Tesis sobre el tema "Sales management"

The purpose of this research is to investigate current company business process from sales forecasting perspective and provide potential improvements of how to deal with unstable market demand and increase overall precision of forecasting. The problem which company face is an unstable market demand and not enough precision in sales forecasting process. Therefore the research questions are:  How current forecasting process can be improved?  What methods, can be implemented in order to increase the precision of forecasting? Study can be described as an action research using an abductive approach supported by combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis practices. In order to achieve high degree of reliability the study was based on verified scientific literature and data collected from the case company while collaborating with company’s COO. Research exposed the current forecasting process of the case company. Different forecasting methods were chosen according to the existing circumstances and analyzed in order to figure out which could be implemented in order to increase forecasting precision and forecasting as a whole. Simple exponential smoothing showed the most promising accuracy results, which were measured by applying MAD, MSE and MAPE measurement techniques. Moreover, trend line analysis was applied as well, as a supplementary method. For the reason that the case company presents new products to the market limited amount of historical data was available. Therefore simple exponential smoothing technique did not show accurate results as desired. However, suggested methods can be applied for testing and learning purposes, supported by currently applied qualitative methods.

Paramount Salt Handicraft A wholesale Himalayan salt company was previously doing business in traditional way and was limited only to the local market. However from the start day management was planning to expand the business to more locations and to attract more customers. So to expand the business and to attract the international customers and customers from other cities of Sweden it was necessary to make it available over the internet so that customers can easily get knowledge about the company’s products and purchase them. So the need of an online web shop was realized to bring the company’s plan into reality. The online shop will be act as a medium of interaction between the customers and the company and it will enable the customers to buy products online and make payments electronically and after that the products will delivered to them. Throughout the process the customers can easily track the overall status of their orders.

This research revolves around two major theoretical topics: international network and international sales. The study aims to combine both distinct research areas in order to understand how changes in the sales network influence the sales strategy of the firm. The focus is hereby on born global companies respectively international new ventures. For this reason a framework is introduced that explains the inherent dynamics between sales network and sales strategy with a cycle model. Hereby it is argued that sales network characteristics have influence on specific dimensions of the sales strategy. The sales strategy itself apparently affects the firm’s performance which in turn is argued to influence the sales network. This framework is further on tested with the help of propositions. The empirical basis is provided by a qualitative single case study that is conducted with observations and interviews. The empirical data shows the influence between sales network characteristics and sales strategy components. Whereas no significant empirical proof can be granted to the introduced framework there is evidence that it should be tested with a bigger sample of firms in order to check its validity. Therefore this study contributes to theory in providing a framework for researching dynamics in sales network and sales strategy context. As is this research combines international network and sales literature it is adding to a more holistic understanding of international business. It is also contributing to managerial knowledge in a way that it adds to an understanding of how the sales environment of a firm influences the sales strategy and what impact is expected on the performance of the company.

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering, System Design and Management Program, Engineering and Management Program, 2016.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 66-67).
The semiconductor industry has entered a new phase where growth is in line with the rest of the economy. This change from rapid growth to average growth is forcing changes in how business is done across the industry. One area that can be inspected is incentivization and compensation of companies' sales forces. While the state of the practice in the industry is to pay commissions on sales made, research indicates that the semiconductor sales process may be more effective without commissions. This thesis uses System Dynamics modeling and simulation techniques to analyze the differences that result from different types of incentive plans for salespeople in order to test the robustness of a non-commissioned model against the more traditional commissioned model. The results show which incentive approach is more robust in the new economy. The modeling of these different incentive approaches shows that a non-commissioned sales force is superior in every scenario. While a commissioned sales force can drive growth, the sales force is less effective when paid commissions so price advantage must be used as a lever to drive sales to the level that a non-commissioned sales force can achieve. In growth, recession, and stability, a non-commissioned sales force is shown to be more effective when selling a complex product in a complex industry.
by Heath Marvin.
S.M. in Engineering and Management

The purpose of this study was to establish if a sales manager's leadership style could influence a salesperson's selling behavior to effectively align their selling approach in a buyer-seller exchange. Transformational and transactional leaders have the ability to affect the selling behavior of their salespeople. The research was nonexperimental quantitative study that used survey monkey to collect the data from Canadian mortgage brokers to determine if a transformational or transactional leadership style affected their selling or customer orientation. The significance of the study is that it may provide virtual managers with new insights on how to effectively support their salesperson's performance and assist in guiding their team's behavior so that salespeople can effectively align their sales approach within the buyer and seller exchange. The findings from the data collected suggested there was no relationship between a sales manager's leadership style and the salesperson's customer orientation.

Mestrado em Marketing
Esta dissertação tem como objetivo analisar o Sales Force Management na empresa x, que atua no setor alimentar, mais concretamente na área dos produtos alimentares pré-confecionados e ultracongelados. O foco vai estar subdividido em quatro grandes temas: Sales Force Management, o marketing relacional, o processo de venda e o Key Account Management. A investigação foi realizada partindo da adoção de uma abordagem qualitativa, através de um case study research. A recolha de dados foi realizada através da aplicação de entrevistas semi-estruturadas ao diretor comercial da empresa x e a um dos key account managers. Para cada uma das entrevistas foi formulado um guião de entrevista adaptado ao tipo de informação que se pretendia recolher. A aplicação destas ferramentas, permitiu efetuar a recolha de dados que conduziram às principais conclusões alcançadas. As ideias a reter é que esta dissertação apresenta conclusões e recomendações que têm como objetivo o melhoramento de procedimentos na empresa x, bem como ideias que se aplicam à generalidade das empresas e às suas áreas comerciais. As principais conclusões são a mudança de ótica consoante o cargo hierárquico responsável pela negociação e contacto com os fornecedores, o perigo da centralização da faturação num grupo pequeno de clientes para a empresa x, a importância crescente que a ótica relacional tem na manutenção dos clientes e a importância que a definição do processo de venda tem para garantir um trato uniforme a todos os clientes, permitindo, é claro, adaptações consoante as caraterísticas de cada um.
This dissertation has as a major goal to analyze the Sales Force Management on company x, that runs on the food industry, more specifically on the pre confectionated and deep frozen food products. The focus will be subdivided on four big issues: Sales Force Management, Relational Marketing, selling process and Key Account Management. The research relies on a qualitative approach through a case study. Moreover, the collected data was reached by semi-structured interviews with company x commercial manager and one of the companies key account managers. For each one of the interviews an interview script was formulated adapted to the type of information pretended. The use of these tools allowed to collect the data that based the main conclusions of this dissertation. Recommendations and conclusions have as goal the improvement of company x procedures, as well as some ideas that could be applied to the most of the companies and their commercial department, are what should be retained. The main conclusions are: the optic change according to the hierarchical position of who is leading the negotiations and suppliers? approach, the danger of consolidating the billing on a small group of clients for company x, the growing importance of the relational perspective on client maintenance and the importance of the standardization of the selling process to ensure an uniform performance to all clients, allowing, however, adaptations according to the characteristics of each one of them.
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

In today’s competitive market it is more important than ever to have effective and efficient Supply Chain Planning. Despite its wide adoption and many years of development, Sales and Operational Planning, one of the most commonly applied tactical Supply Chain Planning processes, is not generating the desired results as companies are still experiencing difficulties in synchronizing demand and supply. Furthermore, a company’s competitiveness depends on its knowledge management and how that knowledge is disseminated across functions. Therefore, a case study was conducted with the purpose to investigate how knowledge management is used in the Sales and Operational Planning process to streamline its operations. The study presents a conceptual framework built on prior research on how to use knowledge management in the Sales and Operational Planning process. The framework highlights the importance of alignment of targets and information as well as continuous documentation and learning to improve the streamlining of the process. Additionally, the study illustrates linkages between the stages of creating, spreading, and applying knowledge by applying the framework to the case company. The study identified a gap in research where the combination of Sales and Operational Planning and Knowledge Management had not fully been explored. This gap was addressed by the creation of the conceptual framework. The practical contribution identified both systematic, functional, and individual areas of Knowledge Management that can work to streamline the process.
Dagens konkurrenskraftiga marknad gör att det är viktigare än någonsin att ha en effektiv planering av försäljningskedjan. Sälj- och verksamhetsplanering är en av de mest tillämpade taktiska processerna för planering av försäljningskedjan. Trots sin breda användning och många år av utveckling så genererar inte processen de önskade resultaten då företag fortfarande upplever svårigheter i att synkronisera utbud och efterfrågan. Fortsättningsvis finns det korrelation mellan ett företags konkurrenskraft och kunskapsspridning samt hur kunskap sprids internt mellan funktioner. Därför genomfördes en fallstudie med syftet att undersöka hur kunskapshantering kan integreras i sälj- och verksamhetsplaneringen för att effektivisera processen. Studien presenterar ett ramverk baserat på tidigare forskning, om hur sälj- och verksamhetsplaneringen kan effektiviseras genom kunskapshantering. Ramverket belyser vikten av samspel mellan mål och information samt kontinuerlig dokumentation för effektivisering av processen. Vidare illustrerar studien kopplingar mellan stadierna att skapa, sprida och använda kunskap genom att tillämpa ramverket på det undersökta företaget. Studien identifierar ett forskningsgap där kombinationen av sälj- och verksamhetsplanering och kunskapshantering inte har undersökts fullständigt. Detta forskningsgap adresseras genom skapandet av ramverket. Det praktiska bidraget består av både systematiska, funktions-baserade och individ-baserade områden inom kunskapshantering som kan arbeta för att effektivisera processen.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Over the past two decades company performance has become the mantra of corporate theory. It follows that marketers have recently become understandably preoccupied with measuring the performance of marketing activity. In fact, the pressure for financial accountability has led to widespread concern over the role of the marketing function within a company. Some go as far as contemplating the demise of marketing professionals unless marketers develop an understanding of the marketing-finance interface and are able to enter into a dialogue with top management regarding the value that marketing adds to the company. Modern financial theory prescribes that the primary financial objective of any company should be shareholder value maximisation. Value based management (VBM) involves the appropriate allocation of scarce resources using prioritisation and cost-benefit analyses of different strategies to ensure that managers remain focused on shareholder value creation. The VBM philosophy embraces four fundamental driving forces impacting on the creation of value, the first of which is the profitable growth of sales. Since marketers are the custodians of brand sales the recognition of sales as a value driver places marketing at the centre of the value culture. The role of the marketing function is to create customer value that will translate into marketing assets (brand equity) and by doing so serves to add value to a company. The brand value chain summarises the process through which marketers can create value by carefully investing in various marketing tactics (or expenditures). These expenditures are encapsulated by the marketing mix. Simply, the marketing mix can be described as the sum of all expenditures intended to build brand equity and can be classified into four components known as the 4Ps (product, price, place and promotion). Concern has been raised that marketers focus too much attention on the stages in the brand value chain where marketing strategy is formulated and too little attention on the latter stages where the strategy is linked back to the value created through the implementation thereof. Despite the plethora of marketing metrics available the key to measuring the impact of marketing activity lies in maintaining a balance between non-financial, efficiency metrics and financial effectiveness metrics. To this end, there is a need for the development of aggregate-level models that link marketing tactics (expenditures) to to financial impact (e.g. sales) in order to communicate the value created by marketing. As a first step toward the objective of developing such models, it is important to understand the nature of the relationship between marketing expenditures (in terms of the 4Ps) and sales). Therefore, the primary objective in this study was to establish whether there is a relationship between the expenditures of different marketing components (4Ps) and sales. To this end, the proposition formulated elucidated that the variance in sales of a product is attributable to fluctuations in marketing expenditures. A meta analysis study was undertaken and two South African fast moving consumer goods brands’ financial data were investigated for the period of July 2001 to the end of June 2005. The marketing expenditures incurred for each of the respective brands were dissected and allocated according to the 4Ps of marketing. The metohod applied to investigate the relationship between marketing expenditures and sales originated through the adoption of multiple regression analysis between the indepent variables (marketing expenditures) and the dependent variable (sales). However, due to the fact that the data were collected over time it was anticipated that the time-related characteristics in the data might have offended inherent assumptions on which multiple regression analysis is based. Therefore, a time series regression analysis was subsequently adopted to account for time-related characteristics such as trend or seasonality. Counteracting dummy variables were included in the regression analysis to better understand the effect of trend and seasonality. In the case of Brand A, it was necessary to include dummy variables to counteract the effect of trend in the regression analysis., the results revealed that there is a statistically significant relationship between the expenditures of different marketing components (4Ps) and sales. Only distribution expenditures and price (along with trend) explained unique variance in sales. In the case of Brand B, it was necessary to include dummy variables for both trend and seasonality before the model was suitable for analysis. Once again, the results revealed a statistically significant relationship between the expenditures of different marketing components (4Ps) and sales. However for Brand B, only production expenditures (along with trend and seasonality) explained unique variance in sales. Therefore, in conclusion of the results found there were important findings to note. Firstly, when investigating data colllected over time it is imperative to understand the impact of time-related characteristics in the data and subsequently adopt the appropriate model to investigate relationships in the data. Secondly, despite a statistically significant relationship detected between marketing expenditures and sales the different components of the 4Ps have varying prominence for different brands and the appropriate allocation of resource will depend on the nature of the product and the strategy in mind.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die prestasie van ’n maatskappy het oor die afgelope twee dekades die mantra van korporatiewe teorie geword. Dit volg dus dat bemarkers onlangs afgetrokke is met die meet van die prestasie van mark aktiwiteit. Die druk vir finansiële verantwoordbaarheid het in wye kommer oor die rol van die bemarkingsfunksie binne ’n maatskappy, uitgeloop. Daar word bespiegel oor die ondergang van professionele bemarkers tensy bemarkers ’n begrip van die bemarking-finansie skeidingsvlak ontwikkel en in staat is om ’n dialoog met topbestuur aan die gang te sit rakende die waarde wat bemarking tot ’n maatskappy voeg. Moderne finansiële teorie stel voor dat die primêre finansiële doelwit van enige maatskappy die verhoging van belanghebbende waarde moet wees. Waarde-gebaseerde bestuur (WGB) sluit die gepaste toewysing van skaars hulpbronne, deur die gebruik van vooropstelling en koste-voordeel analise van verskeie strategieë, in, om te verseker dat bestuurders op die belanghebbende waarde skepping gefokus bly. Die WGB filosofie omarm vier grondliggende dryfsmagte wat op die skep van waarde, waarvan eerstens die winsgewende groei van verkope is, ’n impak het. Aangesien bemarkers die bewaarders van die handelsnaam verkope is, plaas die erkenning van verkope as ’n waarde drywer, bemarking in die middelpunt van die waarde kultuur. Die rol van die bemarkingsfunksie is om kliënt waarde te skep wat omgesit sal word in bemarkingsbates (handelsmerk billikheid) en dien so om waarde tot ’n maatskappy by te dra. Die handelsmerk waarde ketting som die proses op waardeur bemarkers waarde kan skep deur versigtig in verskeie bemarkingstaktieke (of uitgawes) te belê. Hierdie uitgawes word saamgevat deur die bemarkingsmengsel. Die bemarkingsmengsel kan kortliks beskryf word as die som van alle uitgawes wat bedoel is om handelsmerk billikheid te bou en kan in vier komponente, wat as die 4Ps (produk, prys, plek en promosie) bekend staan, geklassifiseer word. Daar is reeds kommer uitgespreek dat bemarkers te veel aandag aan die stadiums in die handelsmerk waarde ketting bestee waar bemarkings strategie geformuleer word en te min aandag word aan die latere stadiums geskenk waar die strategie teruggeskakel word aan die waarde wat deur die implementering daarvan geskep word. Ten spyte van die menigte beskikbare bemarkings metrieke lê die sleutel tot die meet van die impak van bemarkingsaktiwiteite in die onderhou van ’n balans tussen nie-finansiële, doeltreffende metrieke en finansiële effektiwiteit metrieke. Daar is dus ’n behoefte aan die ontwikkeling van gemiddelde-vlak modelle wat bemarkings taktieke (uitgawes) aan finansiële impak (bv. verkope) skakel om sodoende die waarde wat deur bemarking geskep word, te kommunikeer. Dit is belangrik om, as ’n eerste treë na die doelwit om sulke modelle te ontwikkel, die aard van die verhouding tussen bemarkingsuitgawes (in terme van die 4Ps) en verkope te verstaan. Die hoofdoel in hierdie studie was dus om vas te stel of daar ’n verhouding tussen die uitgawes van verskillende bemarkingskomponente (4Ps) en verkope bestaan. Die voorstel wat geformuleer is, het verklaar dat die verskeidenheid in verkope ’n produk is wat toegeskryf kan word aan fluktuering in bemarkings uitgawes. ’n Meta analise studie is onderneem en twee Suid-Afrikaanse vinnig-bewegende gebruikers goedere handelsmerke se finansiële data vir die typerk van Julie 2001 tot einde van Junie 2005 is ondersoek. Die bemarkings uitgawes wat vir elk van die handelsmerke aangegaan is, is ontleed en toegeken volgens die 4Ps van bemarking. Die metode wat toegepas is om die verhouding tussen bemarkings uitgawes en verkope te ondersoek het ontstaan deur die aanneem van meervoudige agteruitgang analise tussen die onafhanklike veranderlikes (bemarkings uitgawes) en die afhanklike veranderlikes (verkope). Daar is egter verwag, as gevolg van die feit dat die data oor tyd versamel is, dat die tyd-verwante kenmerke in die data inherente aannames mag beledig het, waarop meervoudige agteruitgang analise gebaseer is. ’n Tydsreek agteruitgang analise is gevolglik aangeneem om verantwoordbaar te wees vir tydsverwante kenmerke soos neiging of seisoenaliteit. Teenwerkende fop veranderlikes is by die agteruitgang analise ingesluit om die effek van neiging of seisoenaliteit beter te verstaan. In die geval van Handelsmerk A, was dit nodig om fop veranderlikes in te sluit om die effek van neiging in die agteruitgang analise teen te werk. Die uitslae het gewys dat daar ’n statisties noemenswaardige verhouding tussen die uitgawes van verskillende bemarkingskomponente (4Ps) en verkope is. Slegs verspreiding uitgawes en prys (tesame met neiging) het unieke verskille in verkope verduidelik. In die geval van Handelsmerk B was dit nodig om die fop veranderlikes in te sluit vir beide neiging en seisoenaliteit voordat die model gepas was vir analise. Die uitslae het weereens gewys dat daar ’n duidende verhouding tussen die uitgawes van verskillende bemarkingskomponente (4Ps) en verkope is. Slegs produksie uitgawes (tesame met neiging en seisonaliteit) het egter unieke verskille in verkope vir Handelsmerk B verduidelik. Daar was dus, in gevolgtrekking tot die uitslae wat gevind is, belangrike bevindings om van kennis te neem. Dit is eerstens van uiterste belang om die impak van tyd-verwante kenmerke in die data te verstaan en om vervolgens die gepaste model aan te neem om verhoudings in die data te ondersoek. Tweedens, ten spyte van ’n statistiese noemenswaardige verhouding wat bespeur is tussen bemarkings uitgawes en verkope, het die verskeie komponente van die 4Ps verskillende vernaamheid vir verskillende handelsmerke en die gepaste toekenning van bronne sal afhang van die aard van die produk en die strategie wat beoog word.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Management, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009.
Committee Co-Chair: Goutam Challagalla; Committee Co-Chair: Sundar Bharadwaj; Committee Member: Ajay Kohli; Committee Member: Alka Citrin; Committee Member: Koert van Ittersum

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2018.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 68-70).
Trends show promising growth of the online e-Commerce industry. While the e-Commerce companies are aggressively moving towards digital sales and marketing, the customers are being bombarded with frequent and often irrelevant marketing communication from myriad sources. The thesis proposes understanding the digital purchase journeys of the customers from the lenses of both sellers and customers to make online sales and marketing efforts relevant and intelligent. The thesis applies the improved customer journey framework to identify the needs of the customers and goals of the seller at various stages of customer purchase journey. It discusses the need to take an integrated view of the purchase journey to improve the customer experience at the journey level. It illustrates with an example how to design end-to-end journeys - a starting point for consciously shaping the purchase journeys. Larger companies are using Machine Learning to improve marketing technologies and processes to create a competitive advantage and capture market share through digital presence. The thesis aims to understand and illustrate the applications of Machine Learning to digital sales and marketing ecosystem for the e- Commerce industry. It first understands the e-Commerce touchpoints using which customers interact with the brands and delves deeper into the underlying technologies powering these touchpoints. Then it illustrates and analyzes the application of Machine Learning to the e-Commerce website which includes search, recommendation system, and Product Detail Page with an aim to improve conversion, and to the advertising ecosystem which includes Data Management Platform and Demand Side Platform in order to enable prospecting and customer targeting. The thesis also illustrates and proposes the use of a framework called 'Machine Learning Canvas' to systematically apply Machine Learning to any system while keeping value proposition for the business in the center.
by Shaheen Thobani.
S.M. in Engineering and Management

Understanding the determinants of sales success and sales failure has organization wide implications, ranging from an improved salesforce to improved corporate performance. However, a paucity of research on sales failure has resulted in an under-conceptualized field largely built on assumptions. This research proposes to overcome salesforce failure attribution biases by collecting data from the industrial buyer’s perspective. Thirty five post-mortem interviews with procurement decision makers from buying organizations were collected following a failed sales proposal. The context of these failed sales proposals was for multi-year industrial service key account contracts (>$5 Million). The result of this naturalistic inquiry is a model which outlines the determinant attributes of sales failure: price, adaptability and relationship-potential. An experimental design was conducted following this exploratory research in order to test the derived drivers of sales failure and success, as well as provide a trade-off analysis of the three emergent sales proposal themes. Results indicate that a lack of adaptability has the strongest impact on the sales failure outcome variable, as well as buyer characteristics have a potentially moderating impact on the relative trade-off weights between price/adaptability and price/relationship-potential.

The future has always caught the attention of the human being. The thirst of exploring the future and to know the unknown has driven the human being toward innovativeness.

Companies are expanding their operations worldwide since the past few decades. Profit growth coupled with an effective strategy has become the primary need of global companies. Research in this area has given rise to optimization of the supply chain for higher profitability. Considering the overall strategy the company needs to plan production well in advance. The operational planning comes in picture at this moment. In order to reduce excessive inventory at each stage of the production; one should know the demand of the next stage and preferably the end customer demand. The process of sales forecasting is undertaken to predict demand at different stages. It is a complex managerial function and hence needed to be undertaken by a scientific way. The sales forecasting the function includes process of forecasting, administration, hardware, software, users and developers of forecast.

Historically sales forecasting has been considered as a side activity by most of the companies. Sales forecasting has not been considered as an important function of marketing and finance. Very few companies have seen sales forecasting by a scientific management point of view. Less research has been reported in sales forecasting in comparison to other managerial functions. Planning based on sales forecasting; may be part of a selected strategy for growth and profitability. These facts have attracted us to study sales forecasting as a managerial function.

The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze the sales forecasting process, sales forecasting system, sales forecasting methods and techniques. Further proposing possibilities of improvements in existing forecasting process is also purpose of this study.

We have selected three manufacturing companies for this study based on purposive sampling. Considering research interest in phenomenon study; we have selected a qualitative research strategy for this study. We have selected a case study method for our research as it is the most appropriate tool to study the relation between theory and phenomenon. For this research, we have collected the data by semistructured interviews based on a pre formed questionnaire. The questionnaire has been prepared with respect to our research purpose and open ended questions were used to gather extensive data. The data gathered during interviews, have been analyzed by the use of ‘Flow model’ suggested by Miles and Huberman (1994).

Results from this study shows that there is a need to see ‘sales forecasting’ as a management function rather than a computer activity. To achieve the best information integration throughout the supply chain, increased information visibility is needed. To achieve accuracy in both forecasting and planning; collaborative forecasting may be used. Forecasting software needs to have a suite of methods towards product specific forecasting. The need of customized softwares has also been indicated by this study. The need to measure performance of forecasting by means of accuracy, cost and customer relationship has been concluded.

Background: The sales representatives in B2B companies are experiencing several changes in their environment, which have already altered their performed activities. In order to meet the new customer needs, Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides an effective usage of the large amount of complex data that is available, defined as Big Data. AI is developing intelligence that is human-like and is expected to impact occupational roles while threating to automate tasks typically performed by humans. Previous technologies have already impacted sales representatives in the performance of their sales activities; however, it is still uncertain how AI will impact and benefit them. Previous empirical findings and the lack of studies centered on the individual impact of AI confirm the need for more academic reports. Purpose: The aim of this research is to explore how the implementation of Artificial Intelligence and usage of Big Data in Business-to-Business selling processes are impacting sales representatives, in term of performed activities. Further, the aim is also to explore the management of individuals during the implementation of AI. Methodology: This qualitative study is based on a realistic perspective with an inductive research approach. The empirical data has been collected through semi structured interviews with six AI-providers and two consulting firms that have proven experiences in working with AI and sales in B2B companies. Conclusion: AI is characterized by its adapting capability as well as its ability to process and combine a large amount of real-time, online and historical data. As a result, the selling process is constantly provided with more accurate, faster and original insights. Through the analytical capacity of AI, the sales representatives are gaining extensive knowledge about the customer and the external world. Also, AI simplifies the creation and maintenance of long- lasting customer relationships by providing specific and valuable content. Administrative tasks and non-sales activities can also become automated through the usage of AI, which enables sales representatives to focus on their core tasks, for instance relationship building and value-adding activities. The threat of automation and elimination of jobs should be redefined into the possibility to augment human capabilities. By adopting this approach, the importance of the human-machine collaboration is strongly emphasized. In order to increase the willingness for changing working procedures at individual levels, the communication during the process of change should be centered on creating a positive perception and understanding of AI. It is also important to create trust for AI and promote a data-driven culture in order to ensure the systematic usage of the system.

Marketing analytical studies of optimal salesforce compensation policies typically rely on a set of restrictive assumptions. In this paper, a model of decentralized salesforce compensation is developed, wherein some of the classical assumptions are challenged. Response Surface Methodology is used to optimize decentralized compensation policies over a set of simulated conditions. The proposed approach is then illustrated with two empirical applications in artificial and real settings. The objective is to provide some preliminary evidence about decentralized structures and to recommend salesforce compensation policies.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The economic downturn in South Africa since mid 2008 has transformed the motor vehicle industry into a seriously competitive marketplace. Both large and small dealerships are finding their volumes and margins under increasing pressure. Sandown Motor Holdings (Pty) Ltd has a new vision to become the finest motor group in the world. An openness to ideas and to the external environment in the learning organisation means that it can excel by exceeding customer expectations and benchmarking against the best in the class (Clarke & Clegg, 2000:5). In this light, Sandown Motor Holdings needs to adopt certain strategies, policies and practices that allows for the implementation of new ideas and quick reactions to changes in the external environment. They need to know what customer expectations are and then exceed them to enable Sandown Motors to make this vision a reality. This research report analyses the external and internal environment of Sandown Motor Holdings (Pty) Ltd in the Western Cape in an attempt to gain insight into the realities facing the company. The report becomes more focused on Mercedes-Benz Claremont as a dealership and its pre-owned vehicle sales department as the key department which serves as an outlet for trade-in pressures, but also as a profit centre which needs to be developed. Much work is done around market segmentation, product profiling and trading policies that would positively influence both pre-owned and new vehicle sales. The pre-owned strategy that emerges also highlights the necessity for an e-commerce strategy to serve as another platform from which to trade even more pre-owned vehicles. This strategy specifically aims to establish an online auction system open to traders only. The report concludes by taking a look at the new vehicle sales department. The approach taken is customer centric and relies heavily on the customer experience as a source of competitive advantage over competitors. Processes and performance indicators are reviewed and an action plan is compiled and put in place. A detailed twelve-month marketing plan is also developed and is included as an appendix. The author believes these strategies are crucial for short-term profitability, long-term survival and the satisfaction of all stakeholders. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ekonomiese afplatting in Suid-Afrika sedert die middel van 2008 het die motor-industrie in ‘n streng kompeterende arena omskep. Beide groot- en kleinhandelaars ondervind toenemende druk op hulle volumes en winsmarges. Sandown Motor Holdings (Pty) Ltd het ‘n nuwe visie om die beste motorgroep ter wêreld te word. ‘n Openheid teenoor idees oor die eksterne omgewing in die leergierige organisasie, beteken dat dit kan presteer deur kliënteverwagtinge te oortref en hulself te kan meet teen die beste in die klas (Clarke & Clegg, 2000:5). In die lig hiervan moet Sandown Motor Holdings sekere strategieë, beleidsrigtings en praktyke aanvaar wat die implementering van nuwe idees en vinnige reaksie op veranderinge in die eksterne omgewing moontlik maak. Hulle moet weet wat die kliënte se verwagtinge is en dit dan oortref ten einde Sandown Motors se visie ‘n realiteit te maak. Hierdie navorsingsverslag analiseer die eksterne en interne omgewing van Sandown Motor Holdings (Pty) Ltd in die Wes-Kaap in ‘n poging om insig te verkry in die realiteite wat die maatskappy in die gesig staar. Die verslag fokus op Mercedes-Benz Claremont as ‘n alleenstaande handelaarskap en sy Gebruikte-Voertuie Verkoopsafdeling as die sleuteldepartement wat dien as ‘n uitlaat vir inruil druk, maar ook as ‘n winssentrum wat verder ontwikkel moet word. Baie werk is gedoen rondom marksegmentasie, produkprofiele en handelsbeleid wat positiewe impak op beide nuwe en gebruikte verkope sal hê. Die gebruikte-voertuig strategie wat hieruit spruit beklemtoon verder die behoefte aan ‘n webgebaseerde strategie wat as ‘n verdere afsetpunt kan dien vir nog meer gebruikte-voertuie verkope. Hierdie strategie is spesifiek gemik op die daarstel van ‘n op-tyd aanlyn veilingstelsel, uitsluitlik vir die gebruik van motorhandelaars. Die verslag sluit af deur te kyk na die Nuwe-Voertuig Verkoopsafdeling. Die benadering wat gevolg word is kliëntgesentreerd en berus op die kliënt se ervaring as ‘n bron van kompeterende voordeel bo die kompetisie. Prosesse en indikators om prestasie te meet word hersien en die nodige aksieplan word opgestel en toegepas. ‘n Gedetaileerde twaalf-maande bemarkingsplan is ook ontwikkel en word ingesluit in die aanhangsels. Die skrywer glo hierdie strategieë is krities vir korttermyn winsgewendheid, langtermyn oorlewing en die bevrediging van alle belanghebbendes.

Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2008.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-72).
(cont.) Lastly, we visited SemiCo, a leading global supplier of high performance semiconductor products, to gain first-hand insight into the S&OP process of a large multinational company and complete a brief case study about how risk management is currently being utilized within this company's S&OP process. Finally, we synthesized these four sources of information in order to develop a common framework and recommendations that companies can use for understanding the best practices for incorporating risk management into the S&OP process.
The objective of this thesis project is to analyze how companies can utilize risk management techniques in their sales and operations planning process (S&OP). S&OP is a strategy used to integrate planning and processes across functional groups within a company, such as sales, operations, and finance. A large body of academic and industry literature already exits, proving that S&OP can integrate people, processes, and technology leading to improved operational performance for a business. However, little research has been done in the area of applying risk management techniques to the S&OP process. When companies use S&OP in order to align their demand, supply, capacity, and production, based on various factors such as history, pricing, promotions, competition, and technology, they rarely factor in uncertainty and risk into the S&OP process. Furthermore, for those companies that do implement risk management in the S&OP process, there is no consensus in the business community about how to do this accurately and effectively. Our basic approach to understanding risk management and its place in the S&OP process will be four-fold. First, we conducted a literature review in order to gain basic S&OP process understanding and current risk management strategies. Next, we conducted thirteen hour-long phone interviews with practitioners and thought leaders in the field of sales and operations planning in order to gain insight into how companies currently discuss, assess, and act upon uncertainty within the S&OP process. Third, we conducted an online survey of various companies and consultants working in the field of S&OP to see how they currently discuss and incorporate uncertainty into their S&OP work.
by Yanika Daniels and Timothy Kenny.
M.Eng.in Logistics

Mestrado em Marketing
A indústria Farmacêutica é um setor altamente regulamentado que nos últimos anos tem vindo a sofrer grandes alterações que se refletem na situação atual das empresas farmacêuticas. Neste sentido, na presente dissertação, as seguintes questões de investigação são formuladas: 1. Quais as características de Sales Force Management na Indústria Farmacêutica?; 2. Qual a importância das equipas de vendas na IF?; 3. Quais as tendências na organização das equipas de vendas na IF? e 4. Como são motivadas e compensadas as equipas de vendas na IF?. A investigação foi realizada adotando uma abordagem qualitativa, com uma estratégia de Case Study, a uma empresa multinacional do setor farmacêutico que representa um caso ilustrativo. A recolha de dados foi realizada, através da aplicação de um guião de entrevista com 28 perguntas, numa entrevista conjunta com os responsáveis de vendas e marketing da empresa farmacêutica. Após a análise dos dados conclui-se que: 1. As equipas de vendas são uma parte integrante e importante das empresas farmacêuticas porque são a principal forma de contacto entre empresas do setor e a classe médica; 2. A organização da força de vendas é definida, fundamentalmente, por estrutura geográfica. A adoção de Key Account Management (KAM) não está completamente implementado e 3. A motivação e compensação são implementadas através de sistemas de incentivo mistos, salário base e prémios de desempenho quando os objetivos de vendas são superados.
The highly regulated pharmaceutical Industry has been suffering great changes in these last years. These alterations have affected the present situation of the pharmaceutical businesses. Considering the aforementioned situation, in the present dissertation the following research questions are formulated: 1. Which are the Sales Force Management characteristics in the Pharmaceutical Industry? ; 2. What is the importance of the sales teams in the PI? ; 3. Which are the organisational tendencies in the sales teams in PI? ; 4. How are the sales teams motivated and rewarded in the PI? The multinational pharmaceutical company chosen for de research, represents an illustrative case. The research conducted adopted a qualitative approach, using the same strategy as in a Case Study. The collection of data was obtained by using a questionnaire, consisting of 28 questions, which was administered simultaneously in an interview setting, held with respective heads of both sales and marketing departments of a pharmaceutical company. Upon analysis of the data, it was concluded that: 1. The sales teams are an important and essential part of the pharmaceutical companies because they are the main source of contact among industry companies and the medical community; 2. The sales force is fundamentally organized according geographical structure. The implementation of the Key Account Management (KAM) is not fully complete; 3. A combination of incentives are used for motivational and compensation purposes. When sales objectives are met, the payment structures are applied through a base salary plus performance bonuses.

Organization theory proposes that managers exert control over the behavior of salespeople and the outcomes salespeople are expected to deliver. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to examine the relationships between activity control, capability control, and outcome control and salesperson performance, as well as the moderating effects of product complexity, task complexity, and number of accounts on the control-performance relationships for business-to-business sales personnel. The framework for the study was based in the concept of organizational control. Data analysis included hierarchical regression of a convenience sample of 374 survey responses from salespeople to analyze the direct and moderating relationships between perceived sales management control and salesperson performance. Data were collected using Fluid Surveys. Although significant positive effects were identified between outcome control, activity control, and capability control on salesperson performance, as well as a significant negative effect of task complexity on salesperson performance, no moderating effects were found. Because sales management behavior impacts salesperson satisfaction, retention, and performance, identifying the positive impact of activity, capability, and outcome control, and the negative impact of task complexity on salesperson performance provides sales managers with important guidance when considering the elements of an effective approach to sales management. Finally, providing managers with specific guidance regarding management approach has implications for positive social change within organizations by improving salesperson satisfaction with their jobs, their manager, and the organization for whom they work.

The thesis gives comprehensive overview on the topic of sales promotions. The special focus is devoted to activities of Procter & Gamble on the Czech market. With increasing importance of sales promotions on the Czech market, the thesis aims to introduce main academic findings concerning sales promotions and test them on brands of Procter & Gamble. The next goal is to find out whether sales promotion strategies of Procter & Gamble provide a competitive advantage for the company on the Czech market. Using statistical and comparative methods, the thesis brings valuable conclusions for both marketers and academics. It was found out effects of Procter & Gamble sales promotions are in line with academic theories and its sales promotion strategies provide competitive advantage for the company.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2006.
Although most businesses require accurate sales forecasts in order to survive and to be successful, very little attention has been devoted to examine how sales forecasting processes should be managed, and the behavioural factors associated with the management of forecasting. Sales forecasting activities and research have by and large concentrated on the techniques or on the systems used, rather than on the forecasting management philosophy, which considers the organisational, procedural, and personnel aspects of the process. Both forecasting modelling and IT systems form the basis for the forecasting process, but the third element, namely the organisation, is potentially the most important one. Researchers have argued that improvements in this area could have a greater impact on the level of forecasting accuracy than improvements with regard to other aspects. After developing predetermined forecasting standards and principles, an audit on the author's organisation was conducted. This revealed that no formal forecasting --- existed, and that a number of business practices were in effect contaminating procedures and possibly affecting the integrity of the data. Very little forecasting knowledge existed, sales were predicted very sporadically, and simple averaging techniques were adopted. Life cycles of products, trends, seasonality or any other cyclical activity were never modelled. This obviously resulted in a very poor level of forecast accuracy, affecting a number of business activities. A decision was made to research the topic of forecasting management, develop a best practice model, and apply it to the organisation. The best practice model was based predominantly on the research work of Armstrong and Mentzer. This model requires the forecasting process to be developed in two specific phases, namely a strategic phase, in which the forecast is aligned to the organisation, the internal processes and the people, and the operational phase, in which more tangible aspects of the forecasting process are identified and constructed. This new forecasting approach and a dedicated forecasting software programme were successfully implemented, improving the overall accuracy level of the forecast.

Thesis (M.S. in Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2010.
Thesis Advisor(s): Gates, William R. ; Coughlan, Peter. "March 2010." Author(s) subject terms: Combinatorial Retention Auction Mechanism, auction mechanism, auction, Nurse Corps, Nurse Corps retention, retention, retention mechanism, Menu Method, Bid Method. Includes bibliographical references (p. 95-99). Also available in print.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As Spar began to grow, its stores became increasingly proactive resulting in the better SPAR stores wanting to compete and to expand but being frustrated by their many conservative SPAR retail colleagues. In order to increase effectiveness and competitive advantage, SPAR had to consider a new approach. This came in the form of Category Management and the extent to which it would be understood, evaluated and implemented. SPAR was being forced to do things in different ways. Many consumer packaged goods companies believe that Category Management is the "new way". These companies are expanding great amounts of energy and cash to be the player in the category management arena. Category Management is regarded as a process that involves managing product categories as business units and customizing them on a store-by-store basis to satisfy customer needs. The ideal in this process is to identify the optimal mix and stock each store with specific products customers wish to purchase. In simple terms, Category Management can be identified as the process of bringing the right product to the consumer at the right time and price. As a discipline, this process is in its infancy within the boarders of South Africa. The scope of the study is to introduce the Spar model for implementing Category Management into the voluntary trading environment. The biggest challenge identified is that if a robust analysis process is not undertaken by SPAR, the actions of going forward would be insufficient to develop clear Category Management strategies which could be included in the overall business strategy. Without successful analysis, SPAR will not be able to transform itself successfully. Organizationally, culturally, and technically, Category Management is fundamentally different to what has gone before. Many facets of the SPAR business have to change in a relatively short space of time for Category Management to work. Category Management helps establish new strategic intents and plans. It is a go-to market strategy that, when adopted within an organization, sets the tone and direction for all strategic and tactical decisions. The Category Management process is consumer focused and is the most effective and efficient means whereby the retailer and its suppliers can together generate value for their end customer.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Namate SPAR begin groei het, het sy winkels toenemend proaktief begin word, wat daartoe gelei het dat die beste SPAR-winkels wou meeding en uitbrei, maar deur hul talle konserwatiewe SPAR-kleinhandelskollegas gedwarsboom is. Ten einde doeltreffendheid en mededingende voordeel te verhoog, moes SPAR 'n nuwe benadering oorweeg. Dit het die vorm van Kategoriebestuur en die mate waarin dit verstaan, geëvalueer en geïmplementeer sou word, aangeneem. SPAR is genoodsaak om dinge anders te doen. Baie maatskappye wat verpakte verbruikersgoedere verkoop, is van mening dat Kategoriebestuur die "nuwe rigting" is. Hierdie maatskappye bestee groot hoeveelhede energie en kontant om dié speler in die kategoriebestuursarena te wees. Kategoriebestuur word beskou as 'n proses wat behels dat produkkategorieë as sake-eenhede bestuur word wat op 'n winkelgrondslag pasgemaak word ten einde in kliëntebehoeftes te voorsien. Die doelwit van hierdie proses is om die optimale mengsel te identifiseer en elke winkel te bevoorraad met bepaalde produkte wat kliënte wil koop. In eenvoudige terme kan Kategoriebestuur omskryf word as die proses om die regte produk op die regte tyd en teen die regte prys aan die verbruiker te bied. As 'n dissipline staan hierdie proses in sy kinderskoene binne die grense van Suid-Afrika. Die omvang van die studie is om die SPAR-model bekend te stel vir die implementering van Kategoriebestuur in die vrywillige handelsomgewing. Die grootste uitdaging is dan indien SPAR nie 'n deeglike ontledingsproses onderneem nie, die aksies vorentoe nie voldoende sal wees om duidelike Kategoriebestuurstrategieë te formuleer wat in die algehele sakestrategie ingesluit kan word nie. Sonder 'n suksesvolle ontleding sal SPAR homself nie suksesvol kan transformeer nie. Organisatories, kultureel en tegnies verskil Kategoriebestuur fundamenteel van dit wat voorheen gegeld het. Vir Kategoriebestuur om te werk, sal talle fasette van die SPAR-onderneming in 'n betreklik kort tydjie moet verander. Kategoriebestuur dra by tot die formulering van nuwe strategiese doelwitte en planne. Dit is 'n bemarkingstrategie wat, indien dit binne 'n organisasie gevolg word, die toon en rigting vir alle strategiese en taktiese besluite aangee. Die Kategoriebestuursproses is verbruikersgerig en is die doeltreffendste wyse waarop die kleinhandelaar en sy produkverskaffers tesame waarde vir hul eindkliënt kan genereer.

Understanding how technology usage influences performance in the inside sales industry has become an important issue for practitioners. Yet, there is a dearth of literature in this area. Inside sales are sales that are performed remotely using the phone or Internet technologies. Leads (i.e., potential customers) are the life-blood of any inside sales setting, and their effective management is crucial for business success. Lead management systems are information technology (IT) tools designed to automate and support effective lead management. This study developed a conceptual model based on the Technology-Task-Fit (TTF) theory, capturing the impact of lead management systems on inside sales performance through the following mediating mechanisms: task characteristics (call productivity and effort on lead follow-up), selling behaviour (adaptive selling) and salesperson characteristics (salesperson’s competency). To validate this model, we conducted an empirical study with 108 responses collected from sales managers and decision makers. Using PLS-SEM for the analysis, our findings show that the use of lead management systems affects inside sales performance via improving salespeople’s adaptive selling, effort on lead follow-up and competency. The findings of this study contributes to the inside sales literature, and also educate practitioners of the key enablers of inside sales performance and technology usage approaches to the inside sales process.

Use of competency models has exploded in recent years. Unfortunately, the empirical research to validate such systems is scarce. This study explores the relationship between Competency-based Performance Management Systems and sales performance to determine whether the use of these systems increases performance. Performance data from sales representatives in a medical products company were examined to determine changes in performance following the introduction of the Competency-based Performance Management System (N=64). Correlations with performance were obtained for each competency dimension to determine if any factors were highly correlated with performance and if state-factors were more positively correlated with performance than trait-factors (N=66). The study found no significant relationship between implementation of a Competency-based Performance Management System and sales performance. Also state-factors were not more positively correlated with sales performance than trait-factors.

Global Account Management (GAM) is a global strategic, relationship oriented and marketing management program. In today’s highly competitive business scenario GAM has become one of the most significant strategic alliance by many companies with their customers to have the competitive advantage over their counter-part. It is a systematically approached program specifically in sales for managing strategically important customers globally. It is an ongoing process since many years now for all the global companies even though the rate of success is not so fast. Globalization has got an important role here for GAM analysis where the supplier firm engages it-self in standardizing marketing programs. It coordinates worldwide activities and integrates competitive moves across country markets. Hence Shi et al. (2010: 626) suggests firms can increase the use of GAM strategies when faced with increasing globalization. This report reviews the scientific literature and empirical studies of many past researchers on GAM analysis, its drivers and strategy and concludes the importance of GAM for all global companies. The objective of the study was to understand how global account management and strategy helps in managing global customers. It is a case study. The research problem was approached with a careful research design, which consists of a theoretical part and an empirical part. The theoretical part of the study defines and clarifies the GAM analysis where an integrative theoretical model is drawn to describe GAM relationship between a global account customer and a focal supplier. The empirical part will explore along with literature reviews and provide a quantitative analysis to the research study. Through extensive literature reviews, case study and empirical interviews, the current study developed answers to the research question, “As globalization increasing, how global account management helps companies to manage customers globally?”

Marketing executives of traditional retail firms who lack strategies to expand e-commerce business, can experience inhibited growth, higher transaction costs, and a loss of competitive advantage. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore marketing strategies that marketing executives of a traditional retail firm used to improve online sales. Eight purposefully selected marketing executives in the head offices of a large traditional retail business in South Africa who had implemented effective marketing strategies to improve online sales participated in the study. Social exchange theory was the conceptual framework for the study. The data collection process entailed face-to-face semistructured interviews and review of company and industry-specific documentation. Data were coded and analyzed to identify emergent themes: the use of customer relationship management to drive marketing strategies; positive exchange relationships that are primarily measured in economic and benefit-orientated terms; trust that relies on safety, security, and privacy of transactions; and reciprocity in the relationship that is facilitated through electronic word of mouth and social media. The implications for positive social change from increased profitability include increased employment opportunities in the local community, improved working conditions and benefits for employees, and increased charitable contributions locally, thereby improving the quality of life for employees and the community.

Доступ до роботи тільки на території бібліотеки ОНЕУ, для переходу натисніть на посилання нижче
У роботі розглядаються теоретичні аспекти управління збутовою діяльністю підприємства. Проаналізовано збутову діяльність, складові зовнішнього та внутрішнього середовища ТОВ «Ювента». Запропоновано заходи з покращення управління збутовою діяльністю ТОВ «Ювента», шляхом впровадження на підприємство відділу маркетингу. The work deals with the theoretical aspects of the management of sales activities of the enterprise.
Author analysis sales activities, components of the external and internal environment of LLC «Juventa». Measures to improve the management of sales activities of LLC «Juventa» by introducing a marketing department to the enterprise.

This project was carried out for a company named Attollo, a consulting firm specialized in Business Intelligence and Corporate Performance Management. The project aims to explore a new area for Attollo, predictive analytics, which is then applied to Klarna, a client of Attollo. Attollo has a partnership with IBM, which sells services for predictive analytics. The tool that this project is carried out with, is a software from IBM: SPSS Modeler. Five different examples are given of what and how the predictive work that was carried out at Klarna consisted of. From these examples, the different predictive models' functionality are described. The result of this project demonstrates, by using predictive analytics, how predictive models can be created. The conclusion is that predictive analytics enables companies to understand their customers better and hence make better decisions.
Detta projekt har utforts tillsammans med ett foretag som heter Attollo, en konsultfirma som ar specialiserade inom Business Intelligence & Coporate Performance Management. Projektet grundar sig pa att Attollo ville utforska ett nytt omrade, prediktiv analys, som sedan applicerades pa Klarna, en kund till Attollo. Attollo har ett partnerskap med IBM, som saljer tjanster for prediktiv analys. Verktyget som detta projekt utforts med, ar en mjukvara fran IBM: SPSS Modeler. Fem olika exempel beskriver det prediktiva arbetet som utfordes vid Klarna. Fran dessa exempel beskrivs ocksa de olika prediktiva modellernas funktionalitet. Resultatet av detta projekt visar hur man genom prediktiv analys kan skapa prediktiva modeller. Slutsatsen ar att prediktiv analys ger foretag storre mojlighet att forsta sina kunder och darav kunna gora battre beslut.

This research combines the Anderson and Oliver (1987) and Jaworski (1988) sales management control (SMC) conceptualisations by integrating behaviourbased, compensation-based and informal SMC into a single research framework. It examines the separate effects of SMC dimensions on performance, in particular salesperson behaviour performance, salesperson outcome performance and sales organisation effectiveness, and on salesperson behaviour, in particular salesperson risk-taking behaviour, salesperson ethical behaviour and salesperson organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB). The study implements a sequential mixed methods research design in two phases: case studies followed by a survey. Eight interviews were conducted and 197 UK sales managers responded to the survey. Based on the case study results, the research framework was extended by inclusion of a leader-member exchange (LMX) variable, and two interactive effects between behaviour-based and compensation-based SMC were hypothesised. The quantitative data are tested using structural equation modelling, and the main findings of this study are that: (1) behaviour-based SMC has a negative impact on behaviour performance and ethical behaviour; (2) compensationbased SMC has a moderate positive impact on outcome performance and risktaking behaviour, while having no significant impact on ethical behaviour and OCB; (3) informal SMC has a positive impact on behaviour performance and OCB; (4) salesperson behaviours are strong positive predictors of salesperson performance but SMC is not a strong antecedent of salesperson behaviours; (5) no moderation effect between SMC dimensions is detected; (6) LMX plays an important role in determining salesperson behaviour performance; and (7) sales managers’ perceptions of what determines salesperson performance and behaviour often differs from statistical results. Provocative insights into the consequences of SMC are discussed, managerial implications are identified, and future research directions suggested.

The purpose of this thesis is to describe different strategic roles of the sales manager in key account management. This thesis looks at the different strategic roles of the key account management (KAM) from the perspective of the sales manager. Previous researches have mainly based on fact that sales manager responds to top-management, and key account manager responds to sales manager. Sales manager is typically seen as key account manager’s direct superior and at the same time, sales manager is responsible for key account manager’s performance to the top-management. According Flaherty and others (2012) sales literature follows a top-down approach and based on sales management specific behaviors to improve poor performance. Nevertheless, today’s research has had more nuances that sales manager’s and key account managers job is more collaboration. Reality of today’s sales manager role have changed from top-down, leader-centered paradigm to more like collaboration which comes a vast network of complex relationships (Flaherty and others 2012). This thesis tries to show that sales manager’s role is not only to be key account managers superior. Key account manager’s and sales manager’s dynamic relationship is unnerved in previous researches. Actually, key account manager and sales manager has intense interaction and the information flows one to another and also they both effect on each other’s performance. Sales manager and key account manager, as a conclusion, can be seen as team more than monitored — supervisor partners. According Flaherty and others (2012) reality of today’s sales manager role have changed from top-down, leader- centered paradigm to more like collaboration which comes a vast network of complex relationships. The findings from the interview shows the same; all the interviewees said that nowadays sales managers should collaborate with KAMs. Still, there are seen the effect of regulations, rules and laws which change the style of leadership. Also sales manager take part on operative work. The previous academic literature stated that sales manager position is like invisible. That means sales manager won’t take part that much on operative work. In every interview the result was that operative work with customers is one part of every sales manager job in practice. Motivating KAMs to perform better is important. In a sales oriented organizations everybody knows how much the expected sales target are for KAM’s and at the same time sales manager need to provide all the needed rules that KAM’s could achieve those sales targets. Also this thesis finds out that organizational culture could effect on sales manager’s performance. It could create boundaries between sales manager and KAM but also it could provide framework which help everyday operations in the organization.

Master of Agribusiness
Department of Agricultural Economics
Daniel M. O'Brien
In recent years, the price volatility in agricultural commodity prices, as well as agricultural input costs, has drastically increased. Today’s famer is faced with difficult decisions concerning when to market their crop, as well as when to secure various inputs. An increase in information availability, coupled with increasing price fluctuations, can make these decisions even more difficult for producers. Although seasonal trends, forecasts, and technical market analysis can be helpful, market efficiency prevents accurate prediction of agricultural prices. Because marketing decisions can be difficult to make, the easiest decision for a producer to make is to not make one at all. However, failure to make sound risk management decisions can be extremely costly to a producer. There are two primary factors that impact a producer’s bottom line: cost of production and grain marketing decisions. Each producer has their own unique cost of production that changes throughout the year. Variable input costs can be volatile within a single growing year, and often the need for certain inputs changes. Marketing decisions and timing can be an even bigger factor in a producer’s gain or loss. Since price prediction is impossible, a producer’s time may be better spent focusing on information they can control. The purpose of this thesis was to test and evaluate a cost of production, crop insurance, and grain marketing calculator with a group of corn and soybean producers in Southeast Nebraska. It is hypothesized that providing customers with a multifaceted, integrated farm management and marketing decision making tool should help them be able to make more profitable risk management and marketing decisions. By knowing how factors as changing expenses impact cost of production and how grain sales impact revenues and profitability per acre, it is hypothesized that users will make more profitable farm management and marketing decisions. In October and November of 2014, twenty corn and soybean farmers were presented with the Grain Marketing Calculator. Grain sales in the 2014 and 2015 crop years were to be entered into the calculator by participating producers as they make their grain sales. Annual production history (APH), revenue protection insurance information, actual or expected yields, and total acres of each crop were entered into the calculator during the initial producer calculator rollout. Generalized costs were entered into the calculator prior to the producer rollouts. Participants were able to change the generalized costs to their actual costs if they chose to do so. Data were gathered from the participants using the Grain Marketing Calculator in March of 2015. Participants weighted average futures sales, weighted average cash sales, percent of APH sold, and percent of total production sold were collected. In March of 2015, the same information from another group of producers who did not use the Grain Marketing Calculator was collected. The two groups average results were compared to each other and regression analyses were done to determine statistical significance of the impact on the test groups’ results. At the end of the experiment, feedback was gathered from participants and improvements were suggested.

Sales management control and sales force performance has received substantial attention by researchers in the past decades. Researchers have been investigating the construct of sales control, its antecedents and its consequences on both the individual sales person and on sales force performance. This research project analyses how and why the sales control systems are implemented the way they are. The basis for this approach is drawn from the organisational or management control literature which treats behaviour and outcome approaches as dimensions rather than categories. Organisational control also treats the control system as a process which consists of a set of stages or sub processes being objective setting, planning, monitoring, feedback and correcting. With the growing importance of relationship selling and key account management it can no longer be assumed that all the sales people will operate at the same hierarchical level within an organisation nor that they will be subject to one and the same control system. Therefore an in depth analysis of how sales force control processes are implemented for different types of sales functions, ranging from customer acquisition, small to medium account management to strategic and global account management, is needed. The research project included 17 preliminary interviews across different organisations, from which one organisation was selected on the basis that it contains a large international sales force of about 2.500 people consisting of a very wide range of sales functions. The analysis of this organisation included 100 plus interviews of 66 sales managers and sales people across all types of sales functions over a two year period. The findings show that the inability to measure certain inputs and outputs does not deter a sales organisation to adopt their sales control strategy within a functional sales team. When some measures are not available or are unreliable, sales managers find other ways to measure them being it through some locally developed tools or through more qualitative approaches. The method used to obtain certain measures does impact the level of the sophistication of the actual control process or strategy. When there is a need to control sales people who operate as a team of employees from different departments the sales managers can no longer individually develop some local tools to measure inputs and outputs. The findings show that team based selling requires accurate data but also globally agreed rules and procedures in order to operate successfully. This enables us to conclude that the inability to measure certain inputs and outputs is a determining variable for the implementation of client sales teams. With regard to sales force control strategies the research uncovered that within the category of the hybrid sales control approach there are four types of sales control sub approaches. The choice of which control to use is dependent on the size of the customers or opportunities the sales people work with and the selling approach which is either hunting or farming. This shows that while farming can be relabelled as key account management, hunting remains a major sales activity requiring not only different selling approaches it also requires different types of sales control processes than for farming. All of these findings indicate that several types of sales control systems can operate across one single organisation and that the main determining variables are the sales approach and the type of accounts the sales person is managing. This challenges current beliefs or assumptions that all sales people operate at the same hierarchical level within an organisation and that they all operate under one single sales control approach. Future research on sales force control will need to take these findings into account when designing their approach to study control systems within organisations.

This research study provides insights into “How to manage foreign subsidiaries in a multinational company (MNC) belonging to the German Mittelstand” by applying a contingency perspective. Existing MNC knowledge focuses on large MNCs whereas contributions regarding an application to the German Mittelstand are scant. In particular, a framework for multinational sales management with patterns for foreign subsidiaries is missing for both academia and management. Thus, the findings of this research study contribute to existing MNC knowledge and provide ideas and guidance for managerial practice. A review of the literature identifies MNC typologies (Bartlett & Beamish, 2014; Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1988), subsidiary role models (Bartlett & Beamish, 2014; Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1986), and the corresponding MNC factors. This serves as a starting point from which a conceptual framework is derived accordingly. Thereafter, a plausibility check with industry experts verifies and ensures the suitability of the identified MNC factors to the characteristics of the German Mittelstand. Then, an in-depth case study consisting of documentary, semi-structured interviews, and focus group interviews, applies the conceptual framework to the selected case of the German Mittelstand. The described research design operationalizes and modifies the selected MNC models in such a way that they suit the identified Mittelstand characteristics. This facilitates an application of the framework for multinational sales management consisting of the selected and operationalized MNC models for the MNC typology and the foreign subsidiaries. The main contribution of this research study is the framework for multinational sales management, which fills the gaps identified in existing knowledge. In particular, this research study contributes existing to knowledge by: (1 and 2) operationalizing the models for MNC typology and subsidiary roles for the German Mittelstand, (3) providing the key MNC factors for the German Mittelstand, and (4) elaborating the patterns for multinational sales management to improve the subsidiary competences and to increase the market importance of their local market with respect to their subsidiary role.

In a world that is moving faster and faster, a company’s ability to align to market changes is becoming a major competitive factor. Forecasting enables companies to predict what lies ahead, e.g. trend shifts or market turns, and makes it possible to plan for it. But looking into the future is never an easy task.

“Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” (Niels Bohr, 1885-1962)

However, progress in the field of forecasting has shown that it is possible for companies to improve on forecasting practices. This master thesis looks at the sales forecasting practices in MNCs primarily operating in emerging and developing countries. We examine the whole process of sales forecasting, also known as forecasting management, in order to develop a comprehensive model for forecasting in this type of companies. The research is based on a single case study, which is then later generalized into broader conclusions.

The conclusion of this master thesis is that forecasting is a four-step exercise. The four stages we have identified are: Knowledge creation, knowledge transformation, knowledge use and feedback. In the course of these four stages a company’s sales forecast is developed, changed and used. By understanding how each stage works and what to focus on, companies will be able to improve their forecasting practices.

The aim of my thesis was to analyze and identify main types of risks and uncertainties, which can be faced by international companies. I also described main ways and methods of avoidance and minimisation of such risky situations. AB Inbev was chosen as an example since I was working in the branch of this company located in Prague, Czech Republic. This explains my concentration mainly on the market for beverages.

This study investigated forecasting accuracy over time. Several quantitative and qualitative forecasting models were tested and a number of combinational methods was investigated. Six time series methods, one causal model, and one subjective technique were compared in this study. Six combinational forecasts were generated and compared to individual forecasts. A combining technique was developed. Thirty data sets, obtained from a market leader in the cosmetics industry, were used to forecast sales. All series represent monthly sales from January 1985 to December 1989. Gross sales forecasts from January 1988 to June 1989 were generated by the company using econometric models. All data sets exhibited seasonality and trend.

Sales are a subject that most people consider to be an art. The truth is that there are several sophisticated methodologies on how to successfully close a deal. However, time goes by, customers get smarter and the markets shifts. As a result sales methods start to fade away and do not necessarily work the way they used to. This thesis was conducted in co-operation with SimCorp A/S and aims to examine the concept of Insight Selling. The concept was developed by analysing top performers and how they manage to sell in an economic downturn. The purpose is to investigate how an organisation can apply the core principles of the new sales strategy on an existing sales process and current customer relationship management system. A qualitative research method was used and interviews were conducted to gather data to gain a deeper understanding on the topic of sales. The result exhibits a situation analysis that was conducted to create a representation of SimCorp’s current sales process. With the key elements of insight selling a proposed model of a future state was presented. Lastly, a requirements analysis of the customer relationship management system currently deployed at the company was designed based on the findings. The result indicated that it was possible to apply the key elements of insight selling on the current sales process. The method might be suitable for some situations but it does not replace or eliminate earlier practices.
Det är vanligt att uppfatta försäljning som en konst. Sanningen är att det finns väl beprövade metodiker för hur man ska lyckas för att sälja. Med tiden har konsumenter blivit smartare och marknaden förändrats. Detta har resulterat i att många säljmetoder blir avlägsna och inte lika användbara och pålitliga som de var innan. Examensarbetet utfördes i samarbete med SimCorp A/S där syftet är att undersöka begreppet insiktsförsäljning. Konceptet utvecklades från en studie där man analyserade de högpresterande säljarna och identifierade hur de lyckades sälja under en ekonomisk lågkonjunktur. Syftet är att undersöka hur en organisation kan applicera de nya strategierna som presenteras inom insiktsförsäljning på en befintlig försäljningsprocess och det nuvarande kundhanteringssystemet. En kvalitativ forskningsmetod applicerades och intervjuer utfördes för att ackumulera data och få en djupare förståelse av ämnet försäljning. I resultatet presenteras en nulägesanalys av SimCorp’s nuvarande försäljnings-process. Vidare presenteras ett förslag på hur en försäljningsprocess med inslag av strategierna från insiktsförsäljning kan se ut. Slutligen utfördes en kravanalys på insiktsförsäljnings metod för att implementeras och testas på det nuvarande kundhanteringssystemet. Resultatet indikerade att det var möjligt att applicera nyckel elementen från insiktsförsäljning på den nuvarande säljprocessen. Metoden är lämplig för att användas i vissa situationer men ersätter inte eller eliminerar tidigare rutiner.

碩士
國立雲林科技大學
財務金融系碩士班
92
Earnings management means managers use some techniques to manipulate financial statement. This action can make accounting earnings to meet with their forecast. Sometimes we name earnings manipulation. This article is discusses whether managers manipulate earnings through the timing of income recognition from disposal of asset. This article examined the hypothesis that predicts current performance and asset sale should have a negative relation. There are 705 firm-year observations in Taiwan stock market over the ten years period from 1993 to 2002. The empirical result finds current performance (CP) is not consistent with our hypothesis. Then we discuss the reason why CP is not consistent with our hypothesis. Managers can adjust financial forecast in Taiwan market. This may cause our result is not consistent with hypothesis.

碩士
南華大學
企業管理系管理科學碩博士班
100
Customer are known as a brilliant source of knowledge for the companies, due to the development of sales selling and the changes in consumption patterns, sales selling becomes a popular way for customer to purchase products in Taiwan. Selling requires face-to-face selling skill, therefore, sales not only need to provide suitable products but also have to offer nice service. Recently, the operation of sales selling have changed from fabricate production to strategic management, and especially focuses on customers’ demand. 　 　　Currently, there are not many researches concerning customer knowledge management. Most managers are only concerned about collecting customer information or setting a database of customers, and the importance of analyzing customer information is ignored. To understand the customer knowledge flow of direct selling industry, which can be divided into the creation, sharing and application of customer knowledge. There is still room for improvement to discover the creation of customer knowledge database in terms of customer characteristics and preferences. 1.To verify the importance of customer knowledge in marketing performance of corporations and the market information in group activities. With proper process like creation, sharing, and application, knowledge can be an asset to a company and ca improve the performance of the company

碩士
清雲科技大學
企業管理系暨經營管理研究所
97
Six sigma management is one kind of management philosophy to reduce the cost, the error, the time, and the waste. Most of the management planning focus on OUTPUT to make more products, and create more sale skill. Six sigma management is based upon QUALITY to reduce the defects down to 3.4 parts per million. It is also a measurement standard to set up the strategy, objectives, and systematical approach to improve customer satisfaction and increase the sales. In this research, the sales process and root cause of sales will be analyzed to improve the sales revenue by using DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) approach of Six Sigma management. The customer’s need is defined, and then the sales procedures are analyzed to obtain the critical factors which affect the sales. The sales training, research and development techniques, project management process (Initiate, Plan, Implement, Control, Close), competitive price, and process improvement also affect the sales order percentage, which can be improved using Six Sigma management.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2009.
Title from title screen (site viewed February 25, 2010). PDF text: vi, 157 p. : col. ill. ; 4 Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3386758. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.