The literature shows some recent calls for an end to 'unaccountable' marketing (Rust et al., 2001; Sheth and Sharma, 2001) and the use of customer lifetime value as an appropriate marketing metric (Rust et al., 2001). Some commentators recommend the application of shareholder value measures to the valuation of customer relationships (Uyemara, 1997; Mariotti, 1996). The thesis evaluates the application of shareholder value measures to the valuation of customers. Shareholder value involves both risk and return; therefore, the thesis argues, the risk of the customer or segment has to be identified before that customer's role in creating shareholder value for an organisation can be assessed. In addition, Relationship Marketing suggests that customer relationships have value in ways that are not easy to capture using traditional customer profitability analysis. The thesis explores different methods of valuing relationship benefits. As a result of the literature review, a model of the total value of the customer is developed which defines the Total Value of the Customer as the lifetime economic value of the customer (customer lifetime value adjusted for risk), plus the value of relationship benefits (Referral and Reference Effects, and Learning and Innovation). The model is operationalized using shareholder value measures and then tested in two collaborative research projects. The research finds that managers in the participating companies do not have good information about the lifetime value of their customer relationships. Evidence of changes in strategy as a result of a better understanding of the value of the customer is found. The research contributes to theory and knowledge through defining and calculating the Total Value of the Customer; demonstrating the application of shareholder value measures to the valuation of customers; finding and measuring relationship benefits measuring customer risk; and finding a link between the value of the customer and targeted marketing strategies.

This research undertakes a contingency theory examination of strategy and cost system alignment based on customer retention and customer profitability analysis. Previous research and consultancy advice has promoted the benefits of a firm following a customer retention strategy. They claim that in order to support the strategy a firm should have a customer profitability analysis system in place. Yet often what is prescribed as good practice is not observed in firms. This inconsistency is explained using contingency theory. Initial qualitative evidence was collected from four industry sites to determine whether the above strategy-cost system alignment was present. An analysis of these findings suggested that the customer retention-customer profitability analysis system relationship was contingent on a range of factors. As a result, a contingent theory of this relationship was developed from the four sites, and this theory was then tested in a survey of 862 people from 431 firms. The survey results provide support for the propositions developed from the qualitative evidence. It is likely that firms will follow multiple operational marketing strategies and have cost management systems in place to support those strategies. Although customer retention is a very important operational marketing strategy, a significant number of firms do not have customer profitability analysis systems in place to support the strategy. Many contingent factors were identified. Customer profitability analysis implementation is dependent on industry type; size; the difficulties involved in determining customer costs; whether the organisation has a champion for the system; the relationship between the marketing and accounting functions in a firm; and the available labour resources to facilitate implementation. Further, it is apparent that customer profitability analysis information is not essential to support a customer retention strategy. Customer revenue information can be substituted and the firms are satisfied with the level of management accounting system support for their operational marketing strategies. However, many respondents see the value of customer revenue, customer cost and customer profitability information, providing opportunities for future design of such systems as well as research into their development.

The thesis is focused on the practical analysis of the profitability and efficiency of banks operating in the Czech Republic from the perspective of people who do not have inside information on banking operations. The restrictions of obtaining information, assumptions and limitations of the methods used and also the question whether such an analysis makes sense and it is therefore possible to comprehensively compare the bank are also discussed. The paper also discusses the possible views on the definition of bank performance and other methods for its qualification are marginally mentioned.

In an effort to make more spectrum available, recent initiatives by the FCC let mobile providers offer spot service of their licensed spectrum to secondary users, hence paving the way to dynamic secondary spectrum markets. This dissertation investigates secondary spectrum markets under different regulatory regimes by identifying profitability conditions and possible competitive outcomes in an oligopoly model. We consider pricing in a market where multiple providers compete for secondary demand. First, we analyze the market outcomes when providers adopt a coordinated access policy, where, besides pricing, a provider can elect to apply admission control on secondary users based on the state of its network. We next consider a competition when providers implement an uncoordinated access policy (i.e., no admission control). Through our analysis, we identify profitability conditions and fundamental price thresholds, including break-even and market sharing prices. We prove that regardless of the specific form of the secondary demand function, competition under coordinated access always leads to a price war outcome. In contrast, under uncoordinated access, market sharing becomes a viable market outcome if the intervals of prices for which the providers are willing to share the market overlap. We then turn our attention to how a network provider use carrier (spectrum) aggregation in order to lower its break-even price and gain an edge over its competition. To this end, we determine the optimal (minimum) level of carrier aggregation that a smaller provider needs. Under a quality-driven (QD) regime, we establish an efficient way of numerically calculating the optimal carrier aggregation and derive scaling laws. We extend the results to delay-related metrics and show their applications to profitable pricing in secondary spectrum markets. Finally, we consider the problem of profitability over a spatial topology, where identifying system behavior suffers from the curse of dimensionality. Hence, we propose an approximation model that captures system behavior to the first-order and provide an expression to calculate the break-even price at each network location and provide simulation results for accuracy comparison. All of our results hold for general forms of demand, thus avoid restricting assumptions of customer preferences and the valuation of the spectrum.

Der Workshop-Beitrag beschreibt die Bedeutung marktorientierter Technologieentwicklung, die Umsetzung der Marktorientierung im Projekt EFFEKT der TU Dresden auf insgesamt 4 Stufen. Besonderer Augenmerk wird dabei der Wirtschaftlichkeitsbetrachtung des Modellverarbeitungsprozesses und den Anwenderstudien geschenkt.

"Customer Profitability Analysis in the Service Industry" aims to describe the practical application of customer profitability analysis techniques in holding XYZ, which provides ICT services to the hospitality industry. The thesis starts with a theoretical part. It describes several management accounting techniques for measuring customer profitability. The second part of the thesis demonstrates the application of some of these techniques in a real-life environment. Implementing management accounting tools, business processes and changing the accounting data structure are described step by step.

The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the financial situation using methods of financial analysis for a longer period at the company MAT Group, Ltd. dealing with the wholesale and retail goods relating to hardware, garden, plumbing, kitchen utensils, electrical supplies, etc. The financial analysis was based on methods of horizontal and vertical analysis, methods of analysis of net working capital, also analysis of ratios and analysis systems indicators. In conclusion, it was used rye-ratios compared with those in the industry and also with selected competitors. The results of the financial analysis methods can serve as an overview of the financial situation of the company management, as well as a basis for deciding on another activities of the company.

No description available.

Det finns idag ett underhållsbehov i en stor andel av de flerbostadshus som kvartstår från det Svenska miljonprogrammet. Många allmännyttiga kommunala bostadsbolag har påbörjat stora och kostsamma investeringar inom delar av deras miljonprogramsbestånd. Omfattningen på investeringarna varierar mellan bolagen och det råder oklarhet kring vad som kan anses leda till långsiktig lönsamhet. En stor andel av dessa områden innehar en social utsatthet och marginalisering hos delar av befolkningen. Investeringarna bedöms därför också kunna påverka samhällsutvecklingen i en positiv riktning inom dessa områden. Detta examensarbete har som syfte att genom en fallstudie över det allmännyttiga kommunala bostadsbolaget Svenska Bostäder AB:s pågående upprustningsprogram inom miljonprogramsområdena kring Järvafältet i Stockholm utvärdera om dessa investeringar kan anses vara lönsamma. På grund av den sedan 2011 nya lagstiftningen gällande allmännyttiga kommunala bostadsbolag råder det viss oklarhet kring i vilken omfattning samhällsekonomiska investeringar kan motiveras inom ramen för ett allmännyttigt bolag. Analysen särskiljer därför lönsamhet på fastighets- och samhällsnivå. Maximalt utrymme för fastighetsekonomiskt lönsam investering bedöms utgöras av skillnaden i fastighetsvärde före och efter att investering har genomförts. Effekter på samhället av ökad sysselsättning och minskad kriminalitet beräknas i en investeringskalkyl och nuvärdet adderas till den fastighetsekonomiska lönsamheten med jämförelse på lägenhetsnivå. Resultatet visar på att investeringarna inte är lönsamma för samhället enligt den metod som används, däremot bedöms en längre kalkylperiod samt inkluderade av ytterligare variabler kunna medföra lönsamhet på samhällsnivå. Vidare konstateras att Svenska Bostäder erhåller sämre lönsamhet än privata bolag för liknande standardhöjningar i bostaden, vilket kan ha en effekt på den långsiktiga värdeutvecklingen i beståndet. Trots att analysen ej påvisar lönsamhet i dessa investeringar dras ändå slutsatsen att det finns potential för en förbättring av metoden för hur renoveringar genomförs. Det bedöms samtidigt som möjligt att sänka kostnaderna för drift och administration ytterligare. Det finns även stor potential för allmännyttiga bolag att genom sin storlek som beställare och genom samordning med andra fastighetsägare bidra till en positiv social utveckling av dessa områden och i förlängningen en stor ekonomisk vinst för samhället. / A large share of the existing multi-family housing units built during the Swedish million homes programme includes a major amount of neglected maintenance. Several municipal housing companies have initiated large and costly investments within their stock of million program units. The extent of which kind of measures that is undertaken by each company varies and it is uncertain if the measures are profitable in the long term. A large share of residents within these areas undergoes marginalization as a result of heavily developed segregation. Investments are therefore estimated to not only affect real estate companies but also provide an opportunity to change the development of the society within these areas. This paper aims to evaluate profitability of these investments through a case study of the municipal housing company Svenska Bostäder AB and its renovation program of socially exposed housing areas within the northern parts of Stockholm. Since 2011 it is however unclear if social investments within the area can be justified by municipal housing companies due to a legislative change. The analysis differentiates profitability on single property level from profitability on municipal level. The method, which is used on single property level, is based on valuation of the real estate asset before and after renovation. Maximum level of investment on single property level which could be seen as profitable comprises of the difference in value of the asset before and after renovation. Effects on the society from increased employment, reduced criminality is estimated through a cash flow analysis and the present values of reduced costs are added to the existing analysis on property level. The result shows that the investments are not profitable for the society according to the method that has been used. However, an extension of the cash flow period and addition of extra variables could lead to profitability. Further, it is stated that Svenska Bostäder AB obtains lower net operating income compared to private real estate companies for similar quality improvements within their renovations; this could affect the value of the real estate asset in a longer run. Despite the fact that the analysis do not show any proof of profitability from these investments, the conclusion that there is room for potential improvements in how these renovations are executed could still be drawn. It should also be possible to lower the costs of operation and administration further. The municipal housing companies also have a great potential to contribute to further progress of social wealth fare within these areas through their size as clients and through coordination with other real estate companies.

Magistro darbe yra išanalizuoti ir susiteminti įvairių Lietuvos ir užsienio autorių teoriniai pelno sampratos ekonomikoje ir apskaitoje aspektai. Pateiktos pelno ir pelningumo rodiklių apskaičiavimo problemos ir analizės metodikos, akcentuojant pagrindinių priežasčių, įtakojančių gautus rezultatus, ištyrimą. Aptarti finansinių prognozių metodai. Atlikta kelių tiesimo ir remonto įmonės pelno ir pelningumo rodiklių struktūros bei dinamikos analizė. Pateiktas gautų rezultatų įvertinimas pagrindinių konkurentų rinkoje bei pramonės šakos atžvilgiu. Atliktas įmonės paklausos sezoniškumo tyrimas. Apibendrinti vidiniai bei išoriniai veiksniai, lėmę įmonės veiklos ekonominius rezultatus. Atliktas įmonės veiklos modeliavimas ieškant pelningiausių sprendimų. Remiantis gautais rezultatais prognozuoti tolimesni veiklos rodikliai. Veiklos rezultatai įvertinti pritaikant ekonominius svertus. Remiantis gautais duomenimis suformuluotos išsamios išvados ir pateikti pasiūlymai įmonės veiklos pelningumo didinimui. / Theoretical aspects of profit concept in economics and accounting of various Lithuanian and foreign authors are analysed and systematized. Profit and profitability index calculation problems and analytical methods are given, stressing research of the main reasons influencing the results obtained. Financial prognostication methods are discussed. Profit and profitability index structures and dynamics analysis are performed for road laying and repair company. Evaluation of the results obtained is given in relation with the main competitors’ market as well as with the industry. Seasonal changes in the demand are analysed for the company. Internal and external factors are summarized, which played a role in the economic results of the company’s performance. Activity modelling is performed for the company, seeking for the most profitable solutions. Basing upon the results obtained, further performance indices are forecasted. Performance results are evaluated using the economic leverage. Basing upon the results obtained, thorough conclusions are formulated, suggestions to improve performance profitability are given.