<p>Background: Etiquette has become vital in business relationships. In today’s competitive business climate signs indicate that social competence affect whether a business deal is settled or not. This type of competence could be of crucial importance at a first business meeting and it also plays an important role for future business relationships. Business etiquette is therefore, within the world of business, an interesting area to study.</p><p>Purpose: The purpose of this essay is to clarify what knowledge and understanding companies, listed on the Swedish stock exchange, possess towards business etiquette, their viewpoint on etiquette education and finally to ascertain whether or not those companies perceive business etiquette to be pivotal to success.</p><p>Methodology: In order to attain our purpose of this essay we found it most suitable to utilize both a quantitative and qualitative research method. To obtain a deeper understanding, two personal interviews, with professionals within the field of business etiquette, were carried out. A questionnaire was sent out to 100 companies and four personal interviews, with representatives from two different banks, were also conducted.</p><p>Conclusions: We have come to the conclusion that many business deals fail due to lack of appropriate etiquette. According to the respondents, business etiquette could be a suitable tool to achieve success in business. Our analysis shows that business etiquette is a collection of rules where common sense, judgment, humility and respect are important aspects that should pervade conduct toward colleagues and customers. According to our survey, the customer is imperative in business relations and the employees should therefore perform situational in accordance to the customer’s expectations. A conclusion could be drawn that if a company succeeds in offering the customer greater value, in comparison with its competitors, it will give the company a competitive advantage and result in profitability.</p> / <p>Bakgrund: Vett och etikett blir alltmer betydande i affärer. I dagens konkurrenskraftiga företagsklimat tyder allt fler tecken på att social kompetens kan påverka om ett affärsavtal sluts eller inte. Denna typ av kompetens kan vara helt avgörande vid ett första affärsmöte och även återspegla framtida affärsrelationer. Affärsetikett är alltså ett viktigt område i näringslivet, och därför intressant att studera.</p><p>Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att studera svenska börsbolags kunskap om affärsetikett och deras ställningstagande till utbildning i ämnet. Slutligen vill vi ta reda på om företagen ser affärsetikett som en framgångsfaktor i affärer.</p><p>Metod: För att uppnå vårt syfte valde vi att kombinera en kvantitativ med en kvalitativ ansats. För att öka vår förförståelse utfördes först två djupintervjuer med kunniga i ämnet. En enkät skickades sedan ut till 100 stycken börsbolag och ytterligare fyra personliga intervjuer genomfördes med två svenska banker.</p><p>Slutsatser: Vi har kunnat konstatera att alltför många affärer misslyckas på grund av dålig etikettkunskap. Enligt respondenterna kommer affärsetiketten in som ett lämpligt verktyg för framgång i affärer. Undersökningen visar på att affärsetikett utgör ett regelverk där sunt förnuft, omdöme, ödmjukhet och respekt är viktiga aspekter, som ska genomsyra uppförandet gentemot kollega och kund. Vidare har det framkommit att kunden är det centrala i affärsrelationer och personalens agerande bör därför situationsanpassas efter kundens förväntningar. Slutsatsen som kan dras är att om en organisation lyckas erbjuda kunden ett större värde, jämfört med konkurrenterna, kommer detta ge företaget konkurrensfördel som i längden utmynnar i lönsamhet.</p>

Introduction: During the last years power have been passed from the producer to the consumer. Then, for any given firm, consumers play an increasingly important role. Firms sell not only within limits set by the price of competing products, but within limits set by buyers’ tastes as well. Both products and services have become more sophisticated and each individual customers value perception is important to recognize. In short, to stay competitive firms must put their main focus on the customer’s needs. When it comes to services producer and user must cooperate. Joint value creation process becomes a central part of the relationship between producer and user. The service production process in consulting-related services occurs during a relatively long period of time with various interchanges before the service ultimately is produced. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to understand how customers, in a business-to-business situation, perceive the value of a complex service over time. Focus will also be directed towards understanding how the producer can improve the knowledge of how the customers’ preferences change over time. Method: A qualitative case study was conducted, in which the customers of the case firm were interviewed. Conclusions: The major difficulty with the notion of value is that it is evaluated in the eyes of the beholder. That is, what it ultimately comes down to are subjective feelings and opinions of individuals. Nevertheless, this study shows that value perceived becomes more complex with time. That is, experiences from both the relationship and the joint value creation affect how customers perceive value. With time, customers are able to see more benefits, but at the same time more sacrifices. These tend to be relation-oriented.

Purpose: The study aims to, from a companys point of view, describe how strategic work with customer loyalty is done. Conclusion: Another possible way to try to create loyalty is to exceed the expectations whether the customer is a member of the loyalty program or not. A strong brand with a good reputation can also contribute to a stronger loyalty. Reward systems gradually reward the customers since they first need to collect points, or in this case miles, to be able to use them later on. The staff is often educated in service to be able to interact with the customer in a professional manner. One way to interact with the members of the loyalty program is through profiles on the internet. To work with loyalty programs is a way for companies to get loyal customers.

This thesis is focused on studying Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool and philosophy implementation and how it develops a customer-centric view within organizations. Nowadays mutually advantageous customer relationship is the main asset of the contemporary businesses and CRM is the clue to creating this type of relationship. The purpose of this research is to study successful businesses where CRM tool and philosophy were implemented and how they contributed to the management of the companies. Through this analysis the benefits of the tool can be identified and the road map for its integration can be performed. Theoretical framework regarding marketing channel relationships, importance of dual customer value creation and customer value management, relationship marketing as the basis for CRM development, and strategic framework of the phenomenon have been considered. Besides that, the current position of the case company, Volvo Construction Equipment Region International, on the roadmap of the CRM implementation has been evaluated and analyzed. These steps have been taken in order to answer the main research question of the thesis, namely "How can an MNC become a more customer centric company by helping its dealers to implement a CRM system"? Several conditions have been identified in the thesis in order the companies could implement the CRM tool and philosophy successfully. The study provides recommendations, which guide the companies on the way to a customer-centric view through the integration of CRM in its business processes.

The research objective of this dissertation is to investigate the impact of institutional arrangements, with respect to vertical integration and cooperation, on competitive advantages within the commercial printing industry, with specific focus on digital printing. This dissertation comprises six research papers, based on four qualitative case studies and a quantitative survey study, all carried out in Sweden in the years 2004-2008.The results show that vertical integration is a way to achieve competitive advantages in the commercial printing industry and is a widely used strategy in Sweden. Being able to contract full service companies is appreciated by customers to printing houses, especially direct customers, due to their need for a supplier of complete solutions for printed matters. Consequently, a vertically integrated company can provide value added services which makes it possible for customers to minimize their organization regarding production and purchasing of printed matters. Other reasons for vertical integration are the need to ensure fast deliveries to customers and having a steady supply of appropriate jobs. Despite the believed strategic importance by the industry, the results show that the level of vertical integration has no significant impact on profitability. Vertical integration is strategically important for digital printing houses in order to develop their business because digital printing allows for fast deliveries, on-demand printing and variable data printing. Despite the commoditization of printed matter, the findings indicate that the industry, in general, focuses on providing a high service level even though it means having to set higher prices. Furthermore, the results point toward that this strategic positioning is beneficial for digital printing houses because they experience a lower degree of competition and a lower price pressure.Vertical integration can, however create inflexibility due to ownership and employment. The findings suggest that cooperation can be used to achieve fast access to valuable resources, such as production equipment and knowledge, and, hence, increase printing houses’ resource flexibility. Even though internal control of resources is regarded as important to be able to satisfy customers’ needs and produce customers’ orders on time, cooperation with partners can create similar strategic effects. Furthermore, cooperation can give cost and flexibility advantages compared to vertical integration by reducing internal need for production capacity and allowing access to complementary resources. Nevertheless, it is common to combine vertical integration with cooperation to create competitive advantages and make a company more flexible and dynamic toward market changes. / QC 20100827

Hotell ser i dagens samhälle i regel likadana ut och konkurrerar om samma utbud och kunder. Det är således betydelsefullt att i dagens konkurrensinriktade samhälle skilja sig från andra företag som verkar i samma bransch. Nya tjänster hjälper företag att attrahera nya kunder och samtidigt behålla redan befintliga vilket har gjort tjänsteutveckling till en viktig konkurrensfaktor. Det är således viktigt för hotell att känna till vad kunderna efterfrågar för att kartlägga potentiell tjänsteutveckling. Avsaknad av konkret forskning på ämnet kan leda till att ledningen för ett hotell genomför förändringar utan att se till kundernas egentliga behov, vilket kan medföra ett stort risktagande och stora ekonomiska kostnader. En positiv förändring sker först när hotell utvecklas i den riktning som deras kunder begär. Studien syftar till att kartlägga potentialen till tjänsteutveckling inom hotellbranschen i Umeå ur ett företags- och kundperspektiv. Detta för att se om det finns behov till förändring och om branschen tillmötesgår marknadens krav. Genom semistrukturerade intervjuer kartläggs utbudet och efterfrågan av tjänster och service i hotellbranschen. Dessa analyseras sedan mot den teoretiska referensramen. Studien avser även att som delsyfte analysera och beskriva om tjänsteutveckling ger ett högre kundvärde samt vilken typ av tjänsteutveckling inom hotellbranschen som skulle underlätta för kunderna samt öka kundvärdet. En ökad förståelse i ämnet kan öka hotellens marknadsposition, lönsamhet och kundvärde. Studiens resultat uppvisar att det finns potential till utveckling av tjänster och service bland hotellen som var föremål i studien. Främst gäller det personalutveckling och utveckling av processen vid in- och utcheckning samt möjligheten till att göra beställningar på mat under alla tider på dygnet. Resultatet visar skillnader mellan vad affärsresenärer och privatresenärer efterfrågar. Affärsresenärer efterfrågar effektivisering och tjänster som underlättar i deras vardag och bidrar till att hotellet fungerar som ett stationärt hem. Privatresenärer å andra sidan efterfrågar främst personlig service och har inte samma krav som affärsresenärerna har över boendet och utbudet av tjänster. Slutligen har vi funnit att hotellen som önskar att öka kundvärdet gentemot sina kunder måste välja en tydlig strategi. Här har vi kommit underfund med två starka koncept, antingen ett lite dyrare koncept där allt ingår eller så ett billigare alternativ där kunderna får köpa tilläggstjänster efter önskemål. En tydlig strategi minskar risken för besvikelse och missförstånd.

近年可攜式電子產品相關產業發展蓬勃，尤其以智慧型手機與平板電腦為代表，其成功有賴於相關系統軟體及配套服務之開發，根據MIC研究單位則指出，未來幾年平板電腦市場發展至2015年預估可超過兩位數之成長率，市場上目前尚處於爆發期。在產品面，除了一般消費者所使用的消費型多媒體平板電腦外，在市場區隔下，尚有一些業者推出具有耐候特性、貼近高移動性需求之半強固型(Semi-Rugged)以及強固型電腦(Rugged)等主打可應付嚴苛工作環境，或是企業相關外勤人員之需求的產品，這些產品的出現則為目前平板電腦的激烈競爭創造一個新藍海市場的機會。 台灣企業主要是以生產代工為起家，但是近年來，台灣的低成本優勢已逐漸被新興市場所取代，加上產業發展成熟後，毛利率持續下探，M公司也是一個為平板電腦代工的ODM/OEM廠商，目前是鎖定非消費型平板電腦的代工為主，本研究也是以該公司的角度來探討如何在瞬息萬變的產業環境下，找出一些方向進行產品的創新，以提高這些代工廠商的獲利能力，並提供相關業者有一可行之參考模式。 至於本研究使用創新理論與藍海策略、使用者需求及價值理論探討等相關文獻進行探討，以形成本研究之研究架構及研究工具的理論基礎來源。另外，研究方法則擬採用個案分析方法之深度訪談法，訪談有關業者如AIDC(Auto Identification & Data Capture)以及系統整合廠商，探討這些產業的廠商對平板電腦有何需求，讓平板電腦的使用能結合該產業現有系統，並進而提升產業的效率。 從研究的結果來看，台灣的ODM/OEM代工廠商似應朝向軟硬整合的方式提供解決方案給客戶，如此一來不但可增加產品的毛利，另方面也可以深耕市場及客戶，另外ODM/OEM廠商必須真正瞭解各個不同產業的客戶需求，瞭解產業的價值缺口，以不同的客製化或者與該產業系統整合者合作來提供符合或超越顧客認知的價值，提高顧客滿意度，當然最重要的還是要增加新技術的研發比重，例如新的材料或是新的元件的開發，在半強固型或者強固型的市場，如何把強固這件事情做好就是一個很大的技術課題，尤其又要做到夠輕薄又是一個很大的挑戰，而且這裡面又有成本的考量，所以ODM/OEM廠商一定要能展現自己的實力才有可能獲的客戶的肯定。最後本研究只是針對AIDC及系統整合的廠商做研究，並不是針對下游的終端使用者做調查，而且各產業的範圍廣大，所以應該可以做更進一步詳細的產品需求的研究，如此才能更清楚的了解市場上的真正情況以做為ODM/OEM的產品需求的開發依據。  關鍵字：平板電腦、創新理論、藍海策略、顧客價值 / In recent years, portable electronic products has rapid grow up, especially for smartphones and tablet PCs. One of the key success factors should depend on the various application software and supporting services that has developed. According to the MIC Research Unit, until 2015 Tablet market will have 2-digits growth rates during the next few years, it’s still in a fulminic growing now. In addition to general consume multimedia tablet for end user, under the market segmentation, there are few tablet brand vendors have launched a serious of product for outdoor usage, high mobility requirements’ Semi-Rugged and Rugged level tablet. Those tablets can be used for critical environment, or product for enterprise outdoor field staff. Compared to the current high competition tablet product, it create a new blue ocean market opportunities. Taiwan IT companies were started from ODM/OEM manufacturer, but in recent years, Taiwan's low-cost advantage has gradually been replaced by emerging markets’ new players, coupled with industry matures, gross margin continued going down, M company is also an ODM/OEM manufacturer for the tablet customers, it’s currently ODM/OEM for non-consumer tablet , this study is based on M company's point of view in a rapidly changing industry environment, to find some direction for product innovation in order to improve these companies’ profitability, and provide a viable industry reference model. For this study, it use of innovative theories and Blue Ocean Strategy and Value Theory of user requirements and other relevant literature to explore, to form the study architecture and the theoretical basis. In addition, this study is using case study analysis method by depth interviews, interviews related industry vendors such as AIDC (Auto Identification & Data Capture) vendor and tablet system integrators to explore what tablet features they need, and these tablet features can be easily combined with their existing systems, and enhance their efficiency. The study results show that Taiwan ODM/OEM manufacturers should integrate hardware and software to provide solutions to their customers, this way not only increase product gross margin, on the other hand can also be cultivating the market and customers, in addition to, ODM/OEM manufacturers must understand the customer requirements in various industries, realize the value for that industry, and to provide different customization or cooperate with the industry’s system integrators to meet or exceed customer perceived value, to improve customer satisfaction. and of course the most important thing is to put more resource to increase the research and development of new technologies, such as new materials or new components of development, for semi-rugged or rugged product, how to do the ruggedize well is not only a big technical issues, particularly but also design light-weight and thin enough to carry out it is also a big challenge, furthermore cost down is another topic should be consideration, so ODM/OEM manufacturer must be able to show their strengths to win customer confidence. Finally, this study is only explore for AIDC vendors and system integrators, not include the end-users, moreover the industries coverage is not enough, so it should be able to make further detailed studies of product requirement, so that it can have more clearly understand the really situation on the market for ODM/OEM manufacturer to development their products. Keywords: Tablet PC, Innovation, Blue Ocean Strategy, Customer Value

Mobila verksamhetslokaler erbjuder flexibel lokalförsörjning som alternativ till permanent utbyggnad, eller under tiden som befintliga lokaler renoveras eller byggs om. Denna flexibla möjlighet används dock i en ganska liten omfattning på marknaden. För att öka lokalernas användning finns det därför ett behov av en marknadsundersökning som identifierar de faktorer som kunden värderar. Utredningen syftar till att få fram vad kunden värderar då han eller hon hyr och/eller använder en temporär lokal, och möjligen identifiera nya element som inte finns i marknadens utbud. För att få fram värderingsfaktorer har en litteraturundersökning implementerats och samtidigt har 13 personliga intervjuer genomförts. Intervjuer skedde med personer som använder dessa lokaler och parallellt de som tecknat kontrakt för att hyra dessa lokaler. Studieobjekt är kontor, skola och förskola. / Mobile buildings offer a flexible supply of buildings as an alternative to permanent expansion or while the existing facilities being renovated or rebuilt. This flexible option is used, however in a rather small scale in the market. Thus, to increase consumption of mobile buildings, there is a need for market research that will contribute to find the factors that customer value. The purpose of research is to investigate customer values when it leases and/or uses temporary buildings, and possibly encourage new elements that do not exist in the market range yet. To obtain the valuation factors have been implemented a literature survey and 13 personal interviews were conducted. Interviews took place with people who use these buildings and those who entered a contract to rent these buildings. The study objects are offices, schools and kindergartens.

This study has been conducted in cooperation with Fläkt Woods, an industrial supplier of ventilation systems. The study only concerned chilled beams which are an explicit group of ventilation products within Fläkt Woods’ product portfolio. The purpose of the study was to explore how Fläkt Woods’ customers perceive certain elements when choosing Fläkt Woods as a supplier of chilled beams and why they perceive them the way they do. The elements include quality, service, technical performance, technical knowledge, communication, time of delivery, installation, calculation program, flexibility, market adjustment, technical documentation, relationships and geographic distance. The study has been conducted employing a combination of both a quantitative and a qualitative approach in which a questionnaire has been sent out to Fläkt Woods’ customers in order to shed light on their opinions. The results showed that most of Fläkt Woods’ customers are satisfied or even very satisfied with the elements that were investigated. The elements that the customers were most satisfied with concerning the chilled beams were quality, service and technical knowledge. They believe that Fläkt Woods’ products have a good finish, that they are easy to get in touch with, that they are able and willing to give quick answers and feedback and that they have great knowledge about their chilled beams. The element that the customers are least satisfied with and that Fläkt Woods need to improve is flexibility. Even if Fläkt Woods believe that their special solutions are flexible, their customers do not fully agree. The customers’ attitude towards the flexibility is that Fläkt Woods prefer to provide standard solutions of chilled beams rather than offering special solutions. The results also showed that Fläkt Woods’ competitors are one step ahead considering the design of chilled beams. Thus, design is an element of the marketing program that Fläkt Woods need to improve. Furthermore, the study showed that relationships and communication which represent the “soft” elements concerning human interaction are just as important as the rest of the elements. Thus, Fläkt Woods need to consider these elements as well as the others when outlining the marketing program.

The cellular market is today suffering from great customer dissatisfaction. Simultaneously, the services offered by the different cellular providers are very homogenous, causing strict competition where various price strategies have been the main mean of battle. From a business perspective, implementing pricing strategies, to keep up with increased network investments, is a short term solution. In a market characterized by lacking customer satisfaction and harsh competition, research has shown the importance of highlighting customer relations in marketing. This type of marketing, which one could refer to as relationship marketing, is considered an efficient, economic, and strategic method of showing the importance of customer loyalty. To get insight in the relationship between the customers and the cellular providers, as well as to show the importance of relationship marketing, this study has used qualitative interviews to find what develops strong customer loyalty. The results showed that increased customer loyalty is achieved when an emotional bond is created. This bond will form through interaction between the customer and the provider. Important factors in the creation of this emotional bond are trust and commitment. Conclusively, through our research, we argue that customer dissatisfaction exists due to the lack of emotional bonds to the cellular provider, as well as due to lacking focus on customer relations within the company. Evidently, the need of relationship marketing within the cellular market is important.