ensure a successful product launch.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Product
Target Markets
Channels Of Distribution
Sales Organization
Territory Management
Internal Sales Organization
External Sales Organization
Budget Plan
Year One Sales Forecast
Budget Administration
Sales Associate Staffing
Training
Motivation/Incentives/Compensation
Customer Service/Satisfaction
E-Business
Code of Ethics
Administration and Account Management
Forecasting Utilizing Market Research and Technology
Conclusion
From the Paper "Trash to Transportation Technologies is a developing a new organization to sell the TrashWagon, a hybrid vehicle that operates on trash-based fuel in urban areas where such fuel exists. Not restricted to urban use, the TrashWagon can also operate on traditional fossil fuels, so despite its unique features it can operate virtually anywhere a conventional vehicle can.
Since Trash to Transportation Technologies has been driven by research and development until this point, the implementation of a sales department is the next step for the company before beginning to conduct business. Rather than develop the product to sell through distributors or wholesalers, Trash to Transportation Technologies has decided to sell the product through TrashWagon retail outlets using its own sales force. Management staff that has previously concerned itself with raising capital for research and organizational funding, will now be developing the sales organization."
Abstract This paper relates that some researchers find it helpful to study experience from the perspective of seeing the student as a consumer of a product, which, in this case, is education. The author points out that one key element in conducting useful research is determining what methodology will be used to gather the most complete and reliable information for a specific hypothesis. The paper relates that five-point Likert scales prove helpful in measuring customer/consumer satisfaction levels because respondents specify their level of agreement or disagreement with a statement. The paper includes a Likert scale questionnaire and the plan for data analysis.
From the Paper "Researchers disagree on the best way to measure students' experience. Experiential education differs from the majority of traditional learning for the fact that knowledge is personally as well as communally constructed by people. They are simultaneously observing and interacting with the world around them. Experiential education negates the Platonic ideology that truth is independent of knowing, and individuals can learn information apart from understanding, mastering, and applying it."
Abstract This paper describes three popular ways that sales managers are using to monitor and control the daily activities of their subordinate salespeople in the field. The paper explains that these methods encourage sales staff to target specific clients rather than extend a wide reach of cold calls, stress solutions to specific customer problems, generate demand by highlighting specific customer problems and establish sales employee incentives on long-term performance rather than short-term sales.
Table of Contents
Saving Time by Segmenting the Market
Problem-Solution
Motivating the Staff on a Long-Term Basis
From the Paper "Mark Hendricks in Entrepreneur magazine recently noted the increased popularity of 'time management' sales strategies in a less sales-friendly market. Using segmented and targeted research while deploying salespeople stragetically, hiring more of salepeople in general to target different market segments, "and investing more in training, supervision and technology to support sales," is now a popular managerial technique. This 'time management' strategy, or time compression, was born of an economic enviroronment boasting "savvier but less patient customers" and "the availability of more but sometimes less qualified candidates for sales jobs." (Hendricks, 2002, p.1) For instance, phamecutical companies like Pfizer now often have more drug representatives with fewer drugs under their care, and specific staff that highlight doctor's offices, while other salespeople market different products or different doses of drugs or sales packages to hospitals."
Tags: time, management, sales-friendly, segmented, targeted, research, training, supervision, technology
Abstract The paper focuses on the declining trend in its customer satisfaction metrics within Wal-Mart's retail locations. The paper examines how a customer relationship management (CRM) initiative can reverse this. The paper shows how, for Wal-Mart, its CRM strategy must be anchored with an emphasis on personnel driven CRM solutions within the store, since its IT infrastructure and related CRM technology platforms are already industry leading applications. The paper explains how Wal-Mart can create a personal relationship with its customers and the closest retail location to those customers.
Outline:
Overview
CRM in Detail
An Example of CRM at Work
CRM's E-Commerce Solutions
Emergent Models
Conclusion
From the Paper "CRM strategies have been in existence since commerce became a human endeavour and companies have historically always sought to satisfy their customers. Often an organization's CRM strategy is nothing more than a business owner's attempt to build a relationship with the organization's customers and this aspect still rests with executive leadership today (De Koning & Maravanyika). However, in the contemporary retail business environment CRM has been appropriated by IT applications and products designed to automate CRM efforts. Companies are rushing to automate and better manage their methods in which they have traditionally dealt with customers, including people who might not be considered customers yet, as well as develop completely new concepts in managing the customer from a service perspective. CRM applications incorporate the business functions of marketing materials, developing and maintaining customer histories, and coordinating a company's multi-faceted approach to interactions with customers."
Abstract This paper explains the objective of the CEO of the G.W. Pergault company to increase on-line sales as well the main obstacle to the attainment of that objective. The paper explains the reasons that the company's sales manager has not been aggressive in pursuing the CEO's objective and what possible measures the two might undertake that would be compatible with the goals of both individuals. The paper also takes a look at how customer relationship management and technology might be used in order to enhance the company's selling functions.
From the Paper "The impact of online sales on incentive structures warrants careful consideration. For example, it might be possible to raise quotes with the expected sales increase generated by the Web, and pay the sales force for all business closed in their territories. Or, salespeople may best be allocated to larger businesses because the Web can service smaller companies more effectively and cost efficiently. This will allow sales people to focus their tme on developing relationships with the larger, more complex and more profitable accounts."
Abstract The paper uses the current organic food sector, particularly organically grown fruits and vegetables, to illustrate the strategies that can be implemented in order to increase sales revenues. The paper describes the organic food industry, its product and market features, the price elasticity of organic foods and the effects of consumers' behavior. The paper then analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of different strategies, namely, increasing the price, reducing the cost, enlarging the customer palette and diversifying the product palette.
Outline:
Overview
Companies' state
Product Features
Market Features
Price Elasticity
Consumers' Behavior
Proposed strategies to increase revenue sales
From the Paper "The organic food industry is a relatively new industry that is focused on producing high quality and healthy fruits, vegetables and even other sorts of foods, such as, but not limited to yogurts and other dairy products. The companies operating in the agricultural sector stated their mission to improve the quality of life by presenting customers with the highest quality products while at the same time registering profits and growth."
Abstract The writer relates that he is attracted to Apple's less-formal, more results-driven approach. The paper describes Apple's organizational culture and discusses the needs and value of their customer base. The paper also suggests customer service standards to make Apple more customer-centric.
From the Paper "The company I have chosen to examine is Apple Computers. Apple characterizes its organizational culture as "fun, yet demanding. " Apple was one of the pioneers of the "work hard, play hard" ethic now commonplace in the computer industry today. This ethic appeals to me because it fits with how I approach work life. I, too, take a results-driven approach that devalues formality in place of superior performance. Too many industries still rely on formality and hierarchy. While that may suit other people, I view Apple's less-formal, more results-driven approach as in line with the approach I feel works best for me."
Tags: corporate, philosophy, customer, service, feedback, technical, help
Abstract This paper details a marketing plan to provide a framework for migrating customers from personal service to web-based self-service to both reduce costs while increasing the level of responsiveness and generating higher levels of loyalty from customers. It looks at how web-based self-service has proven to be a viable alternative versus large-scale expansion of call centers, freeing up technical support and services personnel to work on more complex customer problems. It also examines how providing customers with multiple avenues to gain support over the Internet through a web-based self-service site on a 24/7 basis, regardless of their location globally, has major competitive advantages long-term.
Outline:
Executive Summary
Overall Business Objectives
Specific Marketing Objectives
Business Situation/SWOT Analysis
Marketing Problems and Opportunities
Identification of Target Market/Market Segments
Marketing Action Plans
Integrated Marketing Communications
Testing Plans
Evaluation Techniques
Implementation Timetable
From the Paper "Project management of the web-based self-service initiative relies on a cross-functional team that will work through the entire New Product Development and Introduction (NPDI) process. This process includes defining the initial functional specifications of the website, then fine-tuning them through a series of meeting with Customer Advisory Councils with a representative set of customers. As part of the resource availability and allocation of personnel internally, there needs to be specific efforts made to create these advisory councils who will act as the Voice of the Customer (VoC) inputs into the website process. It is essential that each functional area of the organization also be included in this cross-functional team, and that they have the opportunity to learn through VoC programs what can be best done to meet customers' unmet needs. "
Tags: project, management, support, internet, technical, support
