Face à la baisse des affaires et des pressions de concurrents à bas prix de plus en plus, de nombreux fabricants business-to-business sont en transition vers les services. Pourtant, malgré des investissements importants, les entreprises ne parviennent pas à comprendre les ramifications de la performance de l'ajout de plus d'offres de services. Avec un ensemble de données longitudinales (1998-2013) de 525 fabricants, cette étude teste un cadre global qui démêle les mécanismes financiers à base de médiation qui fournissent simultanément l'effet des services sur la valeur des entreprises sur les différentes étapes de la transition. Bien que la prestation de services augmente de façon monotone croissance des ventes, il a une relation curviligne en forme de U avec la rentabilité, et elle réduit de façon linéaire la volatilité des flux de trésorerie. Les effets sur les performances de déplacement dans les services dépend aussi de facteurs industrie et au niveau de l'entreprise; par exemple, l'effet positif des services sur la croissance des ventes est supérieure dans les industries matures. L'augmentation de la portée de l'entreprise de services en diversifiant les différents marchés défavorablement modère l'effet de la transition vers les services sur la rentabilité. / In the face of declining business and growing pressures from low-cost competitors, many business-to-business manufacturers are transitioning to services. Yet despite substantial investments, firms fail to understand the performance ramifications of adding more service offerings. With a longitudinal data set (1998–2013) of 525 manufacturers, this study tests a comprehensive framework that disentangles the financial-based mediating mechanisms that simultaneously deliver the effect of services on firm value over different stages of the transition. Although providing services monotonously boosts sales growth, it has a U-shaped curvilinear relationship with profitability, and it linearly reduces cash flow volatility. The performance effects of moving into services also depend on industry- and firm-level factors; for example, the positive effect of services on sales growth is greater in mature industries. Increasing the scope of the service business by diversifying across different markets unfavorably moderates the effect of the transition to services on profitability.

The 2021 - 2022 decline in the Software as a Service (SaaS) market is a novel occurrence, as previous recessions and market downturns took place before the emergence of SaaS. The decline in SaaS valuation signifies changes in valuation criteria and with that, a shift in the weighting of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) profitability and growth. While growth has historically been one of the most important KPIs for SaaS valuations, there are indications that profitability is gaining significance as investors prioritise safer investments in a volatile market. To investigate the weighting of KPIs in the new market landscape and the valuation multiple development, a quantitative exploratory approach was adopted, where 43 B2B SaaS companies in the Nordic region and 57 B2B SaaS companies in the US were analysed. Four main findings was established in the report: (1) a clear downturn in both the Nordic and US median revenue multiple was observed, where both markets’ multiples more than halved from 2021-2023; (2) In the US market, a strong negative correlation was found between the profitability and growth multiples, and between revenue growth and EBITDA margin. For the Nordics a moderate correlation was observed between profitability and growth multiples; (3) A shift in the KPI relation has occurred during the downturn, where the median profitability has increased for US and Nordic SaaS companies. Growth declined for the US SaaS companies, while increased in the Nordics; (4) The interquartile range (IQR) among top performers in the US have shifted towards increased profitability and a decrease in growth. Meanwhile, the top performers in the Nordics maintained the same median profitability after the market downturn and the IQR decreased. / Den nedgång som inträffade på Software as a Service (SaaS) marknaden under 2021-2022 är en ny företeelse, då tidigare lågkonjunkturer och marknads nedgångar ägde rum innan SaaS uppkomst. Nedgången i SaaS-värderingar innebär förändringar i värderingskriterier och därmed en förändring i vikten av nyckeltalen lönsamhet och tillväxt. Medan tillväxt historiskt sett har varit en av de viktigaste nyckeltalen för SaaS-värderingar finns det indikationer på att lönsamhet blir allt viktigare då investerare prioriterar säkrare investeringar på en volatil marknad. För att undersöka vikten av nyckeltal i det nya marknadsläget och utvecklingen av värderingsmultiplar användes en kvantitativ utforskande metod, där 43 B2B SaaS-företag i Norden och 57 B2B SaaS-företag i USA analyserades. Rapporten visade fyra huvudsakliga resultat: (1) en tydlig nedgång för både det nordiska och amerikanska medianvärdet av intäktsmultiplarna observerades, där båda multiplarna minskade med mer än hälften från 2021-2023; (2) På den amerikanska marknaden fanns det ett starkt negativt samband mellan lönsamhets- och tillväxtmultiplar samt mellan intäktstillväxt och EBITDA-marginal. För Norden observerades ett måttligt samband mellan lönsamhets- och tillväxtmultiplar; (3) En förskjutning i nyckeltalsrelationen har skett under nedgången, där medianlönsamheten har ökat för amerikanska och nordiska SaaS-företag. Tillväxten minskade för de amerikanska SaaS-företagen medan den ökade i Norden; (4) Det interkvartila intervallet (IQR) bland topprestatörerna i USA har skiftats mot ökad lönsamhet och minskad tillväxt. Samtidigt behöll topprestatörerna i Norden samma medianlönsamhet efter marknadens nedgång och IQR minskade.

I takt med den ökande digitaliseringen ökar även antalet uppkopplade IoT-enheter. Inom B2B-företag används  IoT-enheter i allt större utsträckning för att effektivisera verksamheten och skapa konkurrensfördelar. Den digitala utvecklingen och det ökade antalet IoT-enheter har emellertid medfört säkerhetsrisker och att företag har svårt att skydda sig mot cyberangrepp via IoT-enheterna. Denna studie undersöker hur B2B-företag påverkas av säkerhetsriskerna med IoT-enheter och hur de kan arbeta för att hindra dem. Insamlingen av empiriskt material skedde genom sju semistrukturerade intervjuer och teorin består av vetenskapliga artiklar. Resultatet är att om IoT-enheter skulle bli angripna hade det lett till samhälleliga och ekonomiska konsekvenser och det finns en del åtgärder B2B-företag behöver vidta för att skydda sina enheter. De vanligaste säkerhetsriskerna hos IoT-enheterna var olika fysiska risker samt okrypterad datatrafik. Slutsatsen är att det är avgörande för B2B-företag att skapa en helhetsstrategi för cybersäkerhet hos sina IoT-enheter för att skydda sig mot de befintliga säkerhetsriskerna hos IoT-enheterna. Denna uppsats bidrar till informatik ämnets utveckling genom att ge insikter i hur B2B-företag påverkas av digitaliseringen och de säkerhetsrisker för IoT-enheter medför. / As digitalization increases, the number of connected IoT devices also grows. Within B2B companies, IoT devices are increasingly used to streamline operations and gain competitive advantages. However, the digital development and the increased number of IoT devices have also brought about security risks, making it challenging for companies to protect themselves against cyber attacks through these devices. This study examines how B2B companies are affected by the security risks associated with IoT devices and explores ways in which they can work to prevent them. Empirical data for this study was collected through seven semi-structured interviews, and the theoretical framework draws from scientific articles. The findings indicate that if IoT devices were to be compromised, it would have societal and economic consequences, necessitating certain measures that B2B companies need to take to safeguard their devices. The most common security risks with the IoT devices were various physical risks and unencrypted data traffic. The conclusion is that it is crucial for B2B companies to develop a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy for their IoT devices in order to protect themselves against the existing security risks posed by IoT devices. This paper contributes to the advancement of the field of informatics by providing insights into how B2B companies are affected by digitalization and the security risks associated with IoT devices.

The purpose of this study was to create an understanding of the importance of digital tools in B2B (Business-to-Business) operations and how the new digital world has changed the attitude of all actors toward digital customer relations. The study is based on theories in relationship marketing, communication, digital tools, and direct and digital marketing.  The study had a qualitative research approach with a deductive approach. The empirical findings were collected using semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using a thematic analysis method. The result showed that all respondents work actively to maintain loyal customer relationships. Through the respondents' answers regarding different strategies, a revised conceptual model has been created that explains how different activities contribute to a successful customer relationship digitally. However, different strategies are used to achieve a positive customer experience. Overall, the results showed that traditional marketing strategies and digital tools are crucial for successful digital customer relationships. Different industries have different perceptions of digital customer relations. It is important to adapt to the new digital world in order to maintain and create loyal customer relationships.

The fact that brands create trust and develop cognitive and emotional ties with customers are well recognized. However, this is primarily associated with B2C markets. More recent studies admit to the fact that despite the differences between B2C and B2B contexts brands can have valuable features in B2B as well as B2C. Purchases in a B2B context are a combination of decisions made by individuals where the decision can be affected by personal factors as well as cognitive and affective factors, although in an organizational environment. This study aimed to examine potential factors that can influence a buyer in a buying process within a B2B-context and was restricted to investigate products that the company does not use themselves and organizations based in Sweden. At the start of our research, we found that previous research within purchase decisions with emotions as a variable for the most part only focuses on B2C organizations or B2C relationships. This created an interest in for the authors if it is possible to investigate B2B in a similar way. The original research showed that one of the reasons for this could be that many previous researchers have rejected emotion as a variable to consider in B2B purchasing decisions due to the fact that B2B is often about companies acting on orders from higher-ups. An employee who makes purchasing decisions has therefore been put as a cog in the machine whose task has been to buy the highest quality at the lowest price possible. Therefore, it has been particularly interesting to respond to this norm in order to be able to determine whether it is true or not. After interviews with buyers from organizations in the Swedish markets, the authors have gained a clearer picture of what the reality of the matter actually is. For this study, a research model was developed based on recognized brand concepts and organizational buying behavior models. The model includes the underlying hypothesis that organizational buying behavior is influenced by brands and that dual processes play a decisive role in the individual's decision. The research is of a qualitative kind which, with the help of in-depth interviews, provides a deeper understanding of human behavior and factors to this behavior. The results show that organizational buying behavior has connections to the buyer's individual buying behavior, meaning that when the buyer lacks motivation, knowledge or interest in the product, the emotions are stronger and have a greater impact on the buying decision.

Bakgrund: Vikten av mer bundna business-to-business-relationer från leverantörsidan är vida erkänd. Det är dock inte självklart att kunden i en B2B-relation strävar efter samma mål som leverantören i detta anseende. Kunden påverkas av faktorer i mer bundna och mer obundna relationer och måste förhålla sig till dessa samtidigt som de navigerar i sina leverantörsrelationer för att försöka åtnjuta fördelarna med både lång- och kortsiktighet. Syfte: Att förstå hur B2B-kunder hanterar och navigerar i B2B-relationer för att åtnjuta fördelar med både mer bundna och mer obundna B2B-relationer. Metod: Studien har använt en kvalitativ ansats och en deduktiv metod där en teoribas lagts fram. Sedan har tre ostrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med personer som på företag ansvarar för, hanterar eller beslutar om företagets leverantörsrelationer. Slutsats: Studien visar bland annat att: (1) Kunder kan erhålla mer frihet genom att vara mer bundna med sina leverantörer. (2) Kunder har flera relationer med samma leverantör där det inte är möjligt att uppnå bundna och obundna fördelar med enbart en relation till leverantören. (3) Kunder inte eftersträvar fullständig organisatorisk bundenhet eller obundenhet utan att istället åtnjuta fördelarna med att positionera sig däremellan. Kunder önskar ramarna av en mer bunden relation och samtidigt vara i stånd att inom dessa ramar röra sig mer fritt, likt en mer obunden relation; en slags gyllene medelväg.

Rapid digital transformation, accelerated by covid-19 and a younger, more digital workforce, has changed the B2B sales environment affecting customer behavior, business practices and technologies. To adapt to this change B2B companies need to create new endeavors that connect marketing and sales activities, and identify how these can be efficiently enhanced by technology and digital tools. There is a need to identify effective tactics in different phases of the marketing and sales process. Consequently, more academic research is needed to investigate critical issues that technology may have in the B2B buying process. This paper thereby aims to establish a framework for B2B companies on how to optimize the customer journey by supporting the sales process with digital inbound marketing. This is examined by looking at how B2B companies can optimize the sales process by targeting customers’ needs with relevant actions throughout the customer journey with the help of technology and digital means. The results of this exploratory single case study demonstrates that the customer journey is complex with several touchpoints, and to create optimized processes, the customer journey must be adapted to each specific customer segment. Further, the study also contributes to the literature by demonstrating the importance of the marketing and sales departments being integrated and working together to create efficient processes. The presented framework for a customer journey can be used by managers to visualize the sales process, and identify at what stages the process can be made more efficient by digital means.

Manufacturers are transforming their business model from being a product dominant to a customer centric organization, in order to maintain competitive advantage, as well as deliver customer satisfaction thereby to build a long-term relationship with them. The management of complaint handling is regarded as a crucial contributor to its business performance. To identify key factors that influence the efficiency of complaint handling in manufacturing industry, it is important to start with an investigation of a company's internal complaint handling management. A multiple case study has been carried out in the form of semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with managers from six different manufacturing companies. The studyreveals that four factors in complaint handling are to be paid attention to, which include complaint handling process, qualified complaint handler, complaint handling system and complaint handling policy. By comparing the companies' viewpoints as well as theoretical perspective on these factors, some differences and similarities are revealed. Finally, the study found that the complaint handler who possesses the adequate technical knowledge of the product and interpersonal skills is the most essential factor that affects complaint-handling efficiency. In the meanwhile, complaint-handling system is increasingly important in assisting companies with customer complaints.

The study was conducted to measure brand loyalty of customers in a business-to-business environment, in this case the South African paint manufacturing industry. A brand loyalty conceptual framework developed for the Fast Moving Consumer Goods industry by Moolla (2010) was used to test if it also applies in a business-to-business setting. The framework was adapted to suit the above industry and used to measure brand loyalty levels of South African paint manufacturers. From the results it can be concluded that the model can be applied with some adaptations. Factor analysis was utilised to validate the influences. Factor analysis results were viewed with caution as sample adequacy was found to be marginal in some cases, possibly due to a small data set. Although two of the influences could not be validated, they were still found to be important. All the influences are found to be reliable as evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha. The measured brand loyalty values show that customers in the South African paint industry are quite loyal, with some influences scoring very high. Culture in particular was found to be not very important. This is likely due to the fact that individual culture instead of company culture was measured. More work is required to adapt the questionnaire to measure company culture when assessing brand loyalty in a business-to business setting. Clear brand loyalty differences were identified along with age, company size and the position the respondent holds with the company. Owners/directors, procurement personnel, technical personnel and general managers view different brand loyalty influences as important. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Does high products complexity &amp; production cost drive high customer involvement in product development? Author: Ellen Wendel Tutor/Examiner: Sarah Philipson   Background   The purpose of this thesis first arose when interviewing the CEO and the chief of product development of a Swedish wood company. The lack of communication between the two of them and the overall information flow within the company seemed to me brutally bad. When leaving that company a question popped up: Do a low production cost/unit and/or a low product complexity on an industrial market result in low customer involvement?   Problem focus/hypotheses   Product failure is costly and time consuming; doing it right the first time can keep a company alive and give it competitive advantages, Matzler et al (1997). Customer involvement has proven to increase the chances for a successful product launch, von Hippel (1988), Lagrosen (2005), Pitta et al (1996) and Matzler et al (1997). With the assumption that customer involvement can affect product development in a positive way, any conditions that might drive customer involvement in product development would be of interest. This thesis investigates three hypotheses concerning how product complexity and production cost drive customers involvement; H1: High product complexity positively predicts the use of high customer involvement in the product development. H2: High production cost positively predicts the use of high customer involvement in the product development. H3: High production cost and high product complexity together positively predicts the use of high customer involvement.   Method   The main study was executed with surveys sent per e-mail. The investigated populations are wood component suppliers and machine suppliers. The suppliers were chosen to get a vast range of product complexity and production cost. The hypotheses were analyzed with chi-square statistics and percentages.   To get a basic understanding of the industry, I first made a pre-study; interviewing two suppliers and telephone interviewing the head of glued edge pine panel issues at the Swedish Wood &amp; Furniture Association.   Findings   Hypothesis 1 I conclude that higher product complexity leads to higher customer involvement on both industries. This result gives more validation to the emerging theory stated by Richard et al (2004). Hypothesis 2  This thesis validates hypothesis 2 among wood suppliers. I suggest future research to validate a possible theory the states that higher production cost drive higher customer involvement. Hypothesis 2 is not accepted on the machine supplier industry since the results were inconclusive. No overall pattern was found.  However, the result indicates that the hypothesis might be correct up until a certain level of complexity, after which the relationship is negative. Hypothesis 3   I consider hypothesis 2 to be validated on the wood supplier market. I suggest future research to validate a possible theory the states that higher production cost and product complexity and production cost combined drive higher customer involvement. The thesis result indicates that hypothesis 3, on the machine supplier market, might be correct up until a certain level of complexity and production cost combination, after which the relationship is negative. Hypothesis 3 cannot be accepted for the machine supplier industry since the results are inconclusive. General findings from the hypotheses All three hypotheses indicate a positive prediction that product complexity, production cost and the two variables combined will drive the behavior of “usage or no usage” of customer involvement, regardless of industry. / <p>Opponenter: Elna Hägglund och Frida Tillmar</p>