The purpose of the study was to describe how networking can provide competitive advantage to facilitate growth when offering consultancy services toward the public sector. The majority of companies are looking to expand their business due to different reasons. With todays intense competiton on the market it is becoming increasingly important to outperform competitors in order to maintain the current customerbase aswell as it is to gain new businesses. Companies that work toward the public sector have special laws, directives and regulations that have to be taken into account when conducting business. Involvement with networks is based on different reasons, it can be due to gaining new customers, contacts and knowledge to name a few.   The authors have performed a qualitative case study with a focus on two companies. The empirical findings is based on information collected through interviews with these companies and through a quanitative self-completion questionnaire with a sample group of 16 repondents. By analysing the empirical information the authors have concluded that networking activities are important in order to prosper growth. However, there is a lack of networking strategies among the two companies of focus which constraint the firms to get the most out of the networks.

In this thesis an aid financed attempt to transfer technical training know- how in the form of consultancy support is described and analysed. Between 1992 and 1996 Swedish consultants acted as advisers during the establishment phase of the Aswan training centre. The primary aim of the centre was to supply the hydro power plants on the Nile with skilled staff. The general aim of the study was to describe, analyse and explain issues shaping the training at the centre and the influence of the consultants. The organisation of work at plants in Sweden and Egypt was investigated, as was the Swedish training centre where the consult­ants worked. Theories about development, aid and technology transfer are used to explore the theoretical base underpinning decisions to use aid resources in the form of consultancy services. Data was collected through participatory research during eight months. The empirical ana­lysis is inspired by Basil Bernstein's conceptual framework on the reconstruction of society, while the wider perspective relies on a world system theory. The findings reveal that a gap theory with a presumed trickle down effect justified the use of aid-resources. The use of con­sultants is explained by a market oriented approach, both in the Swe­dish aid authority and the Swedish training centre. In Sweden, the work was earned out by autonomous groups under market conditions with explicit time control. In Egypt, work was hierarchically organised with a plan economy system and strict control of material. In both countries the focus was on reliable production and optimal maintenance of equip­ment. In Egypt, creation of employment opportunities and staff social security was emphasised. Courtesy rules, the local staff's view of the consultants presence as a gift, the consultants view of themselves as salesmen and the contractual stipulation positioning them as advisers contributed to disguising inherent conflicts. Although the operational goals were reached, the training developed into a system where the local order of work was recreated. The findings indicate that dependency decreased regarding planning and implementation of training while it increased with respect to training equipment and learning material. / digitalisering@umu

Den traditionella marknadsföringen med sin marknadsmix har länge varit den dominerande marknadsstrategin där fokus har vilat på att placera produkten på bästa plats och till ett så förmånligt pris som möjligt. När det rör sig om tjänster finns inte samma möjligheter; företagen måste ta till sig nya markandföringsmetoder för att på bästa sätt marknadsföra sina tjänster. Är tjänsterna dessutom ”osynliga”, måste konsulten skapa ett löfte och kunden måste känna förtroende. Ömsesidiga relationer blir då av högsta vikt, och fokus läggs istället på kundens behov snarare än på företagets egenintressen. Syftet med denna uppsats var att undersöka hur managementkonsulter effektivast marknadsför och säljer sina tjänster. Vidare var syftet att se hur stora konsultbolag skiljer sig mot små. Teorier inom traditionell- respektive relationsmarknadsföring användes för att få en djupare inblick kring ämnet. Inledningsvis intervjuades 4 konsulter för att kunna konstruera en enkät som senare skickades ut till 25 olika konsultbolag. Resultaten analyserades sedan för att få fram vilka marknadsföringsmetoder som var de mest frekvent använda och vilka faktorer som påverkade valet av metod. Likaså studerades och analyserades likheter och skillnader mellan stora och små företag. Forskningsnivån inom ämnet är inte markant utbrett, och tanken var därför att testa teorierna och eventuellt bekräfta eller opponera dem. Resultaten från studien visade sig stämma hyfsat bra med teorierna. Slutsatserna är att ju mindre produktifierade tjänsterna är desto mer relationsbaserad marknadsföring bör tillämpas. De företag som endast arbetade med lösningsbaserade konsulttjänster tenderade att lägga mycket tid på att involvera kunden i processen. Dessa konsultbolag ansåg att rekommendationer och referenser var det mest effektiva sätten att nå nya kunder samt fortsätta med nuvarande. Traditionella marknadsföringsaktiviteter användes till en mycket mindre grad, och ansågs vara tidskrävande och ineffektivt. Skillnaderna mellan stora och små konsultbolag var färre än likheterna. Ett svar på detta kan vara att konsultbolag konkurrerar på ett annorlunda men mer jämlikt sätt än företag som säljer produkter. Det är inte det största, och det mesta kända konsultbolaget som blir starkaste konkurrenten, utan det är de som skapar bäst förtroende hos kunden. På så sätt spelar företagets storlek mindre roll, och valet av marknadsstrategi påverkas ej. / The traditional marketing with its marketing mix have for long been the dominating marketing strategy, where focus have been on placing the product at the best place with the best possible price. When it comes to services, the possibilities are not the same; the firms must adapt new marketing methods in order to sell and market their services effectively. If the services are “invisible” as well, the consultant must create a promise and the client must feel secure. Mutual relations then become important, and focus is instead put on the client’s needs rather than the firm’s own interests. The purpose of this thesis was to examine how management consultants most effectively sell and market their services. Further the purpose was to discover how big consultancy firms differ from small. Theories within the traditional - respectively relationship-based marketing were used in order to get a deeper insight in the subject. By way of introduction four consultants were interviewed to facilitate the construct of a questionnaire, which was later sent out to 25 different consultancy firms. The results were analyzed with the objectives of finding out which marketing methods that were most often used and which factors affected the choice of method. In addition, similarities and dissimilarities between big and small firms were studied. The state of the art within this subject is not very broad, and the thought was therefore to test the emerging theories and thereby support or oppose them. The results from the study showed to support the theories to a high extent. The conclusions are that the less productified the services are, the bigger effort is needed on relationship-based marketing. Those firms who only sell solution-based consulting tend to put much time on involving the client in the project process. These firms considered recommendations and references to be the most effective ways of reaching new clients and continue with existing ones. Traditional marketing activities were used to a much smaller extent, and were considered to be time-demanding and ineffective. The differences between big and small firms were less than the similarities. An answer to this might be that within the consultancy business the effectiveness is not made through the market share or the numbers of clients, i.e. how big the firm is; instead it is the special expertise and unique knowledge that every consultant keeps that makes them compete equally on the market no matter the firm size.

Design consultancy is a service that is given by professional designers to clients to respond to their design requirements. In Turkey, design consultancy services are given through design firms since the 1980s, mostly founded by the early graduates of industrial design. This thesis is carried to recognize the firms that give service in design consultancy sector, to identify the given services as design consultancy and to determine the conditions of design consultancy sector in Turkey through a survey made on the design consultancy firms in Turkey. A questionnaire is prepared to investigate the history of design consultancy firms, their profession fields, their client firms&rsquo / sector types, scope of services, the profession&rsquo / s advantages and disadvantages, the problems and opinions consultancy is carried out in Turkey. The survey also investigates the structure of design about the future of industrial design sector. This survey also inquires how design consultancy firms, given service types and sectors of client firms in detail. Twenty design consultancy firms responded to the questionnaire. The study indicates that, design consultancy service types by the firms are mostly product design, concept development, project drawing, project management, interface design and field tests.

<p>Den traditionella marknadsföringen med sin marknadsmix har länge varit den dominerande marknadsstrategin där fokus har vilat på att placera produkten på bästa plats och till ett så förmånligt pris som möjligt. När det rör sig om tjänster finns inte samma möjligheter; företagen måste ta till sig nya markandföringsmetoder för att på bästa sätt marknadsföra sina tjänster. Är tjänsterna dessutom ”osynliga”, måste konsulten skapa ett löfte och kunden måste känna förtroende. Ömsesidiga relationer blir då av högsta vikt, och fokus läggs istället på kundens behov snarare än på företagets egenintressen.</p><p>Syftet med denna uppsats var att undersöka hur managementkonsulter effektivast marknadsför och säljer sina tjänster. Vidare var syftet att se hur stora konsultbolag skiljer sig mot små. Teorier inom traditionell- respektive relationsmarknadsföring användes för att få en djupare inblick kring ämnet. Inledningsvis intervjuades 4 konsulter för att kunna konstruera en enkät som senare skickades ut till 25 olika konsultbolag. Resultaten analyserades sedan för att få fram vilka marknadsföringsmetoder som var de mest frekvent använda och vilka faktorer som påverkade valet av metod. Likaså studerades och analyserades likheter och skillnader mellan stora och små företag.</p><p>Forskningsnivån inom ämnet är inte markant utbrett, och tanken var därför att testa teorierna och eventuellt bekräfta eller opponera dem. Resultaten från studien visade sig stämma hyfsat bra med teorierna. Slutsatserna är att ju mindre produktifierade tjänsterna är desto mer relationsbaserad marknadsföring bör tillämpas. De företag som endast arbetade med lösningsbaserade konsulttjänster tenderade att lägga mycket tid på att involvera kunden i processen. Dessa konsultbolag ansåg att rekommendationer och referenser var det mest effektiva sätten att nå nya kunder samt fortsätta med nuvarande. Traditionella marknadsföringsaktiviteter användes till en mycket mindre grad, och ansågs vara tidskrävande och ineffektivt. Skillnaderna mellan stora och små konsultbolag var färre än likheterna. Ett svar på detta kan vara att konsultbolag konkurrerar på ett annorlunda men mer jämlikt sätt än företag som säljer produkter. Det är inte det största, och det mesta kända konsultbolaget som blir starkaste konkurrenten, utan det är de som skapar bäst förtroende hos kunden. På så sätt spelar företagets storlek mindre roll, och valet av marknadsstrategi påverkas ej.</p> / <p>The traditional marketing with its marketing mix have for long been the dominating marketing strategy, where focus have been on placing the product at the best place with the best possible price. When it comes to services, the possibilities are not the same; the firms must adapt new marketing methods in order to sell and market their services effectively. If the services are “invisible” as well, the consultant must create a promise and the client must feel secure. Mutual relations then become important, and focus is instead put on the client’s needs rather than the firm’s own interests.</p><p>The purpose of this thesis was to examine how management consultants most effectively sell and market their services. Further the purpose was to discover how big consultancy firms differ from small. Theories within the traditional - respectively relationship-based marketing were used in order to get a deeper insight in the subject. By way of introduction four consultants were interviewed to facilitate the construct of a questionnaire, which was later sent out to 25 different consultancy firms. The results were analyzed with the objectives of finding out which marketing methods that were most often used and which factors affected the choice of method. In addition, similarities and dissimilarities between big and small firms were studied.</p><p>The state of the art within this subject is not very broad, and the thought was therefore to test the emerging theories and thereby support or oppose them. The results from the study showed to support the theories to a high extent. The conclusions are that the less productified the services are, the bigger effort is needed on relationship-based marketing. Those firms who only sell solution-based consulting tend to put much time on involving the client in the project process. These firms considered recommendations and references to be the most effective ways of reaching new clients and continue with existing ones. Traditional marketing activities were used to a much smaller extent, and were considered to be time-demanding and ineffective. The differences between big and small firms were less than the similarities. An answer to this might be that within the consultancy business the effectiveness is not made through the market share or the numbers of clients, i.e. how big the firm is; instead it is the special expertise and unique knowledge that every consultant keeps that makes them compete equally on the market no matter the firm size.</p>

Professionals take centre stage in the delivery of professional services and the role of account management has received little research attention. This thesis concerns the value of account management in professional service relationships in the audit, tax and management consultancy industry, contextualising the nature and value of account management through client and professional perspectives. It addresses the challenges of embedding the account management role in the firm as a role of the professional or a separate function. The aim of this thesis is to conceptualise a value framework for account management. Based on the principles of grounded theory, the method comprises 29 interviews with professionals, account managers and clients. Embracing an emergent, iterative process, the lenses used to reflect on these interviews include service dominant logic, relationships, the nature of professions and professionals along with client value and notions of organisational change. The emergent perceived value framework comprises five themes. Apart from the theme 'perceived value of account management', the other themes can be conceptualised at three levels: (i) external environment; (ii) firm's organisation and the professional-client relationships; (iii) and account management. Furthermore, the results indicate that professional service firms have difficulty in structuring and formalising account management implying a considerable organisational culture change management agenda. The role for account management varies between an integrated account management role performed by the professional in strategic services and by full-time dedicated account managers in more commoditised services and competitive environments. Well-embedded account management provides competitive advantage and differentiates the professional service firm.

Professionals take centre stage in the delivery of professional services and the role of account management has received little research attention. This thesis concerns the value of account management in professional service relationships in the audit, tax and management consultancy industry, contextualising the nature and value of account management through client and professional perspectives. It addresses the challenges of embedding the account management role in the firm as a role of the professional or a separate function. The aim of this thesis is to conceptualise a value framework for account management. Based on the principles of grounded theory, the method comprises 29 interviews with professionals, account managers and clients. Embracing an emergent, iterative process, the lenses used to reflect on these interviews include service dominant logic, relationships, the nature of professions and professionals along with client value and notions of organisational change. The emergent perceived value framework comprises five themes. Apart from the theme ¿perceived value of account management¿, the other themes can be conceptualised at three levels: ¿ external environment; ¿ firm¿s organisation and the professional-client relationships; ¿ and account management. Furthermore, the results indicate that professional service firms have difficulty in structuring and formalising account management implying a considerable organisational culture change management agenda. The role for account management varies between an integrated account management role performed by the professional in strategic services and by full-time dedicated account managers in more commoditised services and competitive environments. Well-embedded account management provides competitive advantage and differentiates the professional service firm.

This thesis is focused on the issue and possibilities of an education of disabled pupils in primary schools. The first two chapters deal with basic terms relating to this issue and are focused on legislation, current trends in the area of an education of disabled pupils, outline possibilities of integrative and inclusive education and consultancy services in the Czech education system. The third chapter brings an overview of current situation concerning education of these pupils in the Region Pardubice. Last chapter is dedicated to analysis primary school pupils' attitudes to the joint education with disabled students.

A number of studies have explored the drivers behind value creation, often referred to as value drivers. These studies point out that the generalizability of research on value creation to other contexts is difficult. One such context in which the value drivers remain unidentified is the context of industrial consultancy services. In the age of digitalization, where industries are becoming more complex and knowledge intensive, consultancy services have grown increasingly important for industrial customers. At the same time, globalization intensifies the competition on consultancy markets creating a high pressure on consultancy firms’ ability to continuously enhance value creation for their customers. Based on these challenges, the purpose of this thesis is to explore how value creation can be enhanced through the identification and utilization of value drivers in industrial consultancy services. Two research questions were formulated based on this purpose and addressed by means of a qualitative study conducted in the paper and pulp industry in Sweden. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six managers and decision makers from five multinational companies that use consultancy services. The thematic analysis of the interviews led to the identification of 13 value drivers that play key roles in value creation in industrial consultancy services: Individual competence, Organizational resources, Availability, Personal relationship, Communication, Personal attributes, Timeliness, Usage of time, Performance, Cost, Customer-organizational involvement, Documentation and Progress by feedback. Ten among these drivers were considered benefits, while three were considered sacrifices. Consultancy firms should strive towards minimizing the negative effects on value creation caused by sacrificial value drivers and maximize the positive effects on value creation caused by beneficial value drivers. In addition, the thesis contributes a model in which the 13 value drivers can be used by both industrial customers of consultancy services and consultancy firms for the purpose of evaluating and enhancing value creation. Specifically, the model offers a tool that (I) compares different consultancy firms or projects in terms of value creation, (II) evaluates and analyzes projects and collaborations with respect to value creation and (III) enhances value propositions and value creating processes.

The demand for consultancy services has increased significantly since the companies began to shift from in-house staff to the purchasing of consulting services. The procurement of consul-tancy services can be considered among the most difficult service that goes to procure which means that it requires extensive knowledge of the purchaser to succeed in the process. In this report, I will examine how five public Swedish purchasers expressed their competence requirements regarding construction and design management ten years ago. I will also con-sider what type of skills they think are the most important today, and also see how the con-sultants' alleged expertise is examined. Finally, I will explain the five public purchasers thoughts on what might happen to their competence requirements in the nearest future. The report is structured in two parts where the first part is an analysis of the client's previous competence requirements. The second part consists of interviews with each individual client. The people that were interviewed all have extensive experience in project management, both from the private and public sectors. Conclusively, I will present what happened with their skills requirements over time and the likely reasons behind it, what forces that are behind changes in organizations, how the public purchasers follow up skill requirements and what they predict will happen to their skills requirements in the nearest future. / Efterfrågan på konsulttjänster har ökat avsevärt sedan många företag börjat köpa in dessa tjänster istället för att anställa egen personal. Att utnyttja konsulttjänster anses vara en av de svåraste tjänster som går att upphandla, vilket ställer krav på bred kompetens hos beställaren för att lyckas handla upp konsulter med rätt kompetens som matchar med projektens kom-plexitet. I den här rapporten undersöks hur fem svenska offentliga beställare uttryckte sin kompetens-kravsättning över bygg-och projekteringsledare tio år tillbaka i tiden. Det undersöks vilken typ av kompetens de riktar mest fokus på, samt hur konsulternas påstådda kompetens följs upp av de offentliga beställarna. Sammanfattningsvis kommer jag att redogöra för vad de fem offentliga beställarna tror kommer att hända med deras kompetenskrav inom den närmsta framtiden. I bakgrundskapitlet tillhandahålls en inblick i hur offentlig upphandling fungerar, där även konsulttjänsteupphandling och konsultföretagens affärsmodeller ser ut. Till grund för detta används faktorer bakom förändringar i organisationer, tillit mellan beställare och entre-prenör, hållbarhet i byggbranschen och outsourcing. Rapporten är uppbyggd i två delar, där ena delen utgörs av en analys av de offentliga bestäl-larnas tidigare kompetenskrav för åren 2005, 2010 och 2015. Den andra delen består av inter-vjuer med representanter från varje enskild beställare, samma fem beställare (Svenska bostä-der, Stockholms stad, Locum, Trafikverket och SL) som den tidigare delen baseras på. Perso-nerna som intervjuats har alla lång erfarenhet av projektledning, både från privat såväl som offentlig sektor. Slutligen presenteras hur kompetenskraven har utvecklats med tiden, tillsammans med tänk-bara faktorer som förklarar troliga anledningar till dess utveckling. Rapporten presenterar också vilka kompetenskrav som de offentliga beställarna ses som viktigast, hur de sköter granskningen av projektkonsulterna och vad de offentliga beställarna förutspår kommer att hända med sina kompetenskrav inom den närmsta framtiden.