Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the marketing of products and services to the business-to-business environment, companies need to be cognisant of the higher demands of its key accounts. This has lead to the introduction of key account management (KAM) processes to meet these demands. The key account management process, however, can lead to increased expectations from key customers and if not supported by an appropriate KAM strategy, will not necessarily replace the traditional buyer-seller relationship to build long-term relationships that are mutually beneficial for both parties. This research study examines the literature for the key dimensions required to develop a KAM strategy framework which can create a competitive advantage for Ceres Fruit Processors (CFP). The study investigates the current customer management practices at CFP and the perceptions, knowledge and attitudes of management towards KAM. These are analysed using a case study method and qualitative interviews with CFP management. The KAM strategy framework identifies four key elements that are required for the development of a KAM strategy. The strategy development requires companies to analyse (1) the selected customer‟s competitors, (2) customer‟s needs, (3) resource allocation and (4) current solutions in place to manage the strategic customer. This will result in the realisation of an appropriate KAM strategy that is integrated with the company‟s overall business strategy and structure. The research demonstrates that, although CFP has some of the KAM elements in place and the KAM principle is firmly entrenched in its business strategy, the systematic process to conceptualise a KAM strategy is lacking. The research further shows that the management of CFP have a good understanding of the basic elements of KAM. There is, however, a clear perception gap as to what management believe customer expectations are and what customers actually expect. The proposed KAM strategy framework can therefore be applied to conceptualise the implementation of a KAM programme for CFP and provide the mechanism to improve management‟s understanding of strategic customers‟ expectations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die bemarking van produkte en dienste in die besigheid-tot-besigheid-omgewing is dit noodsaaklik dat maatskappye bewus is van die groter eise van hul strategiese kliënte. Om aan hierdie vereistes te kan voldoen, implementeer maatskappye kern-kliënt-verhoudingsbestuursprosesse. Dit kan egter lei tot verhoogde verwagtinge deur die strategiese kliënte en indien die program nie ondersteun word deur 'n toepaslike kliëntverhoudingsbestuur (KVB) strategie nie, sal die tradisionele koper-verkoper verhouding nie noodwendig ontwikkel in 'n langtermyn strategiese verhouding wat wedersydse voordele vir beide partye inhou nie. Hierdie navorsingstudie ondersoek die literatuur vir die kern-elemente wat benodig word vir die ontwikkeling van 'n KVB strategiese raamwerk wat 'n kompeterende voordeel vir Ceres Fruit Processors (CFP) kan bewerkstellig. Die navorsingstudie ondersoek die huidige kliëntebestuurspraktyke by CFP en die persepsies, kennis en houdings van die bestuur ten opsigte van KVB. Die analise word gedoen deur middel van 'n gevallestudie metode en kwalitatiewe onderhoude met die bestuur van CFP. Die KVB strategiese raamwerk identifiseer vier kern-elemente wat benodig word vir die ontwikkeling van 'n KVB strategie. Vir die ontwikkeling van 'n KVB strategie word vereis dat maatskappye 'n analise uitvoer ten opsigte van (1) kliënte se mededingers, (2) kliëntebehoeftes, (3) die allokasie van hulpbronne en (4) die bestaande oplossings om strategiese kliënte te bestuur. Die analise verskaf dan die nodige inligting vir die realisering van 'n toepaslike KVB strategie wat geïntegreer is met CFP se huidige korporatiewe strategie en struktuur. Die navorsing toon dat, alhoewel daar sekere elemente van 'n KVB by CFP bestaan en die KVB beginsels deel vorm van CFP se korporatiewe strategie, die sistematiese proses ontbreek om 'n KVB strategie te ontwikkel. Die navorsingsverslag dui verder aan dat die bestuur van CFP 'n goeie begrip het van die basiese elemente van 'n KVB proses. Daar bestaan egter 'n gaping in terme van CFP bestuur se persepsies van wat kliënte se verwagtings is en kliënte se werklike verwagtings. Die voorgestelde KVB strategiese raamwerk kan aangewend word om 'n KVB program te implementeer en kan dien as meganisme om bestuur se kennis ten opsigte strategiese kliënte se verwagtings te verbeter.

The discipline of marketing is evolving from a product centric paradigm where all value is invested in the product by the supplier and it is exchanged for a market determined price by means of an arm’s length transaction, to a service centric paradigm where value is co-created by customer and supplier through complex relationships in which the rewards are determined through negotiation. This study recognizes that in practice a supplier will and ought to continue to have some customer relationships that are transactional and others that involve higher levels of value co-creation. A five point continuum of relationships from transactional to strategic alliance is defined. Dyadic data in which customer and supplier are asked to evaluate the same relationship from their respective points of view are analyzed resulting in a portfolio of a supplier’s relationships that include each of the five levels. Three structured equation models are validated: first, the customer’s assessment of the level of relationship as a function of new, behaviorally anchored measures; second, the supplier’s assessment as a function of new, behaviorally anchored measures of investment; third, the differences between customer and supplier assessments as a function of differences in ratings of new, behaviorally anchored measures. Additionally, segmentation of the customer base is identified based on the level of assessment of the current and desired future level of relationship. Servicing processes are defined to enable the supplier to match the right offerings to each level of customer thereby optimizing their investment in their customer portfolio.

The discipline of marketing is evolving from a product centric paradigm where all value is invested in the product by the supplier and it is exchanged for a market determined price by means of an arm’s length transaction, to a service centric paradigm where value is co-created by customer and supplier through complex relationships in which the rewards are determined through negotiation. This study recognizes that in practice a supplier will and ought to continue to have some customer relationships that are transactional and others that involve higher levels of value co-creation. A five point continuum of relationships from transactional to strategic alliance is defined. Dyadic data in which customer and supplier are asked to evaluate the same relationship from their respective points of view are analyzed resulting in a portfolio of a supplier’s relationships that include each of the five levels. Three structured equation models are validated: first, the customer’s assessment of the level of relationship as a function of new, behaviorally anchored measures; second, the supplier’s assessment as a function of new, behaviorally anchored measures of investment; third, the differences between customer and supplier assessments as a function of differences in ratings of new, behaviorally anchored measures. Additionally, segmentation of the customer base is identified based on the level of assessment of the current and desired future level of relationship. Servicing processes are defined to enable the supplier to match the right offerings to each level of customer thereby optimizing their investment in their customer portfolio.

Kucinová, P. Order Management in small advertising agencies. Master thesis. Brno: Mendel University, 2015. The thesis deals with order management focused on small advertising agencies. The aim is to create a set of recommendations for an effective order management in small advertising agencies. These recommendations are outputs of the qualitative and quantitative research. Their applicability and effectiveness is proven in case study, the suitability of proposals was discussed with experts. This thesis also suggests documents that can be used by small advertising agencies in managing their procurement practice.

The choice of pricing model for software products is a complex procedure due to the different characteristics compared to physical products. This thesis investigates and compares software pricing models in a B2B setting, and describes how KAM plays a role in executing a pricing model. The research has been conducted as an opportunist case study on Adebro, a technology company in the B2B sector. The thesis have come to the following conclusions, with data from interviews and literature: Perpetual license is, and will continue to be, an attractive pricing model for Adebro. However, a subscription-based usage independent pricing model is also attractive for the future. Implications of switching pricing model would be largest when changing between a perpetual and subscription model, where revenue will have the most visual impact. The most important task for KAM is to communicate the change to current and new customers. KAM and the pricing model must also be structured to support each other to be successful. The thesis contributes to science by providing research on pricing models for manufacturing related software. However, studies concerning the weighting of importance for different pricing parameters would be of interest for the future.

近年來因為資訊科技的普及，及時的資訊流加速了各產業於全球的競爭狀況；此外，將產品外包給其他廠商生產，也逐漸成為下游廠商的主要營運模式，在這樣的背景下，增加了組織間關係的複雜性，也使得很多的廠商的國際顧客要求其設立專案團隊，以提供更好以及更一致的產品及服務。此時，國際關鍵客戶管理(Global account management; GAM)一詞因此產生，其在發展的過程中得到大量學者的關注(Birkinshaw et al. 2001; Arnold et al. 2001; Yip and Bink 2007; Shi et al.2010)，國際關鍵客戶管理概念為供應商專注於整合組織內部跨部門的活動，並提供特殊的溝通協調機制。此外，資訊科技在商業活動上的應用抑是近年來學術界的研究重點，然而資訊科技與國際關鍵客戶管理存在著許多尚未被發掘的關聯性，舉例而言，Yip與Bink(2007)指出，國際關鍵客戶的架構將可使跨國企業增加資訊流通的能力，這項能力正是資訊科技的主要功用之一，儘管如此，資訊科技對國際關鍵客戶管理過程的影響卻鮮少被研究，此學術領域的鴻溝尚須大量的實證研究去填滿。因此，本研究將以資源基礎理論為立論依據，建立一概念性架構，以闡明資訊科技與國際關鍵客戶管理間的關係，再以實證研究的方式提出幾項主張。 本研究是以供應商的角度切入，探討以下三者的關係，包括供應商的資訊能力(supplier IT capabilities)、與國際關鍵客戶間的關係、以及供應商的公司績效。研究結果顯示，第一，資訊科技之基礎設備(IT infrastructure)並不足以有效地產生持續性競爭優勢，但若加上資訊科技之人力資源(human IT resources)，兩者相輔相成的情況下，隨著時間的發展，將使得此兩項資源能夠被嵌入各組織特定的商業流程以及組織文化。因此，這樣的資訊科技資源，是有價值、稀少且難以模仿的。第二，資訊科技必需用於改變較高層級的商業活動，才足以促進整個組織的績效。因為關鍵客戶在一組織之客戶結構中，佔有很有要的地位，因此資訊科技若用於改變國際關鍵客戶間的互動模式，將可以為供應商創造競爭優勢。我們發現供應商的資訊能力藉由增加以下國際關鍵客戶管理能力：(1)組織間及組織內的溝通協調(inter-organizationally and intra-organizationally coordination)能力，(2)資訊取得(information acquisition)能力，以及(3)調整活動(reconfiguration)能力，將可以提供國際關鍵客戶更好的服務。第三，我們發現當不同國籍的國際關鍵客戶間，若有著差異很大的Hofstede(1980)文化構面指數 (cultural dimensions indexes)，這些客戶對於資訊科技的態度將有所不同，也就是說，國家文化將干擾資訊能力 與國際關鍵客戶管理能力間的關係。 / Due to the proliferation of information technology (IT), real time information flow accelerates and enables the global integration and connections between companies. In addition, outsourcing has been a mega trend which drives companies trying to develop successful international relationships with their suppliers or customers. Accordingly, many companies are increasingly facing pressures from their global customers to develop better or consistent programs to serve their customers on a global basis. Global account management (GAM), which refers to the feature that dedicated cross-functional teams, specialized coordinating activities for specific accounts, and formalized structures and processes , has gained increasing attention in the extant literature. (Arnold 2001; Birkinshaw 2001; Bink 2007; Shi et al. 2010). The emergence of IT also has potential to shape the development of GAM processes. For example, Yip and Bink(2007) indicated that GAM structures allow the multinational companies to increase their information processing capacities which could be leveraged by advanced IT systems. However, despite the potential impact of IT on GAM processes, only limited work offers empirical evidence on this issue. Drawing from resource based view (RBV) (Barney 1991), this dissertation develops a conceptual framework which links the relationships between IT and GAM. In addition, using in-depth interviews with account managers in Taiwanese electronics suppliers, this dissertation develops couple of proposition in the linkages between IT, GAM and supplier performance. The results can be concluded in the following statement. First, we found that IT infrastructure is not sufficient to exploit sustained competitive advantage, but plus human IT resources, are embedded in each organizational business operating process and organizational culture over time which are deemed to be valuable, rare, and hard to imitate. IT capabilities can only enhance supplier performance when it is used effectively to leverage higher order organizational processes such as GAM capabilities and processes. This is consistent with the logical arguments of RBV. Second, supplier IT resources shape its IT capabilities; derived from this IT capabilities, they are able to provide better service to their global account by the enhancement of global account management capabilities in (1) coordination inter-organizationally or intra-organizationally, (2) information acquisition, and (3) reconfiguration. Third, the results also indicates that global accounts from the country with distinct score of Hofstede(1980)’s cultural dimensions indexes, will have a disparity impact of IT capabilities on GAM capabilities. In other words, cultural and country level factors can moderate IT capabilities on GAM capabilities.

El present treball de recerca té el propòsit de mostrar els orígens de la funció de direcció i gestió de comptes, una especialitat professional característica de les agències de publicitat modernes, que tenen els seus inicis en l’últim terç del segle XIX. Per aquest motiu, s’indaga en les principals circumstàncies contextuals que van propiciar el naixement de la publicitat moderna i de les agències de publicitat, i s’exposa de quina manera van afavorir l’evolució d’aquestes companyies, l’aparició de l’especialització professional i, conseqüentment, de diferents perfils professionals. A finals del segle XIX, les agències de publicitat ja mostren una organització interna complexa i ofereixen diversos serveis publicitaris. El treball incideix especialment en les relacions i la dinàmica professional que s’estableix entre els anunciants, les agències i els mitjans, en el període d’estudi indicat, a objecte de mostrar com es va forjar la figura del professional de comptes. Així mateix, la tesi contempla com el desenvolupament de la publicitat moderna i la professionalització de les agències –en gran part afavorit per les necessitats d’extensió i intensificació de la distribució per part dels anunciants i, conseqüentment, per les seves noves necessitats de comunicació - es produeix en un context on ja trobem nombrosos exemples d’una nova mentalitat i forma de gestionar els negocis i on també es comença a veure la presència del màrqueting. A finals del segle XIX, ja es constata la presència d’uns especialistes que assumeixen gran part de les funcions pròpies dels professionals de comptes. A la dècada de 1910, i començaments dels anys 20, aquesta figura professional ja està definida i formalitzada i la seva presència es constata en algunes agències, en què, a més, ocupa una posició preferent en la seva estructura organitzativa. / El presente trabajo de investigación tiene el propósito de mostrar los orígenes de la función de dirección y gestión de cuentas, una especialidad profesional característica de las agencias de publicidad modernas, que tienen su origen en el último tercio del siglo XIX. Para ello, se indaga en las principales circunstancias contextuales que propiciaron el surgimiento de la publicidad moderna y de las agencias de publicidad y se expone de qué modo favorecieron la evolución de estas compañías, la aparición de la especialización profesional y, consecuentemente, de distintos perfiles profesionales. A finales del siglo XIX las agencias de publicidad ya muestran una organización interna compleja y ofrecen diversos servicios publicitarios. El trabajo hace una especial incidencia en las relaciones y dinámica profesional que se establece entre los anunciantes, las agencias y los medios, en el periodo de estudio indicado, con objeto de mostrar cómo se fue forjando la figura del profesional de cuentas. Asimismo, la tesis contempla cómo el avance de la publicidad moderna y la profesionalización de las agencias -en gran parte propiciado por las necesidades de extensión e intensificación de la distribución por parte de los anunciantes y, consecuentemente, por las nuevas necesidades de comunicación de éstos- se produjo en un contexto donde ya hay numerosas muestras de una nueva mentalidad y forma de gestionar los negocios y en el que se empieza a vislumbrar la presencia del marketing. A finales del siglo XIX ya se constata la presencia de unos especialistas que asumen gran parte de las funciones propias de los profesionales de cuentas. En la década de 1910 y principios de los años 20, esta figura profesional ya está definida y formalizada y su presencia se constata en diversas agencias, en las que, además, ocupa una posición preferente en su estructura organizativa. / The purpose of this research work is to show the origins of the function of account management and administration, a characteristic professional specialisation of modern advertising agencies which arose in the last third of the 19th century. To do this, an examination is made of the main features of the context that gave rise to the emergence of modern advertising and advertising agencies, and a description is given of the way they favoured the evolution of these companies, the appearance of professional specialisation and, consequently, of different professional profiles. By the end of the 19th century advertising agencies already had a complex internal organisation and provided a variety of advertising services. This work focuses especially on the relationships and professional dynamics that developed among advertisers, agencies and the media in the period under study in order to show how the role of the accounts professional was gradually shaped. The thesis also looks at how the progress of modern advertising and the professionalization of the agencies –in large part brought about by the advertisers’ need to expand and intensify their distribution and, consequently, by their new communication needs- took place in a context in which there already existed numerous examples of a new mentality and way of managing business, and in which marketing was starting to make its appearance. By the late 19th century the presence of specialists performing a large part of the functions typical of accounts professionals was already evident. By the 1910s and early 20s this professional role was already well-defined and formalised, and present in various agencies, in whose organisational structure, moreover, it occupied a prominent position.

The primary objective of the thesis is to analyze the operation and management of the AC&C Public Relations agency and suggest changes possibly leading to higher efficiency. Within the thesis itself, I have mostly focused on the current organisational structure of the agency which I have selected to be the principal problem of its recent operation and source of potential future risks. The theoretical part based mainly on specialized publications supplemented by my own experience, explains the meaning of Public Relations as such and describes the principles of organization and management of small-sized companies including Czech PR agencies. In the second part, the current situation and ways of management at the AC&C Public Relations agency are analyzed and reviewed. The theoretical methods involve the use of SWOT analysis and qualitative reserch. The third part aims at suggesting specific changes possibly useful in making the current operation of the agency more efficient. Therein, the most specific points of management and work of a PR agency are explained. The final chapter deals with the influence of the contemporary financial recession on the operations of the agency and includes suggestions for coping with a period of the kind.

The purpose of the diploma thesis is to identify main activities and responsibilities of key account managers - based on example of Imperial Tobacco CR, s.r.o. company. The theoretical part describes the development of the Czech Retail market from 1989 till 2007. It is focused on international retail chains and it's entrance in the Czech market. Also main trends and possible future development are identified. The practical part provide with detailed characteristics of the Czech tobacco market as well as Imperial Tobacco CR, s.r.o. company - a representative of suppliers. Crucial part is the analysys of activities and responsibilities of Imperial Tobacco's key account managers. The authenticity is guaranteed by real business examples, situations and relationships.

This Master thesis is focused on topic of distribution channels and theirs practical application in distribution of Philips Oral Healthcare products on Czech market. The theoretical part is devoted to the physical structure of distribution channels, the parameters that define them, and the factors influencing their choice. Furthermore, the thesis focuses on the relationships that exist between channel members, a system for management and direction of the common value added. The thesis is further concerned about relationships developed in between two channel members and presents a system for management of such relationships in order to develop them and deliver additional value. Under this approach the thesis further deals with the process of key customers selection and their further integration. In the next section a more detailed presentation of Philips Company is given, followed by description of oral healthcare market competition and distribution of end customers by their habits. Furthermore the thesis describes a practical example of Philips dealing with key customer in oral healthcare category. In order to fulfill the set objectives of the this thesis deep analysis of Philips current distribution channels takes place, followed by described anticipated development and proposed important area to ensure such development.