This master's thesis presents the development of a conceptual model, SMARTQUAL LITE, designed to measure and evaluate the quality of services delivered by smart buildings. The purpose of this research is to provide a foundation for a comprehensive service quality model, SMARTQUAL, enabling smart building service providers to enhance their service offerings and effectively meet tenant demands. The study addresses three key research questions: firstly, it explores how smart building services can be leveraged to improve the quality of office spaces. Secondly, it investigates whether property owners adequately meet tenant demands for smart building services. Lastly, it aims to establish a reliable and valid method for measuring the quality of smart building services. The findings highlight the presence of numerous digital tools and solutions offered by established companies specializing in smart infrastructure and smart buildings. These solutions offer substantial advantages, with their limitations gradually diminishing. The PropTech market is poised for the implementation of smart digital solutions to enhance office space quality. However, a significant challenge lies in convincing property owners of the intangible benefits provided by these solutions. While the argument for energy efficiency is relatively straightforward due to its cost-saving potential, the objective value of other smart building services remains unclear. This study aims to bridge this gap by proposing a simplified yet valid and credible measurement of smart buildingservice quality. Additionally, it explores the responsiveness of property owners to tenant demands. By developing SMARTQUAL LITE, this research provides a practical framework for assessing the service quality of smart building offerings. The model contributes to the ongoing advancement of smart building technology and encourages service providers to make informed decisions about service upgrades and offerings. Ultimately, it seeks to create a more tenantcentric approach to smart building services, ensuring an improved quality of office spaces in line with evolving demands and expectations. / Denna masteruppsats presenterar utvecklingen av en konceptuell modell, SMARTQUAL LITE, designad för att mäta och utvärdera kvaliteten på tjänster som levereras av smarta byggnader. Syftet med denna forskning är att ge en grund för en heltäckande tjänstekvalitetsmodell, SMARTQUAL, som gör det möjligt för leverantörer av smarta byggnadstjänster att förbättra sina tjänsteerbjudanden och effektivt möta hyresgästernas krav. Studien tar upp tre viktiga forskningsfrågor: för det första undersöker den hur smarta byggnadstjänster kan utnyttjas för att förbättra kvaliteten på kontorsutrymmen. För det andra undersöks om fastighetsägare uppfyller hyresgästernas krav på smarta tjänster på ett lämpligt sätt. Slutligen syftar det till att etablera en trovärdig och giltig metod för att mäta kvaliteten på smarta byggnadstjänster. Resultaten belyser närvaron av många digitala verktyg och lösningar som erbjuds av etablerade företag som specialiserar sig på smart infrastruktur och smarta byggnader. Dessa lösningar erbjuder betydande fördelar, medan deras begränsningar gradvis minskar. PropTech-marknaden är redo för implementering av smarta digitala lösningar för att förbättra kvaliteten av kontorsutrymmen. En betydande utmaning ligger dock i att övertygafastighetsägare om de immateriella fördelarna med dessa lösningar. Även om argumentet för energieffektivitet är relativt enkelt på grund av dess kostnadsbesparingspotential, är det objektiva värdet av andra smarta byggnadstjänster fortfarande oklart. Denna studie syftar till att överbrygga denna klyfta genom att föreslå en förenklad men giltig och trovärdig mätning av kvaliteten på smarta byggnadstjänster. Dessutom utforskar den fastighetsägares lyhördhet för hyresgästernas krav och efterfrågan. Genom att utveckla SMARTQUAL LITE ger denna forskning ett praktiskt ramverk för att bedöma servicekvaliteten hos smarta byggnader. Modellen bidrar till den pågående utvecklingen av smart byggnadsteknik och uppmuntrar tjänsteleverantörer att fatta välgrundade beslut om tjänsteuppgraderingar och erbjudanden. I slutändan strävar det efter att skapa ett mer hyresgästcentrerat tillvägagångssätt för smarta byggnadstjänster, vilket säkerställer en förbättrad kvalitet på kontorsytor i linje med förändrade krav och förväntningar.

The increased use of social media has enhanced the way consumers make their everyday purchasing decisions. This has increased the importance of e-commerce companies to be present on social media. E-commerce companies that now use the capabilities of social media have led to the emergence of social commerce. Social media gives mutual gain for customers and companies but has also increased the amount of interactions e-commerce companies need to manage their customer experience (CE) in. As social media gives more control over the CE to the customer themselves it now becomes a challenge in maintaining the seamless CE that is demanded by the customer.  Customer experience management (CEM) is becoming a priority for managers and one of the most promising marketing approaches. CEM is about using customer insight to achieve long term customer loyalty. To gain competitiveness on the market and increase profitability e-commerce companies now need to provide a memorable CE in social media. Despite this, most companies have failed to implement CEM initiatives. There is moreover a lack in research on the combination of the topics of social commerce and CEM. This makes it highly relevant to conduct a study with the intention of answering the following research question: How can Swedish e-commerce companies work with their customer experience management on social media? This study conducted a multiple case study on Swedish e-commerce companies to investigate how Swedish e-commerce companies use CEM on their social media and what challenges and opportunities that exist. The study uses an inductive research approach with an element of deduction where the theoretical framework presents theories in the field of social media, social media marketing strategy (SMMS) and CEM. The study conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with seven marketing managers. The respondents' answer showed that feelings and company culture worked as strategic directions when creating CE that in turn created engaged customers that through two-way interactions gave valuable insight for the company to use for improving their CEM. Challenges for the management was the decreased attention span of customers and an ever-changing context on platforms while there were opportunities in social listening software and the possibility to forecast upcoming trends using the data gathered from social media.

Konsumenter exponeras för 2000 reklammeddelanden dagligen men lägger bara märke till fåtal av dem. Musik har en värdefull position i reklam som företag kan använda för att sticka ut i reklambruset. För att kunder ska lägga märke till företags marknadsföring vilken kan skapa värde för kund, behövs förståelse för vilka känslor och tankar som uppstår hos kund vid exponering av företags reklammusik i långsamt- och medeltempo, samt vilka attityder som formas gentemot företaget vid exponeringen. För att förstå kundupplevelsen i form av vilka känslor, tankar och attityder vid lyssnandet av reklammusik, utförs en kvalitativ undersökning för att förstå fenomenet på djupet. Den verkliga kundupplevelsen har fångats genom att 13 djupintervjuer genomförts där respondenterna exponerats för reklamlåtar i tempona långsam (70 bpm) och medel (120 bpm). Undersökningen tyder på att reklammusik väcker känslor och tankar i både positiv och negativ riktning, likaså influeras attityden gentemot företag men mer i stunden som respondenterna exponeras av reklammusik än ihållande. Reklammusik i marknadsföring har en betydande roll i den värdeskapande processen för både kund och företag. Vidare tenderar värdeskapande reklammusik att generera i konkurrensfördelar vilket gynnar företags framgång. Resultaten bidrar med förståelse om kundupplevelsen vid reklammusik till litteraturen samt med kunskap till företag gällande reklammusikens inflytande på kundupplevelsen. / Every day consumers are exposed to an enormous amount of advertisements but only notice a few of them. Music has a powerful role in advertising which corporations can use to stand out from the noise of advertising. For consumers to notice corporations’ marketing that is used to create customer value, an understanding is needed regarding which feelings and thoughts arise when customers are exposed by advertising music in a slow- and middle tempo, also what attitudes are formed toward corporations at the exposure. To achieve knowledge about the customer experience, qualitative research is needed to understand the phenomenon in depth. To achieve an understanding of the real customer experience, 13 in-depth interviews have been conducted where the interviewees have been exposed to advertising music in the tempo of slow (70 bpm) and average (120 bpm). Advertising music awakens feelings and thoughts, both in positive and negative terms, as well as the attitude is shaped toward corporations which are influenced more in the moment the person is exposed by advertising music than in the long run. Advertising music has a powerful role in marketing in the process of value creation to both customers and corporations which may emerge in competitive advantages and further empower corporation success. The understanding of customer experience in combination with advertising music contributes to both corporations' knowledge and the literature.

The development of digital solutions has changed the way consumers complete purchases today. New distribution channels through internet and mobile applications have come to challenge the business of traditional retailers. Thus, retailers must find new ways of keeping customers loyal to the store. One way of retaining customers is to provide a more prominent customer experience. This study focuses on technological solutions for the food retail industry that enables the creation of this experience, more specifically self-scanning applications provided by the Swedish company Datema.The Swedish market, in which Datema acts, is among the most technologically advanced in the world regarding self-scanning solutions and has begun to reach a maturity phase. This, along with desires to expand the marketplace, has created an attraction to larger foreign markets such as North America. Similarities in business culture and a strong buying power have led to a certain interest in the Northeastern part of America. Thus, the purpose of this thesis is to investigate the need for self-scanning solutions in this specific area and to provide recommendations for how the market could be targeted.To create an overview of the market structure the consumer market has been studied through an in-depth literature review of the latest market investigations. Furthermore, the technological level of Northeastern supermarket chains was investigated through market observations and interviews with store managers in Boston, Massachusetts. To create the holistic view of the market, interviews with experts in the US retail market and with US IT-vendors were conducted. Additionally, interviews with management consultants and experts in market entries have contributed to answering the question of how the market should be entered. Finally, in order to provide conclusions and recommendations, the results have been analyzed with relevant literature and theories within marketing, change management and entry mode management.The findings in this master thesis indicates that there is a need for technological solutions that enhance the customer experience in the Northeastern American food retail market. Furthermore, the technological level of the existing supermarket chains in Boston is considered low and that the level and acceptance varies with the store concept. The previous resistance towards implementation of new technological solutions in the stores was found to mainly depend on a low knowledge, low trust in the consumers and fear of losing customer interaction.Datema is recommended to address the middle and high-end supermarket chains with a follower approach. Further recommendations include that the market should be entered through a joint venture with a local partner.

Digital transformation effects the way companies engage with their customers, which is reflected in the post-purchase offerings. This change and added utilization of digital technologies allow companies to capture more data about their customer through different sources and by having the digital capabilities to transform this data into knowledge, companies can offer better products and personalized experiences. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how a traditional company in the white goods sector can improve its post-purchase phase offerings to engage with its customers, through the use of digital technologies, by conducting a case study on Electrolux. To do so, an extensive literature review was conducted and key learnings used to investigate the post-purchase offerings from Electrolux, compared with three traditional and eight born digital companies. Empirical data is collected through direct observation, desk research, and interviews. Overall, the analysis revealed Electrolux offers about the same to its customers as the other companies in the post-purchase phase. However, the differences are in the process behind the creation of each offering. This lead to the creation of a substantive model that presents the process by which a company in the white goods sector can deliver personalized and data-driven experiences to their customers. The model additionally outlines the need for a quick-learning environment, developed through testing and experimentation within the companies. Concluding, the conclusions and recommendations suggested identifies what focuses need to be implemented by traditional companies in the white goods sector in order to succeed in a digital environment.

This thesis investigates the influence of organizational culture on customer experience through a comprehensive study of a global supplier of home repair products. By combining organizational analysis and consumer research, this research draws on anthropological principles to explore the nuances of family governance and their effects on behavior, customer experience, and product design. The results of this study present insightful information on product perception and actionable strategies to improve product design, branding, and messaging in order to enhance customer experience and drive sales. Drawing on organizational anthropology and the utilization of critical reflexivity, this thesis provides a deeper understanding of how family-owned businesses can leverage research to challenge their cultural assumptions about products, consumers, and their organization, in order to effectively implement customer-centric solutions and drive organizational behavior, customer experience, and product development.

Customer retention also referred to as Customer loyalty has been proven to be an important factor in the success of online retailers. However, recent research has shown that many online retailers are still unenlightened on the elements they need to focus on in order to retain their customers. On the contrary, Amazon which operates in a business ecosystem has been found to have high customer loyalty which means that the company must have been able to modify rightly the appropriate contributors to online customer loyalty compared to the many other online retailers. Studies have been conducted to investigate different variables including customer satisfaction and trust to find out if these variables can be applied to improve online customer loyalty. Still, there has been no research that has investigated how customer satisfaction together with trust in the context of a business ecosystem may influence customer loyalty. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate how online retailers create customer loyalty as a result of online customer satisfaction and trust in the context of the business ecosystem, by applying the case study of Amazon. The most suitable way of conducting this research was to collect quantitative data from Amazon customers who had shopped more than twice within the last two months from the time of participating in the self-completed survey. The questionnaire was distributed in different Facebook groups and was also shared with a number of participants via email. In order to answer the research questions and fulfill the study purpose, the data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, and correlation and regression analyses were conducted. The findings indicated that customer satisfaction and trust in the context of a business ecosystem are the key factors in establishing customer loyalty. In addition, trust in the context of a business ecosystem contributed more to predicting customer loyalty in comparison to customer satisfaction.

Artificiell intelligens (AI) och i synnerhet maskininlärning (ML) har inom UX-design visat potential att förbättra designprocessen genom att exempelvis identifiera användargrupper från stora datamängder, effektivisera idégenerering och automatisera repetitiva uppgifter. Det råder dock oenighet kring hur tekniken kan integreras i designprocessen. En viktig del av en designers arbete är att konsekvent prioritera användarbehov och därigenom förbättra användartillfredsställelsen. Därför försöker designers empatiskt sätta sig in i användarnas situation genom att identifiera deras behov och noggrant utforska potentiella problemområden. En visualiseringsteknik som ofta används av designers för att utveckla och förstå användarupplevelsen är journey mapping (JM). JM är dock en mycket resurskrävande process då den förutsätter nära samarbete mellan olika avdelningar och team. Trots detta visar forskning att de flesta designers inte integrerar element relaterade till insikter i sina kartor, vilka ofta är avgörande för att omvandla JM från visuell berättelse till handlingsplan. Integreringen av ML i JM-processen skulle potentiellt kunna möjliggöra en snabbare, mer datadriven och anpassningsbar designprocess som fokuserar mer på användarnas behov och önskemål. Utmaningen ligger i att smidigt integrera tekniken utan att förlora mänskliga perspektiv och tolkningar, vilka är grundläggande för användarcentrerad design. Denna studie fokuserar på att utforska sätt att integrera ML i delar av designprocessen för att möta utmaningarna som uppstår vid strävan efter användarcentrerad design i en resurskrävande miljö. För att uppnå en djupgående och strukturerad förståelse av samspelet mellan designprocessen, empatiskapande samt ML valdes en systematisk litteraturgranskning som den primära datainsamlingsmetoden samt tematisk analys som dataanalysmetod för denna studie. Målet är att utifrån detta resultat presentera praktiska rekommendationer, baserat på sammanställning av befintlig forskning, för hur JM-processen kan omformas och göras mer ML-driven. Genom en omfattande litteratursökning inhämtades data, vilken genomgick kvalitetsbedömning. Därefter genomfördes en inkludering- och exkluderingsprocess i enlighet med förutbestämda kriterier. Detta resulterade i 13 utvalda dokument, från vilka mönster och teman extraherades genom en tematisk analys. Resultatet visade på vikten av samskapande mellan människa och maskin för att möjliggöra en ansvarsfull designprocess. I resultaten presenteras även tekniska möjligheter och dilemman, där ML exempelvis kan automatisera repetitiva uppgifter och möjliggöra kontinuerlig övervakning och utvärdering av användarupplevelsen över tid. Dock kräver detta omfattande och representativa träningsdataset för att konstruera ML-modeller med hög generaliseringsförmåga gentemot nya och komplexa data. Resultaten belyser också bristen på förståelse för ML bland UX-designers och betonar vikten av samarbete med datavetare för att skapa en effektiv designprocess. Utifrån dessa resultat presenteras rekommendationer för en ML-driven JM-process. Även om UX-rollen troligtvis behöver omdefinieras, framhåller resultaten att kulturen inom UX-designprocessen snarare är "dataaktiverad" än helt datadriven. Detta perspektiv understryker det fortsatta behovet av mänsklig intuition och förståelse trots den ökade inriktningen på datadrivna metoder. Slutligen diskuteras hur framtida forskning skulle kunna inrikta sig på att utvärdera rekommendationernas praktiska tillämpbarhet. / Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly Machine Learning (ML), has demonstrated potential within UX design to enhance the design process by identifying user groups from extensive datasets, streamlining idea generation, and automating repetitive tasks. However, there is ongoing debate about the integration of this technology in the design process. A crucial aspect of a designer's work is consistently prioritizing user needs to enhance user satisfaction. Designers strive to empathetically understand user situations by identifying their needs and meticulously exploring potential problem areas. One commonly used visualization technique employed by designers to develop and understand user experiences is Journey Mapping (JM). However, JM is a resource-intensive process, requiring close collaboration across different departments and teams for extensive data collection. Despite this, research indicates that most designers do not integrate elements related to insights into their maps, crucial for transforming JM from a visual narrative to an actionable plan. Integrating ML into the JM process could potentially enable a faster, more data-driven, and adaptable design process, effectively focusing on user needs and desires. The challenge lies in seamlessly integrating the technology without losing the human perspectives and interpretations fundamental to user-centered design. This study focuses on exploring ways to integrate ML into parts of the design process to address challenges in pursuing user-centered design in a resource-intensive environment. A systematic literature review was chosen as the primary data collection method, with thematic analysis employed as the data analysis method. The aim was to present practical recommendations based on a compilation of existing research on the design process, making the JM process more MLdriven. Through an extensive literature search, data was gathered and subjected to quality assessment. Subsequently, an inclusion and exclusion process were conducted according to predetermined criteria, resulting in 13 selected documents. Patterns and themes were extracted through thematic analysis. The results emphasize the importance of co-creation between humans and machines to enable a responsible design process. Technical possibilities and dilemmas are also presented, highlighting ML's ability to automate repetitive tasks and facilitate continuous monitoring and evaluation of user experience over time. However, this requires comprehensive and representative training datasets to construct ML models with high generalization ability to new and complex data. The results also underscore the lack of ML understanding among UX designers and emphasize the importance of collaboration with data scientists for an efficient design process. Recommendations for an ML-driven JM process are presented based on these findings. While the UX role may need redefinition, the results emphasize a "data-activated" culture within the UX design process rather than being entirely data-driven. This perspective underscores the ongoing need for human intuition and understanding despite the increased focus on data-driven methods. Finally, the discussion explores how future research could evaluate the practical applicability of the recommendations.

This thesis delves into the digital transformation of private banking, emphasizing the challenge of balancing technology with the personalized service that high-net-worth clients expect. Employing frameworks like Relationship Marketing, the Technology Acceptance Model, and Customer Experience Management, it examines the integration and impact of digital tools on client relationships and operational efficiency in private banking. The research, informed by interviews with industry professionals, explores the adoption of digital practices, highlighting a trend towards operational efficiency yet revealing a gap in achieving the depth of personalization characteristic of private banking. The study concludes by exploring the future of digitalization in the sector, suggesting a strategic approach where technological advancements complement the foundational elements of private banking. This balanced integration is vital for maintaining the essence of bespoke advice and trust that defines the client-advisor bond in an increasingly digital financial landscape. / Denna avhandling fördjupar sig i den digitala omvandlingen av private banking-sektorn, med betoning på utmaningen att balansera teknik med den personliga service som kunder med hög nettoförmögenhet förväntar sig. Genom att använda ramverk som Relationsmarknadsföring, teknikacceptansmodellen och kundupplevelsehantering, undersöks integrationen och effekten av digitala verktyg på kundrelationer och operationell effektivitet inom private banking. Forskningen, som är baserad på intervjuer med anställda inom private banking, undersöker införandet av digitala processer och belyser en trend mot operationell effektivitet, men visar även en brist på att uppnå den djupgående personalisering som är karaktäristisk inom private banking. Studien avslutas med att analysera framtiden för digitalisering inom sektorn, och föreslår en strategisk metod där tekniska framsteg kompletterar de grundläggande elementen i private banking-verksamhet. Denna balanserade integration är avgörande för att bevara essensen av skräddarsydd rådgivning och förtroende som definierar bandet mellan klient och rådgivare i ett alltmer digitalt landskap.

Digitaliseringen har skapat nya möjligheter för konsumenterna att dra nytta av både e-handeln och de fysiska försäljningskanalerna. Detta har skapat utmaningar och möjligheter för företag att arbeta i en mer digitaliserad marknadsmiljö. Studien betonar vikten av att erbjuda en integrerad och enhetlig upplevelse för konsumenterna, så kallad omnihandel. I denna studie undersöks ett fallföretags övergång till just omnihandel. Studiens syfte är att skapa en djupare förståelse om fenomenet omnihandel samt att utforska hur en omställning till omnihandel har sett ut från ett företagsperspektiv. Dessutom utforskas de upplevda fördelarna och nackdelarna ur ett kundperspektiv. Studien använde sig av ett explorativt tillvägagångsätt för att kunna utforska fenomenet. För att samla in data användes semistrukturerade intervjuer med tre respondenter från Elgigantens ledningsgrupp och fokusgrupper med kunder. Intervjuerna användes för att utforska ledningens syn på deras omställning till omnihandel, medan fokusgrupperna användes för att fånga kundernas direkta erfarenheter och åsikter. Resultaten från intervjuerna bidrog med värdefulla insikter om hur omställningen har skett i praktiken för fallföretaget. Resultaten från fokusgrupperna bidrog med insikter om att omnihandel kan ge fördelar som kundnöjdhet och stärkt varumärkeslojalitet. Vidare kunde slutsatsen visa att fallföretaget har gjort betydande framsteg i att integrera sina försäljningskanaler för att skapa en enhetlig kundupplevelse över både digitala och fysiska plattformar. Studiens slutsats visar att fenomenet omnihandel kan bidra till ökad kundnöjdhet och stärkt varumärkeslojalitet. Dock fastställdes att kundnöjdheten kan påverkas negativt om integreringen av försäljningskanalerna brister. / The digitization has created new opportunities from both e-commerce and physical sales channels. This has created challenges and opportunities for companies to operate in a more digitized market environment. The study emphasizes the importance of providing an integrated and consistent experience for consumers to remain competitive. This study examines a case company's transition to omnichannel retailing, aiming to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon from both company and customer perspectives. It explores the transition process, as well as the perceived advantages and disadvantages from the customer's viewpoint. An exploratory approach was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews with three members of Elgiganten's management team and conducting focus groups with customers to collect data. The results from the interviews provided valuable insights into how the transition has occurred for the case company in practice and the focus groups contributed insights into the advantages of omnichannel such as customer satisfaction and strengthened brand loyalty. In conclusion, the study identified that the phenomenon of omnichannel can contribute to increased customer satisfaction and strengthened brand loyalty. However, the study was able to determine that deficiencies in the integration of the sales channels lead to unachieved customer satisfaction.