Customer Management Tools

Customer Management Tools Description of the system Business administrators and computer scientists have long realized that information technologies can greatly assist customer relationship management (CRM). There are various CRM applications; overall, they are aimed at supporting the following activities as marketing and sales activities, technical support, and so forth (Sheth, Parvatiur Shainesh, 11).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Customer Management Tools specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More CRM tools can be divided several groups: sales automation software, scheduling applications, order management programs, etc. These applications can function separately although very often they are grouped into a software package. The choice of programs depends upon the size of the company, its structure, and their supply chain, and the kind of product that they offer to their clients. Therefore, the composition of CRM application can vary. CRM solution s enable the company and its customers to interact through different types of channels such as telephone, e-mail, instant messaging, or chat (Jha, 2). In the majority of cases, they are Internet-powered. These programs are supposed to provide accurate information about the customers, their needs, their response to the product, or to the marketing campaign of the company (Jha, 6). We need to note that CRM applications draw information from different kind of sources, for example, service personnel, sales managers, marketing departments, call centers, or business developments agents[1] (Sheth, Parvatiur Shainesh, 16). Thus, one can say that CRM systems can be regarded as analytical tools which help the management to understand the behavior of their clients and their buying preferences. Furthermore, these applications are intended for simplifying the interactions between the clients. It is very important when one speaks about ordering or purchasing of goods. Judging from this descripti on, we can argue that a CRM system can be regarded as a set of multimedia solutions which have to serve a wide range of organizational purposes. They assist the management with the collection and analysis of the information about customers and market trends. The benefits of the system A company that has successfully implemented CRM systems can expect a great number of benefits. For instance, they can reduce the time required to respond to the client’s needs and increase customer retention (Kurtz, MacKenzie and Snow, 301). When we are speaking about the customers’ need, we should mention such issues as expectations for the product or service, and the problems which they need to resolve.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The second improvement brought by CRM systems is cost savings, such as reduced capital investment, especially the money required for pr oduct development. Secondly, these applications enable the companies to reduce labor costs[2] (Reynolds, 28). On the whole, the major advantage of these applications is that they allow the company to â€Å"hear the customers’ voice† (Grà ¼newlder, 5). In other words, they can understand why the customers can either loyal to the company or dissatisfied with it. CRM solutions provide the clients with an opportunity to express their views about the company’s product or services and make recommendations for their improvement. By adopting CRM systems, the management can convince the clients that the company is concerned with their problems and needs. This is one of the best ways to increase customer retention rates. Among other advantages of these applications is that they allow enterprises to better match the supply of their products with the demand. The thing is that they provide historical data about sales rates. They show how whether a specific type of product w ill be required by the customers in the future. This information is very important for those enterprises which manufacture a great variety of items. CRM applications help them develop production schedules and avoid such risks as shortage of supplies or overproduction (Kurtz, MacKenzie and Snow, 301). Thus, the benefits of CRM systems are related to the following areas: 1) customer satisfaction and loyalty; 2) internal operations; and 3) cost savings. Its application in business activities Customer relation management tools can be applied to different business activities. One of them is the monitoring of the employees’ performance. This function is particularly important when we are speaking about service companies, in which management has to know whether employees are able to respond to the customer’s requests as quickly as possible (Jha 230). Another business activity that we need to mention is product development. CRM applications provide accurate numerical informati on about the clients’ reaction to new products and services. The thing is that by using these programs, the management can understand why customers can either like or dislike a product. By using these data, the company can better manage its value chain that includes supply of raw materials, manufacturing, marketing delivery of goods, and post-sale services (Reynolds, 27). Therefore, it is possible to argue that CRM applications can be indirectly related to every business activity of an enterprise.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Customer Management Tools specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Additionally, one should not forget that CRM applications can help them management determine whether the company’s internal operations are efficient. For instance, if the customers are often complaining of the employees’ lack of responsiveness, the necessity to wait for a long time, untimely delivery of goods, a nd so forth, the management should focus on the structure of the organization, the training of the workers, and the cooperation between different departments. Customer relation management systems can pinpoint the underlying cause of the problem. More importantly, they can assist front-line managers who organize the employees and evaluate their performance. Modern companies place companies at the core of their every business activity, including product development and design, production, marketing, assessment of performance, and other areas. The strategy is based on a self-evident fact that clients are the major stakeholders for any organization. Customer relation management applications only help them implement this philosophy. This is why they are so important. The relevance of the CRM applications to marketing In the previous sections, we have described several applications of CRM system. At this point, it is necessary to discuss their relevance to the marketing activities of an e nterprise. One of the most important applications is sales force automation, which means that this software reduces the time required to order goods or service, make financial transaction, and deliver the products to the client (Chaffey et al, 342). Additionally, CRM systems enable the management to see which distribution channels are the most effective (Havaldar, 73). For example, the companies need to know whether the clients purchase via Internet or from chain stores. CRM solutions can give them accurate statistical data about the purchases made by the clients. Therefore, the management can determine which distribution channel is more important to them. Another marketing application of CRM is that it allows the management to understand how clients learn about the products and services. This knowledge is essential for the management because it allows them to develop advertising strategies (Chaffey et al, 342).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For instance, many companies do not know whether they should promote their products through television, radio, newspapers or Internet. CRM systems show how customers search information about new goods and services, and this is major application to marketing activities of an enterprise. Finally, CRM applications show which products the customer has recently purchased. This data can be used by the developers of online websites (Chaffey et al, 342). So, we can say that CRM applications can support different marketing activities. They main function is to offer the management tools for the analysis of quantitative or qualitative data so that they could understand the future behavior of the clients. CRM systems help the executive officers understand why people buy certain types of products, why they do, how they learn about them and what appeals to them most. Without answering questions the company can hardly plan any marketing strategies. Customer relation management tools are important for market research and advertising campaign. The use of this system by Saudi Arabian firms Statistical data suggest that Saudi Arabian firms are willing to adopt CRM system in order to enhance their performance because the economy of this country is now becoming less oil-based and many industries such as construction, IT, services sectors, and banking institutions require customer relations management tools (CRM Forecast, unpaged). There are numerous examples of how CRM are used by Saudi Arabian firms. We can refer to such company as Al Alamiah, which is a leading software provider in the country. The company had to find ways of improving support center activities, especially when engineers had to respond to a customer’s problems either with the equipment or software (SAGE, unpaged). Before the implementation of this system the company had to spend much time in order to spread information from one department to another. As a result, the clients had to wait for hours and many of them were dissatisfied. The CRM applications, which Al Alamiah installed, allowed them to automate this process and monitor the performance of engineers. As a result, this service company managed to reduce the response time and avoid criticism of the clients. Another example is Al Rajhi Holding Company that consists of more than 100 divisions. The corporations needed to create a single customer database and develop tools of analyzing sales information. They needed to analyze sales data by product, region, salesman, or period (SAGE B, unpaged). This is why they implemented Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that included CRM programs. These tools helped them develop marketing strategies and organize their supply chain. Judging from these two examples, we can argue that Saudi Arabian companies adopt CRM solutions in order to improve the cooperation between different departments and speed up the flow of information. These applications bring them such benefits as increased sa tisfaction of the customers, opportunities for planning the production, and ability to understand the buying preferences of the clients. These examples suggest that in the future Saudi Arabian firms will make full use of CRM systems to improve their performance. Appendixes Picture 1. The flow of information between the company and the customers (Sheth, Parvatiur Shainesh, 17) Picture Two: The Economic Benefits of CRM systems (Reynolds, 28) Chaffey Dave, Ellis-Chadwick Fiona, Mayer Richard, and Kevin Johnston. Internet  marketing: strategy, implementation and practice. NY: Pearson Education, 2009. CRM Forecast. â€Å"CRM Software Market Share For The Middle East†. (n. d) Web. Grà ¼newlder Arend. Implementing CRM Systems: Approaches and Potential  Problems. Munich: GRIN Verlag. 2008. Print. Jha Lakshman. Customer Relationship Management: A Strategic Approach. Dehli: Global India Publications. 2008. Print. Havaldar Krishna. Business Marketing: Text Cases. Tata McGraw- Hill Education. 2010. Print. Kurtz David, MacKenzie H.F. and Snow K. Contemporary Marketing. NY: Cengage Learning. 2009. Print. Reynolds Janice. A practical guide to CRM: building more profitable customer relationships. London Focal Press, 2002. Print. SAGE. â€Å"Case Study Al-Alamiah implements SalesLOGIX CRM† 2010. Web. SAGE (B). Case Study Sage connects large Saudi enterprise. Web. Sheth Jagdish, Parvatiyar Atur, and Shainesh G. Customer relationship  management: emerging concepts, tools, and applications. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. 2001. Print. Footnotes Please refer to the Appendixes, Picture One to see the exchange of information between customers and companies. Please refer to Picture 2 in the Appendixes.

A report on the Implementation of Standard Costing

A report on the Implementation of Standard Costing In current years, various tools such as activity-based costing, the balanced scorecard and target costing have been used in the business community. However, traditional management accounting systems continue to be widely applied. One example is standard costing, which has been used on a wide front during the last century. The purpose of this paper is to examine the widely use of standard costing system. Despite it is less relevant than newer accounting methods, standard costing is far from obsolete. Because of its simplicity, flexibility and affordability, standard costing remains a favorite cost accounting method among accounting and finance professionals. Introduction: In today’s time of rapid technologic change, tough global and domestic competition, total cost management is central to sustained corporate profitability and competitiveness. The management focus today is to minimize cost. The cost leadership strategy does not mean compromise on either quality or technology o r product differentiation. Low costs are no advantage, if the customers are not willing to buy the product of low cost firm. Cost management has to be driven with customer as the focus. The survival way for any company is how to manage its product/service cost, quality and performance. The customers are continuously demanding high quality and better performance products/services and at the same time, they want the prices to fall. The shareholders are also demanding a required rate of return on their investment with the company. Thus, cost has become a residual. The challenge is being able to manufacture or provide service with the stipulated cost framework. Thus, cost management has to be an ongoing continuous improvement program. Standard Costing In recent years, various tools such as activity-based costing, the balanced scorecard and target costing have been used in the business community (Kaplan Kaplan Ansari et al†¦1997). However, traditional management accounting systems continue to be widely applied (Brewer, 2000). One example of traditional management accounting is standard costing. Standards can be used with either job order or process costing system to provide important information for managerial planning, controlling, and decision making. Standard costing assists in setting budgets and evaluating managerial performance. The major motive to use standard costing is because it facilitates product costing estimation (Ask & Ax, 1997). Ask and Ax’s study is supported by a study conducted by Puxty and Lyall (1989), which reported that 76 percent of the UK commercial and industrial companies operate a standard costing system. Although it is used widely, people recently criticize it could not provide the information needed in today’s competitive environment. Despite the criticism, there are few signs that the use of standard costing tends to decrease. The survey from Ask and AX (1997) showed that 12.6 % of the companies investigated state d that they would abandon standards but on the other hand, 9.9 % stated that they would like to convert to standard costing system. The History of Standard Costing The standard costing system was developed in the early 1900s. According to Drury (1992), it was the scientific management principles recommended by F.W. Taylor and other engineers. Scientific engineers built up information about standards to set up â€Å"the best way† to use labour and material resources within manufacturing. Engineers used the standards to provide information for planning the flow of work so that the waste of materials and labour was minimized. Interestingly, engineers did not consider standards as a tool to control financial costs at that time (Drury, 1992)

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Essay

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act - Essay Example The phrase "free and appropriate" would come to be one of the first ideas school administrators and special education teachers would consider when planning and serving those students. The first component declared that all students, no matter what their disability, were entitled to a public education that had to be free of expense and suitable to each student's needs - or "free and appropriate." The second component created safeguards to prevent improper identification of children who were culturally or linguistically different from the student norm. Evaluations had to be administered in the child's native language by a skilled professional. They had to address specific areas (e.g., speech, language, math, behavioral), be made up of more than one procedures, fair to the students, and given by a multidisciplinary team with members representing all components of the students' education ("The Education For All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) 1975"; "Public Law 94-142 (S.6); Nov. 29, 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975"). The third component involves the creation of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to meet their individual educational needs. An IEP team must meet annually and examine the plan for possible updates. The principle of Least Restrictive Environment forms the fourth component. It states that disabled children must be educated with non-disabled students to the greatest possible extent education ("The Education For All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) 1975"; "Public Law 94-142 (S.6); Nov. 29, 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975"). The fifth component states that a system of due process and checks and balances will be used for disabled students and their families. Parents must give permission for testing and placement, may examine student records at any time, have an independent evaluation performed by an outside party, have a hearing, make appeals, and expect confidentiality ("The Education For All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) 1975"; "Public Law 94-142 (S.6); Nov. 29, 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975"). The last component declares that parents have a right to be included in all phases of the placement, including assessment, placement, and IED development education ("The Education For All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) 1975"; "Public Law 94-142 (S.6); Nov. 29, 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975"). Over the years, the law was reauthorized several times and experienced many important changes. PL 99-457, in 1986, expanded the scope of IDEA by adding provisions for the education of infants and toddlers (essentially from birth) with special learning needs. Its goals were to improve the development of infants and toddlers with disabilities, and to reduce the potential for developmental delay. It also wanted to reduce the chances of such a child being institutionalized. It sought to help families meet the special needs of those children, and tried to keep them out of special education, when possible. (Apling and Jones, 2002). In 1990, PL 101-476 gave the law its current IDEA moniker and ordered states to extend all the provisions of PL 94-142 to preschool-age children; public funding would facilitate these early intervention services. The expansion was based on the idea that falling cognitively behind

Marketing Products and Services in a Dynamic Environment Assignment

Marketing Products and Services in a Dynamic Environment - Assignment Example The author makes special references to the claims advanced by Adam Smith and other prominent economic thinkers as understood within the domain of goods-dominant logic with the intention of exposing its fundamental strengths and weaknesses as compared with the service-dominant logic. The theoretical foundation of the article marks a determined departure from the conventional systems of through that privilege the goods-dominant logic as a key determinant of economic exchange. The author affirms that all kinds of exchange are based on service (Vargo, Maglio, & Akaka, 2008, p. 145). This marked departure from the conventions of goods-based logic promotes a sense of disharmony between traditional accounting practices and the modern economic assumptions that emphasize more on the need to develop value-based systems. In essence, the author makes the claim that all forms of transactions are ultimately reducible to service for the benefit of the end users. The author explores the dimensions of service science from the multiple dimensions that include the relationship between production and utilization of the value. Other relationships explored include the product and process in light of their relationship with the generation of value. The study trains some significant focus on the connection between transaction and relationship between the transacting parties. The difference between the goods-dominant logic and the service-dominant logic as understood within the framework of this study involves a range of options that significantly connect within the element of productivity (Vargo, Maglio, & Akaka, 2008, p. 147). The goods-dominant logic operates under a system that offers unique advantages to the end user. Theoretically, this concept is built on the assumption that the roles of the producer and that of the end user are clearly distinct. In line with this ideal, the consumer primarily plays the role of utilizing the value. The value o f a good

That Evening Sun Essay -- Literary Analysis, William Faulkner

Critical Analysis of That Evening Sun In That Evening Sun, William Faulkner approaches the story through an anecdotal style that gives meaning to the story. The narrator uses the anecdote that happened to him to convey the story’s underlying meaning that people are restricted by social class and race, not realizing this meaning himself at the time. The era of racism pertains to the meaning of the story, discussing the aversion of southern white people to help those different from them, focusing on the restrictions that society has placed on social class and race separation and the desire to maintain the division. The anecdotal style in That Evening Sun allows the narrator, Quentin, to have a viewpoint and an attitude that is more mature. Since he tells the story now that he is an adult, and the anecdote comes from a memory as a child, the details are focused on smaller things. To exemplify, we see how Quentin takes time to notice Nancy’s eyes by recalling, â€Å"they looked like cats’ eyes do† (296). Information is also given to the reader in a vague way, showing how little Quentin understood about the events that took place. Quentin for instance, didn't know what the "swelling" under Nancy's dress was, and without question assumes that the bump is a â€Å"watermelon† because that’s what Jesus says it is. The reader must assume that since Nancy said to Jesus that the baby, â€Å"never come off of your vine, though† that the child is not Jesus’. The reader doesn’t acquire this knowledge from Quentin’s understanding, however, since he is not mature enough, rather interprets it from Nancy’s words. The effect of having Quentin as an adult tell a childhood story is that the reader is made aware of the casual observations that he thought were imp... ...morality of racism, just the fact that racism is present and that’s the way it was at that time. In the story, the reader can see Nancy’s feelings and thoughts, therefore we view her as a real person, but during the time she was simply a black woman and Quentin is showing that it wasn’t racism that was intentional, rather it was an upbringing that shaped the way black people were viewed. Furthermore, Jason’s repetition of â€Å"I’m not a nigger,† is not meant in a callous way, rather is meant in a â€Å"that’s just how it is† way. The social commentary on racism and it â€Å"just being there† is hidden through the children’s ramblings. The comments of the children show how much the children paid attention to the ways adults were presenting racism. The point of this being to show a memory that came from youth and concentrated on blacks just being the lower social class and race. That Evening Sun Essay -- Literary Analysis, William Faulkner Critical Analysis of That Evening Sun In That Evening Sun, William Faulkner approaches the story through an anecdotal style that gives meaning to the story. The narrator uses the anecdote that happened to him to convey the story’s underlying meaning that people are restricted by social class and race, not realizing this meaning himself at the time. The era of racism pertains to the meaning of the story, discussing the aversion of southern white people to help those different from them, focusing on the restrictions that society has placed on social class and race separation and the desire to maintain the division. The anecdotal style in That Evening Sun allows the narrator, Quentin, to have a viewpoint and an attitude that is more mature. Since he tells the story now that he is an adult, and the anecdote comes from a memory as a child, the details are focused on smaller things. To exemplify, we see how Quentin takes time to notice Nancy’s eyes by recalling, â€Å"they looked like cats’ eyes do† (296). Information is also given to the reader in a vague way, showing how little Quentin understood about the events that took place. Quentin for instance, didn't know what the "swelling" under Nancy's dress was, and without question assumes that the bump is a â€Å"watermelon† because that’s what Jesus says it is. The reader must assume that since Nancy said to Jesus that the baby, â€Å"never come off of your vine, though† that the child is not Jesus’. The reader doesn’t acquire this knowledge from Quentin’s understanding, however, since he is not mature enough, rather interprets it from Nancy’s words. The effect of having Quentin as an adult tell a childhood story is that the reader is made aware of the casual observations that he thought were imp... ...morality of racism, just the fact that racism is present and that’s the way it was at that time. In the story, the reader can see Nancy’s feelings and thoughts, therefore we view her as a real person, but during the time she was simply a black woman and Quentin is showing that it wasn’t racism that was intentional, rather it was an upbringing that shaped the way black people were viewed. Furthermore, Jason’s repetition of â€Å"I’m not a nigger,† is not meant in a callous way, rather is meant in a â€Å"that’s just how it is† way. The social commentary on racism and it â€Å"just being there† is hidden through the children’s ramblings. The comments of the children show how much the children paid attention to the ways adults were presenting racism. The point of this being to show a memory that came from youth and concentrated on blacks just being the lower social class and race.

Hamlet Essay

Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy shaped the work of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Both are revenge tragedies that include the mystery of death. Behind the mystery, there is a spirit of the dead who appears before the protagonists, Hieronimo and Hamlet, to cry out for revenge. In The Spanish Tragedy and Hamlet, soliloquy plays an important role. It is often used to express the true feelings of the main characters. In both tragedies, the protagonists use soliloquy to demonstrate a central dilemma that slows the main character’s process of vengeance. The dilemma is that it is sinful to commit a murder, but it is also unfair to keep the criminal alive. Their soliloquies show their desire to commit suicide to escape from the dilemma. Another obvious dilemma is that suicide is a sin as well. Thus, the question is whether to live to satisfy the ghost and be damned, or to kill oneself and be damned. Realizing revenge as the better choice of the two, both mad geniuses decide to seek revenge at last. Soliloquies also display the character’s madness. It is their uncertainty, their attempt to reveal the truth, and their mind persistently seeking for reason that drives the avengers to some extent of madness; however, they are not completely insane. Their madness only acts as a disguise so they seem harmless. Both Hieronimo and Hamlet are deceitful. They stay close to the murderers as a mad person grieving for the death of their loved ones, then they act to their plan when it is least expected. The two avengers succeed in the revenge. Of course, the heroes, along with many other characters in the play, die at the end.

Management Summary On The Management Team - 2012 Words

Management Summary Our management team is comprised of highly skilled individuals with many years of experience throughout different industries. Our philosophy at Mary’s Paradise is to serve our customers with the highest quality of products with discretion being our number one goal. Six members contribute crucial roles to our team, the titles of these members include: a President, Vice President, Director of Operations, Director of Public Relations, and two Marketing Directors. Steve McAdoo, President Steve dual majored and got his degree from Harvard in Botany and Business. He is very knowledgeable about marijuana and his expertise is in the scientific study of plants. Mr. McAdoo has previous experience in management which will be†¦show more content†¦He has run social media pages for other companies such as Haze Music group. He also has five years of experience in social media consulting throughout various industries. Alex Weaver, Marketing Director Alex graduated Magna Cum Laude from Texas Tech University and has been in the Marketing industry for over seven years. She has worked for CGC Marketing in Fort Worth, Texas, and she worked closely with a wide range of clients by providing marketing, branding, and advertising services. Some of the clients that she has worked with are: 7/11, Hilton, ExxonMobil and Cash America. Olivia Gage, Marketing Director Olivia completed a degree in marketing from Stanford University and has gained significant experience in two marketing firms in Dallas post graduation. She has worked closely with many entrepreneurial firms as well as more established clients while working for Everitt and Firehouse Agency. Indstry Analysis Considering that legal cannabis is now the fastest growing industry in the United States, its potential is too strong to be overlooked by governments, entrepreneurs, and business entities. The outdated stigma of cannabis and the doubts surrounding it as a successful industry have been replaced through legitimate research, supportive laws, and market demand exceeding the expectations of many. From 1996 to 2014, a total