Showing papers on "Customer relationship management published in 1996"

Relationship management system and process for pricing financial instruments based on a customer's relationship with a financial institution

Abstract: A system and process for use by a financial institution to facilitate relationship pricing in connection with a single account that includes a plurality of account components, including a checking component, a savings component and a investment component. The system includes software engines operated on specially programmed general purpose computers. The engines are sub-systems that generate input and drive another sub-system or the product processors. The overall function of the engines is to, among other things, allow pricing to be determined based on a customer's total individual or household relationship to the financial institution. The preferred system includes a rate engine, a pricing engine, a linkage engine, a balance engine, and a cycle engine.

Customer Relationship Management: Making Hard Decisions with Soft Numbers

Abstract: (NOTE: Each chapter begins with an introduction). 1. Customer Relationship Management. Relationships Have Become Very Important. Information Enables Quality Relationships. Market Forces in Action. What Customers Want from You. What is Customer Relationship Management. Bottom-line Return on Long-Term Customer Relationships. 2. Management Requires Measurement. Corporate Measurement Systems. Customer Satisfaction. 3. Qualitative Measurement Methods. Qualitative Measurement Defined. Free-Standing Qualitative Techniques. 4. Quantitative Measurement Methods. Connecting Internal and External Metrics. Mapping Quality Perception Drivers. Moving beyond Perception to Internal Metrics. Searching for Something Tangible to Measure. Developing the Impact Factor of Performance. Using a Strategic Improvement Matrix. 5. Calculating Relationship Indices. The Purpose of an Index. Tracking Internal Metrics. Calculating Indices. 6. Customer Relationship Survey Design. Developing a Mission Statement. Identifying Critical Relationships. Identifying Major Customer Service Processes. Qualitative Research. Developing the Survey. Drafting the Survey. Selecting Scales for the Survey Instrument. Selecting a Sample. Pretesting the Survey. Fielding the Survey. 7. Statistical Analysis of Customer Surveys. Selecting a Statistical Package. Entering the Customer Survey Data. Using a Data File. Investigating the Aggregate Sample of Surveys. Preparing the Data. Defining the Major Processes. Calculating Means of the Normalized Data. How Performance Impacts Satisfaction. Calculating PSIs. Calculating the Company's CSI. 8. Using Customer Relationship Survey Results. Case Overview. Survey Design andImplementation. From Data to Management Information. From Management Information to Action. 9. Changing Corporate Cultures. Defining Customer Focus. Company Focus Determines Outcome. Creating a Customer-Focused Culture. Focusing on Customer Relationship Recovery. Customer Focus: Satisfaction/Retention/Profits. Organizational Structure and Form Needed. 10. Case Studies. Case 1: To Go Beyond Patient Satisfaction. Case 2: The Calculus of Customer Relationships. Case 3: Introducting the Teletary. Case 4: Profiling the Customer Value. Case 5: The Perceived Dynamics of Service Quality. Fuzzy Logic Listing. References. Index.

Manage your offering or manage your relationship

Abstract: Competing models (the supplier offering and relationship management models) were tested in a maintenance, repair, and operating supplies purchasing environment to examine which better predicted customer satisfaction, trust, and supplier partnering attractiveness. These models were also tested against a combined model to see if the more comprehensive model improved prediction. The results provide evidence that relationships may be more important than the variables frequently investigated in the organizational buying behavior literature relating to supplier choice.

Customer Responsive Management: The Flexible Advantage

Abstract: An Introduction to Customer Responsiveness. The Evolving Economic Focus: From Conquest to Relationship. Why Should Organizations Be Responsive?. Customer Responsiveness is Activity Based. The Customer--Responsive Model. Examples of Customer--Responsive Organizations. The Customer Relationship Management Task. Delivery Coordination Management Task. Customer--Responsive Demand Economics. Customer--Responsive Cost Economics. Customer--Responsive Pricing. The Customer--Responsive Organization. Customer--Responsive Information Infrastructure. Responsive Relationships. The Evolving Business Focus: Production to Customer Responsiveness. Index.

Flexible intelligent relationship management: the business success paradigm in a stakeholder society

Abstract: At the macro level, Britain appears set for a major transformation. Opinion polls indicate that the prospect of a “stakeholder society” has greater appeal than a “back to basics” society. At the micro level, only those businesses that recognize the critical importance of numerous relationships or stakeholders can achieve and sustain competitive advantage. Customer satisfaction can only be sustained and delivered by those firms that develop world‐class relationships with all parties. Where previous studies emphasized relationships, they failed to produce an appropriate model for business people. Offers a model which states that corporate commitment to stakeholders is a necessity for companies seeking enduring competitive advantage.

Welcoming the Japanese visitor : insights, tips, tactics

Abstract: In the KOLOWALU series, a book which outlines Japanese culture and behaviour whilst travelling or abroad and offers advice on improving customer relations and conducting business with Japanese visitors.

RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS: Theory and Analysis

Abstract: How people interact with others, and even with products and markets holds the key to business success. In this book, the authors have created a model for line and staff managers to analyze the underlying structure and dynamics of employee and customer relations. A practical application of this theory called Relationship Analysis is then introduced which enables individuals and organizations to evaluate and change real-life situations in the workplace.

Organising for Market Segmentation in Banking: the Impact from Production Technology and Coherent Bank Norms

Abstract: Changes in customer behaviour; regulations and new technology make market segmentation crucial to achieve customer satisfaction and profitability in banking. An important assumption behind the segmentation idea is that both customer relations and internal operations can be handled more efficiently. This study investigates the segmentation approach carried out in a Swedish bank and the impact from the production technology used and the normative coherence of attitudes and orientations held by its staff. Some 100 bank officers were interviewed in three separate divisions. Questions centred on the time required to complete work tasks, the priority of different goals and the types of information normally used in bank work. Support was found for using separate production technology for different market segments. However, a similar goal orientation and view of information were found among respondents in the three divisions suggesting a very coherent bank culture. Based on these findings some implications for ba...

RMCase: Computer-Aided Support for Hypermedia Design and Development

Abstract: We present the design of a computer-aided environment, RMCase, to support the design and construction of hypermedia applications. The environment is based upon the Relationship Management methodology. RMCase supports hypermedia design and development activities. Support for cognitive design processes is achieved through three fundamental premises that form the foundation of RMCase: (1) fluid feedback loops between the various methodological stages, (2) manipulation of objets at the instance level, and (3) lightweight prototyping. To achieve this, RMCase itself is designed as a hypermedia application, where hypertextual navigation implements feedback loops. Instance objects can be cloned and abstraction/instantiation mechanisms are envisioned to facilitate designers back and forth movements between the abstract and the concrete layers of an application. As a result, RMCase will support bottom-up, top-down and middle-out software development styles.

Involving Customer Relations in Contextual Design: a Case Study

Abstract: This paper presents a case study in the form of a contextual design project, the aim of which was to design a system for a particular organization. The starting point in the case was a need in the organization for a specific system. The case involved an analysis of the organizations customer relations. Involving customer relations in the design project had a powerful effect: it was revealed that the system the organization believed they needed was irrelevant, while they needed another system nobody had thought of beforehand. The paper presents the case by describing the setting and starting point of the design project, how the project was conducted, and which results it ended up with. This is followed by a discussion of the effects of, and lessons learned by, involving customer relations in contextual design.

The Eleventh Commandment: Transforming to "Own" Customers

Abstract: Partial table of contents: MAKING THE PROACTIVE LEAP. Don't Miss the Moment. LOOKING BEYOND WHAT YOU CAN SEE. Finance Baffles Brains. REVERSING THE LOGIC. The Linear Trap. MOVING MINDS TO MARKETS. Making Missions Market Making. BECOMING THE GATEWAY TO CUSTOMER SOLUTIONS. Redefining Value. BEING ALL THINGS TO SOME PEOPLE. Moving Beyond Segmentation. MAKING COMMITMENT ENDURING. Using Diffusion to Get Commitment. JUMPING INTO THE CUSTOMER'S ACTIVITY CYCLE. The Value Add is the Experience. GETTING INTO THE CUSTOMER'S HIGH GROUND. Changing the Nature of the Customer Relationship. BUILDING NEW COMPETITIVE SPACES. In Search of New Building Blocks. LEARNING TO BEHAVE AS ONE. Altering the Way the Company Really Works. CONVERTING INTENTION INTO VALUE. Success as a Motivator. OPERATING ON TWIN TRACKS. Living with Ambiguity. References, Bibliography and Points of Departure. Index.

Catv service system

Abstract: PURPOSE: To comply with a variety of service requests that respective customers make without increasing the system constitution of a CATV station itself CONSTITUTION: This system is provided with a data base which stores information and service companies complying with a variety of service requests and a customer management table 7 for managing various information regarding customers for every customer, and a guide menu image of various services is sent to the TV receiver of each customer through the terminal device 4 of the customer, information and a service company complying with a service request inputted from the terminal device 4 are read out of the data base 11, and the inputted service request is ordered from the read service company Further, the charge for the service request which is received from the service company is registered in the customer management table 7

Managing system for customer using game machine

Abstract: PURPOSE: To grasp the using situation every game machine for every customer by relating the use situation data for every game machine to the customer modifying data characterized by the sex, age, etc., while using the customer identification data as a key, to prepare the marketing data. CONSTITUTION: A customer management terminal unit 4 is equipped internally with a card reader 5 to read the customer ID No. and other data recorded in a magnetic card possessed by each customer and a memory 6 to store the data given by the card reader 5. When a customer inserts its card in a specified slot of the terminal unit, the card reader 5 reads the customer ID data recorded in the card and gives the read customer ID data and the use start signal for the game table adjacent to the memory 6. On the basis of the customer ID data, the memory 6 stores the 'safe ball' and 'out ball' data and also the sales data for each use of the applicable customer correlating with the customer ID data.

Whats' Wrong with the Consumer Goods Organization?

Abstract: Consumer packaged goods companies have traditionally been organizational role models for other industries. The brand or product management system - the heart of many consumer goods organizations - not only led to leading-edge marketing skills but also produced exceptional general managers. Recent events, however, have conspired to topple them off their pedestal. A potent combination of low inflation, competition from cut-price, high-quality private label and generic products, shifts in consumer tastes, the emergence of new retail formats, and runaway growth in promotion and merchandising costs has undermined the profitability of consumer products companies and raised doubts about their once-envied organizational structures. Formerly well-oiled marketing machines are beginning to suffer stress and schizophrenia at all levels. Marketers are trying to stimulate category growth while at the same time slashing their advertising budgets for the nth year in a row. Operations managers are struggling to reduce distribution costs, yet trying to find ways to respond to customers jumping on the ECR bandwagon. Each and every function within consumer packaged goods companies is being asked to collaborate more closely with the rest - but is all too often plagued by an inability to break free from a long tradition of independence. Business units that have operated autonomously for years in the interest of entrepreneurialism are wondering if - and how - they could be better leveraging corporate scale. Corporate portfolios are changing at a pace not seen for many years, with every addition of a business unit requiring considerable integration efforts over and above the daily challenges of competing in the marketplace. Given these pressures, can consumer packaged goods companies regain their status as an organizational paradigm? The answer is yes - but first, they must begin to take the science of management a great deal more seriously. They must recognize that not only is organization important, it is hard to get right, and demands the best thinking from the best people in a company over an extended period. There is no "once and for all" fix. Second, organizational management must be approached through factual analysis and tangible actions. Companies that have made real progress recognize that regarding organization as a "soft" topic is an anachronism. Third, consumer products manufacturers must understand that how a company is organized is not a mere exercise in moving boxes on a chart or seeing who is where on an overhead, but rather a major driver of shareholder value. The new mindset is built on a handful of basic ideas -about how the consumer products company of the future will differ from that of today. It must shift from a brand- and function-based approach to a strategy focused on categories and one or two core processes, such as new product development, supply chain management, or customer management (see boxed insert "Core processes in consumer packaged goods"). Companies must decide which process they will excel at and build a structure to exploit it fully. While no form of organization is right for every business, several structural and nonstructural mechanisms are vital in any attempt to leverage process-based organization to boost shareholder value. A tale of two organizations Perhaps the best way to explore the nature of the new consumer products organization is to compare the approaches of two hypothetical food companies. At first glance, each appears equally committed to organizing around core processes and managing horizontally through crossfunctional teams. Company A has a category team whose members come from the key functions: manufacturing, sales, R&D, and marketing. Each of these members in turn chairs a crossfunctional team for the major core processes: manufacturing for the supply chain, sales for customer management, R&D for new products, and marketing for consumer equity. …

Organisational characteristics, cultural qualities and excellence in leading Australian-owned information technology firms

Abstract: This paper reports empirical findings of an initial series of field case studies aimed at identifying and modelling the organisational characteristics and cultural qualities of excellence in top Australian-owned information technology firms. A common set of critical success factors, missions, and core business activities was identified by executive managers and owners of 10% of the top Australian IT firms. Management described other organisational characteristics including size, revenue, growth projections, the role of software, information systems functions, project teams, customer relations, organisational resources and technology uptake. Staff were asked to identify and describe cultural aspects of the organisations such as the importance of key individuals, orthodoxy, watershed events, key functional values and beliefs, folklore, rites and rituals. They provided metaphors for the organisation culture, the organization itself, their manager an employee, the ideal work environment, and the ideal manager.

Value-added service in health care institutions.

Abstract: In today's highly competitive atmosphere, the survival of health care institutions depends largely on the ability to provide value-added services (VAS) at the lowest possible cost. Managers must identify their customers and delineate the needs and expectation of those customers. A strategy for satisfying these needs and expectations is essential. While technical advances and reasonable charges are important, a successful "high-tech," "high touch" approach demands the combination of process reengineering and employee training in customer relations.

Using new LCA performance metrics: Getting the most out of your EMS

Abstract: The environmental effects of industrial operations, primarily a matter of regulatory compliance in the past, are now a matter for marketplace scrutiny. Competitiveness in the global marketplace increasingly depends on demonstrating effective environmental management and product design to purchasers of products and services, whether those buyers are secondary manufacturers, retailers, government agencies, or consumers. One key to future marketplace success, therefore, lies in developing mechanisms to evaluate environmental impacts, implement improvement strategies, and communicate environmental performance and improvements to stakeholder audiences. Companies stand to gain from these actions in real financial terms—through improved production and operating efficiencies, reduced liability exposure, enhanced customer relations, and increased business opportunities. This article provides a description of quantitative technical tools that can be used to manage company environmental performance and achieve both internal improvement objectives and external marketplace goals.

Building Business Brands Directly

Abstract: The changing organisation of business and the rapid advance of technology have increased the complexity of business-to-business decision-making. Many business marketers could once identify the relatively small number of decision-makers in their target audiences. As business hierarchies become flatter and technical specialists grow in influence, the buying points in customer organisations have increased in number and the varying influences on the buying decision have become more difficult to identify. The balance of power in the traditional model of the multiple decision making unit (dmu) has shifted, away from management, to specialists and users who are also choosers (Figure 15.1).

Power-Up the Platform

Abstract: It's a pretty sure bet that bankers searching for branch automation solutions are yearning for the good old days. Back then--that is, a few years ago--they had it easy, since such decisions hinged basically on what platform and/or teller system to buy from a clearly delineated list of providers. technology strategies must solve a growing and more complex set of challenges that reflect the new world of retail banking. A short list features the broadening definition of the branch to include delivery channels such as call centers, home personal computers, ATMs, supermarket branches, and interactive video kiosks; increased pressure to attain the current holy grail, robust customer relationship management; and an often-bewildering array of technologies that promise to fix everything. When it comes to addressing these challenges, several intertwined trends and issues have come to the forefront. A much-discussed-and variously defined--objective in banking circles is the integration of all delivery channels, with a major reward being the ability to provide consistent, superior service regardless of how customers access the bank. Equally important, such integration can help banks gather and exploit the customer-related information--across channels--they need to boost profitable sales. In this banking utopia, customer Jane Doe visits her bank's Web site to check out home equity rates. When she walks into her branch the next day and gives her name, the customer service representative knows just what Jane was doing on her PC last night, and pitches the products that will make both Jane and the bank's profitability guardians happy. On the other hand, since the CSR 'knows' Jane so well, she may elect to refrain from making any sales pitches at all. Unfortunately, (or vice versa, perhaps, for privacy advocates) such a scenario is still rare. In fact, as a major systems integrator pointed out, there is no shortage of horror stories illustrating just how chaotic and unwieldy banks' spider webs of systems and interfaces have become. An example: several of the systems integrator's bank-clients reported that customers have been given inconsistent account balance numbers from their respective call centers and branches. Customer objects Delivery-channel integration, a complex task banks continue to struggle with, involves multiple levels. On one level, for example, many banks are trying to develop applications which, to at least some degree, enable sharing of components and functions (where there is overlapping) across the call center, the branch, and other channels (see second chart, p.36). To that end, they are investigating or implementing client/server systems that use object-oriented development technology and "point and click" operations. As Bob Landry, an analyst with The Tower Group, Wellesley, Mass., explained, the goal is to more cost effectively support diverse distribution channels by creating a library of reusable software objects that can be used by different delivery systems. The object-oriented approach can also reduce costs and time related to application development, allowing for quicker response to changes in the financial marketplace. With the relative maturity of the technology, an increasing number of vendors are rolling out branch automation solutions that use object-oriented development tools. Often they will start with one channel and attempt to push it across others. And, since retail delivery now requires end-to-end solutions, the larger vendors are acquiring, or partnerlng with, other providers who may have whatever links are missing. Of the new products that use object technology, most have been developed for Windows 95 and Windows NT client workstations and servers, and incorporate Microsoft's Object Linking and Embedding (OLE). OLE, a standard method that allows for exchanging data between a wide range of third-party applications, is currently available only in the Windows environment. …

A comparative study of managers' versus customers' opinions on factors influencing patronage of mid-priced restaurants.

Abstract: This study was done to compare managers' opinions versus customers' opinions on factors influencing patronage: Decor and Atmosphere, Menu Items, Price/Value, Food Quality, Beverage List, Staff Attitude, Cleanliness, Sales Promotions, and Location, in a medium price restaurant. Findings indicated that managers' and customers' opinions did not match on eight factors, and matched only on one. The observed variance in opinions could be attributed to lack of customer relations and communication efforts exercised by managers. In order to recover that gap, managers should exercise efforts, such as: applying regular customer surveys, using customer comment and suggestion cards, and acquiring feedback from service staff through regular management/staff meetings.

When Is A Relationship Really A Relationship? (When Do Organisations And Consumers Engage In Long Term Interactive Relationships?)

Abstract: The issue of relationships is the fashionable management topic of the mid 1990's. Much managerial literature now recommends organizations to engage in relationship management and to manage the long term profitability of their customers. However, with many different marketing techniques such as direct marketing and telemarketing now professing themselves as relationship marketers, the question of 'when is a relationship really a relationship ?' arises. This paper will address some of the issues surrounding this question. Adopting the IMP definition of a relationship, four contingencies in which long term and interactive relationships between organizations and consumers may occur, will be discussed.

Analysing accurately the costs of servicing individual accounts and using this information to improve distribution decisions

Abstract: Uses W. Pauley and Co., a fruit and vegetable food service company, a major supplier within the UK field, as a case study. Discusses using an integrated mix of software programs and personnel experience to facilitate production of accurate distribution costs, thus allowing informed price negotiations with new customers and the seamless introduction of their business into the company’s day‐to‐day operation. Analyses service as a tool to improve front‐line customer relations and thereby reduce costs.