Sustainable Customer Relationships

Running Head: PROBLEM SOLUTION: CLASSIC AIRLINES Problem Solution: Classic Airlines Cecily Cornish University of Phoenix MBA 570/Sustainable Customer Relationships December 8, 2008 Instructor Sandra Payne, MBA Problem Solution: Classic Airlines Classic Airlines (CA) is the world’s fifth largest airlines that must balance its marketing program while coping with a mandated across-the board cost reduction by the board of directors. This calls for a of 15% cost reduction over the next 18 months while negotiating labor costs through the airline’s union employees and improving customer service. Facing low employee morale, decreasing customer satisfaction, rising fuel costs, high union wages, a nonfunctional CRM system, negotiations with union officials and future airline alliances and partners, CA has elected to implement a new analytical Customer Service Management (aCRM) product development (University of Phoenix,2008,Classic Airlines,p. 1). The core problems stem around CA losing customer confidence in its Classic Rewards Program (CRP) and losing Wall Street and media confidence. CA must focus on a marketing program to connect it the customer’s needs and sustain and attract loyal customers. The current executive team values are divided, with CEO Amanda Miller and CFO Catherine Simpson valuing the financial numbers which is in sharp contrast to the values of the customer, employees and shareholders held by CMO Keith Bolye and VP Renee Epson over customer service. The union senior VP Doug Sheflin knows that without a compromise between union and airlines the status quo will not be able to meet the current and future wage costs. Senior VP John Hartman over human resources has trained the employees with the necessary skills and sees the employees as valuable assets in the customer and marketing effectiveness. Marketing in the form of environmental scanning can identify the factors of social, economic, technological and competitors that CA faces. Until CEO and the board establish a mission which will guide its organization, there may be organization resistance and delay in reaching its overall business strategies. Customer relationship management (CRM) is a broad term that involves people, processes, and technology to improve relationships and existing customers who will result in improved customer retention and profitability (Kerin, 2006, p. 8). Using environmental scanning, identifying the marketing strategy and establishing a marketing relationship will direct and guide CA in meeting customer needs , identify the resources needed, the competitors they face and future trends in the Customer Relationship Management system. Incorporating Enterprise Risk Management, profitability index with interactive marketing will allow the marketing program to address customer needs and sustain customer relationships to reflect the changing trends in customer purchasing behavior. Describe the Situation Issue and Opportunity Identification Classic Airlines is the fifth largest airlines in the world. In the business for 25 years, CA has 375 jets that service 240 cities with more than 2300 daily flights. Classic Airlines earned $8. 7 billion in sales. CA made $10 billion profit which means that most of the revenue went to operating the company. With 32,000 union employees CA retains their top salary that is above industry’s average. In addition the board has voted for a 15% reduction over the next 18 months. The company is threatening bankruptcy, decreasing value on Wall Street, unfavorable media, decreasing customer satisfaction and low employee morale. The current CRM system is not fully functional and the Classic Reward frequent flier program has been losing loyal customers. Other challenges include continual high fuel costs and high wages paid to the union employees. CA’s challenge is to find a way to improve customer satisfaction within their Classic Rewards Loyalty Program by identifying and meeting customer’s needs and, therefore, improve the return on investment (ROI) (University of Phoenix,2008,Scenario Two,2008). Several opportunities exist for Classic Airlines which includes a forecasting of sales, a marketing mix and a situation analysis to determine the feasibility of a new analytical Customer Relationship Management program. CA may need for the present to just update the current CRM to a functional capacity to meet customer’s needs. Establishing the short-term of finding the solutions to update the current CRM might save costs and establish a long-term aCRM portfolio as a long-term goal .According to Seget (2008), the aCRM model uses analytical models and databases to integrate information that will enhance the customer desire for functionality as well as provide time sensitive information for prompt decision making by pharmacists, managers and others that rely on the CRM processes. It will definitely allow CA to focus on negotiating with the high wages of its current union employees who are above the industry standards. The CMO Boyle can begin to devise marketing strategies on focusing on marketing segmentation, marketing-mix and focus on the needs of the customers who are loyal and attempt to retain them as well as attract new ones. To obtain customer feedback without alienating them CA may consider, online surveying, telephone surveying and other interactive marketing. Interactive marketing creates customer value, customer relationship and customer experience. Kerin (2006) agrees, â€Å"Interactive marketing creates customer value by providing time, place, form and possession utility for consumers† (p. 6). Interactive marketing, marketing segmentation marketing-mix and forecasting can help identify customer needs and increase customer relationships. Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas The ethical dilemmas in the Classic Airlines scenario are the conflict interests and values of the CEO Miller and CFO Simpson versus the rest of the leadership team. A dilemma also exists between the values and interests of the CA management and leadership team and the stakeholders. While the CEO and CFO are driven by numbers and a â€Å"pragmatic approach† these interests conflict with the overall business strategies and that is to increase customer satisfaction by reducing costs (University of Phoenix, Scenario Two, 2008, p. 1). The company is trying to improve the return on investment (ROI) and at the same time improve the frequent flier program, pay the union employees high wages and implement a new aCRM product. In fact, according to Seget (2004), â€Å"Wisdom prevails in conducting project feasibility, forecasting and marketing-mix and marketing-mix research before considering a new aCRM product . implementation† (p. 25). Classic Airlines must reach a balance through stakeholder’s involvements at all levels in attempting to balance the interests and value of all the individuals, departments and organizations. CA must focus on being a â€Å"best service† benchmarking company as a goal because providing the lowest price while utting costs and remaining competitive in the marketplace, is unrealistic thinking. â€Å"For example, it is not possible to simultaneously provide the lowest-priced and highest-quality products to customers and pay the highest prices to suppliers, highest wages to employees, and maximum dividends to shareholders† (Kerin,2006, p. 3). That is why an environmental scanning, a product analysis or four p's, and a situation analysis will clarify wh ere the company product or service has been, its status and where it wants to be. The marketing program will identify where CA is, the competitor’s trends, and the customer current and prospective customers (Kerin, 2006, p. 12). Developing a marketing mix, an environmental scanning will identify the need of the stakeholders to be involved in every level of the decision making process and the development of an aCRM product implementation. The marketing program is a method of bringing an exchange between all the stakeholders to sustain valuable customer relationships. Frame the â€Å"Right† Problem Classic Airlines will remain competitive in its industry and expand its global influence and brand loyalty by including its stakeholder’s voice and valuing its customer voice. Other opportunities for CA to achieve its goals of restructuring and implementing new initiatives such as its upgrade of its current CRM and a new aCRM product development will help sustain customer loyalty, increase customer satisfaction and provide the employees with the skills and automated technology that can meet the customers’ needs. In order to meet the changing environmental factors such as regulatory and fierce competitors and reduce labor costs, CA will use marketing strategies such as environmental scanning, sales forecasting, segmentation are opportunities to increases return on investment (ROI) by identifying and meeting customer’s needs. According to Kerin (2006),: â€Å"The American Marketing Association, representing marketing professionals, states that ‘marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders† (p. 1). CA will ensure that the ROI will be accomplished through accountability and leadership of the CEO, board members and senior executives. Valuing the voices all stakeholders will ensure that the values, thics and interests are filtered through a corporate decision making and implementation process. CA will ensure that its new initiative will be defined in its corporate governance, mission statement, employee booklet, union booklet and risk management policies. CA will remain a leading worldwide airline organization that focuses on marketing strategies that include direct forecasting, linear trend extrapolation, market segmen tation, product differentiation, sales force surveys, survey of buyers intentions and usage rate strategies that will keep CA a leader among the airline industry. Identifying customer changing needs via profitability index, customer audits will allow CA remain profitable as well as efficient in delivering the best practices in airline services to it loyal customers and future one. Fuel hedging, smaller planes, business partnerships and alliances will be strategies that will be analyzed and implemented to allow costs to be transferred into customer value benefits. Describe the â€Å"End-State† Vision Classic Airlines(CA) will be restructured in its philosophy, mission and goals to be a cost-effective and efficient company by focusing on the â€Å" stakeholders voice† in implementing a new analytical Customer Relationship Management (aCRM ) and a Enterprise Relationship Management (ERM) ) product development. Customer and employees as well as top executives who ethics values the customers, the employee and the shareholders will be valued within all levels of the stakeholders communication. The core competencies includes values of the aCRM that will align with the overall organizational goals of valuing the customer’s voice , sustaining customer relationships, and providing utilities that will create efficient and effective services. Thus the goal of profitability will be achieved through the values of profitability and social accountability and responsibility of the CEO and board members of CA (University of Phoenix Scenario 2, 2008, p. ). Achieving US and globalization as a benchmarking organization stems from an aggressive and proactive marketing program that will operate through an updated CRM system and a future aCRM system that is designed to compensate future environmental changes and thus customer changing needs. An effective marketing program will benefit the customer and stakeholders by assessing the needs of the customer and satisfying those needs (Kerin, 2006, p. 5). Remaining a competitor in the airlines industry means continuing open negotiations and compromise with the airlines union to keep pilots and employees competitive wages with the industry, while reducing costs and retaining loyal customer, increasing customer service and retaining skilled employees and sustaining the Classic reward program that is both efficient and effective in customer service. Recommended measures to determine if the CRM and marketing strategies are effective include profitability index, customer value benefits, and the measurement of rate and customer satisfaction surveys. Identify the Alternatives and Benchmarking Validation Alaska Airlines began in 1932 in Anchorage, Alaska with 17 million passengers annually with flights to over 60 cities and 3 countries. Alaska Airlines is familiar with marketing strategies to remain competitive in the airline industry. Alaska Airlines faced a financial crisis similar to Classic Airlines who faces possible bankruptcy, a 10% decrease in stock market shares and negativity on Wall Street (University of Phoenix, 2008). In 1972 Alaska Airlines was in the then Ron Cosgrave and Bruce Kennedy came on board in 1972, the airlines was in a financial fight for its existence. Led by quality leadership, the management restructured the goal of the organization and began bringing people together to save the failing company (Alaska Airlines, 2008). Leadership conducted a â€Å"differentiating marketing† in providing superior customer service as the key. Using a differentiating marketing allowed Alaska Airlines to survive more tumultuous times during the deregulation of airline industry and the recent rising fuel costs. Kerin (2006) agrees that, â€Å"The existence of different market segments has caused firms to use a marketing strategy of product differentiation. The strategy involves a firm’s using differentiation mix and advertising to help consumers perceive activities such as product (service) activities as being better than the other competing products â€Å"(p2). Classic Airlines can begin improving its profits and market shares by focusing on marketing strategies such as â€Å"best services† in its industry by aligning a customer-centric focus and include the stakeholders in the new restructuring of the company. Classic Airlines can follow AKL’s lead in forming partnerships and alliances to expand its international market. Both parties view the partnership as a pairing of their expansive international networks and allowing ALK an opportunity to build a platform for international growth from the West (Global airlines, 2008, p. 2). This means double benefits for their customers allowing them the additional options offering by the two companies and a chance to redeem mileage points from either of the two airlines. The Disney logo and brand name was built in 1923 on the foundation of The Walt Disney Company. Disney was founded by Walter Elias Disney and cofounded by his brother Roy Disney. The Walt Disney Company has an estimated $35 million in annual revenues (Wikipedia, 2008,p. 1). Disney works includes his alter ego Mickey Mouse, Disneyland, records, movies and the Walt Disney World Resort. What is noteworthy of this entertainment, movie empire is the extent of its marketing strategies to communicate with their customers. Using a marketing mix, Disney’s business strategy encompasses the integrated marketing communications (IMC) that communicates a brand loyalty and consistent messages across all audiences. The IMC is used by Disney via its management team and its internet customers. Disney takes many types of promotional mix as a direct marketing tool to communicate in an exchange with brand loyal customers and with potential customers. This allowed Disney to combine advertising, direct marketing, personal sales, sales promotion and public relations to inform customers of their products, persuade them to use them and remind them of the benefits after they have used them(Kerin,2006,p. ). Having targeted their population segmentation, Disney’s IMC and direct- marketing techniques via large mass mailings, an internet websites and internet-linked kiosks allow loyal customers and potential customers to inquire about their products and services. The IMC, direct marketing, marketing-mix and promotional-mix allows Disney to exchange information with consumers and keep updated of consumers changing purchasing behaviors. As Classic Airlines works on updating the functionality of its current CRM and prepares for the aCRM product development, the company can benefit from a direct marketing approach. Therefore, Classic Airlines must streamline its operations in reducing staff, eliminating aircraft with high maintenance, negotiate wage salaries to match the industry market, focus on smaller planes and improve its rewards program. Once the costs have been reduce, investments can made towards the CRM system that will allow for targeting its marketing population segmentation. Kerin (2006) states, â€Å"Like personal selling, direct marketing often consists of interactive communication. It also has the advantage of being customized to match the needs of specific target markets. Messages can be developed and adapted quickly to facilitate one-to-one relationships with customers â€Å"(p. 7). With a well developed functional CRM and aCRM data warehouse, Classic Airlines can focus on communication exchanges through direct marketing and other forms of IMC to attract new customers and maintain loyal customers. Evaluate the Alternatives In Table 3, all the goals were ranked 5 because the aCRM is a software highly integrated system of providing massive information and data on a time-sensitive arena, there will take many stakeholders and business processes to make this new product development and implementation successful. The best features of the original alternatives were combined to create a short list of second –tier solutions because it was imperative that Classic Airlines created a change management by clearly defining its mission, objectives and align them with their aCRM objectives. Once this has been accomplished it was in the best interests of the stakeholders that a culture of change be established internally before commissioning the aid of external CRM consultants. Due to the amount of organizational resistance due to Classic Airlines original exclusion of the stakeholders in particular the employees, it was best to incorporate any outside help only after internal organizational change and a culture of customer-centric, product-centric and employee rewards for performance were in place. Identify and Assess Risks Many risks can be identified with the implementation of the new product development. Beginning with the risk of organizational resistance, CA will achieve more by including all the stakeholders, especially the customers in a buy-in or adoption of the new product initiative. If CEO and Board fail to incorporate a culture or organizational change by aligning the new aCRM product objective with the overall objectives of the company, the new product development and completion may be in jeopardy. As most benchmarking companies have found that an evaluation of product feasibility s the first research before adopting the new product initiative. The project feasibility will detail costs, risks, labor costs and other assessments needed to make an informed decision about proceeding with the idea. A more profound tangible risk is if enough skilled employees have. A more profound tangible risk is if enough skilled employees have the technical skills to make the new product development a success. Other risks include costs, going pass projected timeframes, and other external risks, such as the vendors failing to supply financial backing. Other risks include software compatibility risks, decrease in profitability and returns. Risks can be mitigated by planning a risk analysis and risk management to align with every department decision making in investments and other decisions that impact the overall value of the firm. According to Seget (2008), key findings includes a risk management WBS plan is needed for CA to implement risk management principles and incorporate them in their job functions. Risks can be tracked and contingency plans in place in case they fail. Implementing risk management in every phase of the aCRM process will ensure that â€Å"potential risks† are identified early on in the product development. A solid risk management plan can help CA face the â€Å"unknowns†; deal with â€Å"unfavorable outcomes† and â€Å"unexpected uncertainties. † Just as the profitability analysis makes good business sense in considering any aCRM and marketing-mix program, conducting a profitability index makes good business sense to determine if the business objectives have been met. Make the Decision The final decision is to develop and implement a new aCRM to remain competitive within the industry. However, to do that a project feasibility and project analysis will be conducted first. Both authors, Kerin (2004) and Segat (2006) agrees to results of a project analysis and market research be completed before any new CRM initiative. These finding will be placed into the new aCRM portfolio that will detail the labor costs, financial investments and workforce needed to complete the product. A management change and organizational culture will be adopted through the mission statements, governance policies, code of ethics and risk management policies. An internal marketing approach will allow an exchange between all stakeholders. Marketing segmentation will allow CA to indentify the customers who will increase the return of investments (ROI) by conducting marketing-mix programs to identify their needs. Customer surveys will allow CA to not only identify those needs but to satisfy unmet needs and identify changing consumer behavior. The challenge for CA is not measuring the ROI or measuring the effectiveness of its total business strategies but determining the effectiveness of the customer-focused strategies. Klenke (2003) suggests that, â€Å"It makes good business sense to bring the project to a final conclusion by determining if the projected results actually were delivered as suggested in the business plan that management approved†¦ A decision must be made whether or to return to the pre-project situation if that is still an option† (para. 139). Develop and Implement the Solution The biggest opposition to any CRM new initiative is organizational resistance to organizational change. The goals it to focus on the greatest resource of Classic Airlines and that is the employees, management and departments and divisions that will be equipped through communication, two-way feedback, employee communication surveys, and an organization culture that values the communication, feedback and decision making of the employees. CA will create an organizational culture within four weeks by communication, mentoring, modeling the new aCRM product project by allowing the employees to engage two way communication, decision making and two way feedback. CA will resolve its unclear objectives by clearly stating them in their employee handbook. Once a feasibility report is conducted and the return on investment (ROI), market ratios and profitability ratios are concluded, CA will proceed to forecasting, internal marketing and environmental scanning. Employee surveys as well as feedback surveys and employee questionnaire will be distributed. The employees, customers and stakeholders will be engaged throughout the product development and implementation. The senior management, change champion, financial officer and human resources departments will be responsible in gathering the research and reporting back to the CEO and board members. At that point information will be disseminated at all levels from the CEO and board through face to face meetings, employee internet, meetings, corporate magazine and other informational channels. Evaluate the Results The success of the current CRM and implementation of the new aCRM will be measured with ongoing forecasting and marketing-mix research. Since these approaches allow for prediction of future trends of customers and organizational buying behaviors it can also predict the possible increase of revenues and profits that a certain product might generate. Measures such as productivity increase, cost reduction and increase in revenues are more reliable metrics in measuring and evaluating the benefits of the CRM implementation. (University of Phoenix, 2008) Many benchmarking companies like PeopleSoft, according to Seget (2004), may fail in its first product CRM attempt. PeopleSoft adopted a PeopleSoft CRM that failed to deliver in terms of functionality for the end-user, the consumer. PeopleSoft developed another system called Peoplesoft8 that address the issues of functionality that their former system failed to deliver. Metrics such as productivity, increases in revenues were some of the measures used by PeopleSoft8. Like Classic Airlines they were facing criticisms of lack of functionality for their customers and had a problem with vendor, supplier and human resources staffing. They became successful in adopting a new â€Å"PeopleSoft 8 CRM† that focuses on employees, targeting customers, supplier relationships and vendor relationships. Seget (2004) agrees that the success of PeopleSoft 8 CRM (PS8) was due to the focus on human resources centric or –HR-centric. Functionality was also a major concern for PS until their adoption of the PS8-CRM. Although Classic Airlines’ new aCRM is not up and running, CA can learn from PS8 by acting quickly by fully integrating the PS8 CRM system and forming a business alliances and partnerships to maximize their aCRM efforts. PeopleSoft has been successful enough to use profits to acquire and merge with other companies and partners (Seget, 2004, p. 80). Other measures include SWOT analysis, gap analysis, and profitability index and churn rates to determine if the objective has been met. Evaluations and customer surveys must be ongoing to allow management to adjust and change their focus as customer behavior and trends change. Conclusion Classic Airlines like most industries are embarking on a fairly new concept, the CRM. Although CRM is a computer based software that provides integrated on demand information for customers, physicians, vendors and ther stakeholders, the system is only as useful if designed around the customer’s needs, wants and expectations. According to Seget (2004), the aCRM model uses analytical models and databases to integrate information that will enhance the customer desire for functionality as well as provide time sensitive information for prompt decision making by pharmacis ts, managers and others that rely on the CRM processes. While Classic Airlines is in its infancy, CEO Amanda Miller must present a project analysis and project feasibility before undertaking the new aCRM product development (Kerin, 2006). According to Kerin (2006) environment scanning and must be conducted not only on its customers but on its competitors as well. Marketing target segmentation, internal marketing, aCRM initiatives, customer surveys and customer audit all work together in reaching an overall business strategy, satisfying the needs of the customer. Classis needs to reduce costs, maximize ROI, match union pay with the industry and restructure the organization with a product-centric and customer-centric focus. Achieving US and globalization as a benchmarking organization stems from an aggressive and proactive marketing program that will operate through an updated CRM system and a future aCRM system that is designed to compensate future environmental changes and thus customer changing needs. An effective marketing program will benefit the customer and stakeholders by assessing the needs of the customer and satisfying those needs (Kerin, 2006, p. 5). Classic must remain competitive by promoting value for all vendors, supply chain and stakeholders. To measure the effectiveness of the aCRM project and current CRM and marketing program must use customer surveys, profitability index and customer audits to determine if the objectives of CRM and marketing strat4egies are being met. Measurements must be conducted on a continual basis to allow management to make adjustments and decisions to align the CRM with the business overall business strategies. References Alaska Airlines. (2008). Retrieved November 26, 2008 from the Web site: http://www. Alaskaair. com/ Band, J. (2003). The CRM Outlook: Maturing to the next level. Computer Wire. Retrieved November 9, 2008 from the University of Phoenix Library Business Insights Technology Web site: http://www. globalbusinessinsights. com. exproxy. |Global airlines face daunting challenges- more mergers and partnerships? (2008). Retrieved November 25,2008 from the University of | |Phoenix, Plunkett Research database. | |Kerin, R. A. , et. al. (2006). Marketing, 8e. Customer relationship and value through marketing. | |New York: McGraw- Hill. | |Klenke, M. , Reynolds, P. , Trickey, P. (2003). Leveraging Customer Relationships, 1e. Tactics to leverage customer relationship. Leyh | |Publishing Company. | Seget, S. (2004). The Pharmaceutical CRM Outlook. Optimizing returns from operational and analytical crm. Retrieved November 5, 2008 from the University of Phoenix Library Business Insights database. University of Phoenix. (2008). Automating a Support System. Retrieved November 16, 2008, from the University of Phoenix, resource, Simulation. MBA570-Sustainable Customer Relationships Course Web site. University of Phoenix. (2008). Classic Airlines, Scenario Two. Retrieved November 21, 2008, from the University of Phoenix, resource, Scenario. MBA570-Sustainable Customer Relationships Course Web site. Walt Disney. (2008). Retrieved November 26,2008 from the Website: http;//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Walt Disney Table 1 Issues and Opportunities Identification | | | | | |Concept |Application of Concept in Scenario |Reference to Specific |Personal Experience at your| | |or Simulation |Course Concept Organization | | | |(Include citation) | | | | | | | |Classic Airlines has a lack of|To develop value added channels of |â€Å"Just as important is the communication |As a newly hired sheriff | |stakeholder alignment that |communication aligning key |between and within levels. Gone are the days |deputy, jail division I had| |will hinder their ability to |stakeholders under a common vision. |when departments could stand as silos, |grew so fast and the funds | |implement new products and |This is an opportunity to increase |isolated from the rest of the organization by |to run the new facility had| |services/solutions. |organizational comprehension and |impenetrable barriers. Intra-national and |ran over its budget. Rumors| | |employee involvement that results |international competition is now so fierce |were running rampant | | |in the garnering of trust and |that everyone (stakeholders) in the |throughout the organization| | |loyalty among stakeholders. |organization needs to collaborate closely on |that resulted in low | | | |solving organizational challenges and on |morale. The problem for the| | | |achieving agreed strategic objectives. † |Sheriff department was that| | | |(Wyatt,2008,para. 9) |they noticed a rise in | | | | |officer and inmate | | | | |conflicts. The officer’s | | | | |union began to disseminate | | | | |information via brochures, | | | | |newsletters and roll call | | | | |meetings. |Classic Airlines lacks |Classic Airlines has an opportunity|Classic Airlines can select a marketing |My company focuses on brand| |marketing mix and environment |to conduct a marketing mix to focus|strategy such as, best price, best service or |electronics and brand | |scanning strategies to |on the price, product, promotion |best product from conducting a marketing mix |appliances at the â€Å"best | |identify the internal and |and place. These are controllable |and environmental scanning. â€Å"Four elements in |price†. They also offer a | |external factors that will |factors. Environmental scanning are|a marketing program designed to satisfy |price match. Environmental | |meet customers changing needs |uncontrollable factors such as |customer needs are product, price, promotion, |scanning is conducted by | |and improve customer |social, economic, technological, |and place. Kerin,et. al,2006,para. 3) These five|physically going to each | |satisfaction. |competitive and regulatory factors |forces environmental)may serve as accelerators|competitor store and | | |that will impact CA’s overall |or brakes on marketing sometimes expanding or |retrieving information. | | |marketing strategies. |restricting. (Kerin,2006,p. 1) | | |Classic Airlines lacks |Classic Airlines has an opportunity|â€Å"If the objective is to increase customer |As a rehabilitation case | |measurable methods to |to develop and implemen t risk |loyalty, then measurement of churn rate |management, ongoing surveys| |determine if their aCRM, |analysis, gap analysis, and SWOT |(profitability index)and customer satisfaction|and targeted objectives and| |marketing segments, and |analysis and churn rate analysis |will be key in determining how well objectives|compares it to the achieved| |customer surveys to determine |and profitability index to |is being met†(Klenke,2003,para. ) |targets were completed by | |is their overall business |determine if the objectives of | |an automated computer case | |strategies are effective. |loyal customers focus are | |management program. | | |successful. | | | Table 2 Stakeholder Perspectives and Ethical Dilemmas | |Stakeholder Perspectives and Ethical Dilemmas | | | | | |Stakeholder Groups with Competing | | | |Values |The Interests, Rights, and |Course Concept | | |Values of Each Group | | |List: Group X | | | |versus Group Y | | | |CEO Amanda Miller and CFO Catherine|Inter ests include credibility on Wall Street, |â€Å"The American Marketing Association, representing | |Simpson vs. senior management team |stock prices and the media. Values remaining as a |marketing professionals, states that ‘marketing is an | | |viable competitor in the industry. Interests |organizational function and a set of processes for | | |include â€Å"operational excellence† and â€Å"driven by |creating, communicating, and delivering value to | | |numbers† Failing to look to the exchange and |customers and for managing customer relationships in | | |communications will not develop a marketing |ways that benefit the organization and its | | |program to include stakeholders and meet customer |stakeholders. †(Kerin,et. al,2006,p. 12 | | |needs. | |CMO Kevin Boyle, Senior VP of |Interests include the CRM program, â€Å"voice of the |The hallmark of developing and maintaining effective | |Customer Service Renee Epson Senior|customers† employee wage obligations, shareholders|customer relationships is today called relationship | |VP of General Counsel Ben Sutcliffe|and marketing and customer services functions. The|marketing, linking the organization to its individual | |and Senior VP of Human Resources |conflict is that there ne eds to be a decision |customers, employees, suppliers, and other partners for| |vs. CEO Miller and CFO Simpson |making process that includes all stakeholders. |their mutual long-term | | | |benefits. †(Kerin,et. al. ,2006,p. 5) | |Classic Airlines vs. Vendors, |Communities, media and competitors and other |â€Å"The process of (marketing) segmenting a market and | |Distributors, Suppliers, Contact |stakeholders expect that Classic Airlines |selecting specific segments as targets is the link | |Centers, Communities, Media, |management maintain accountability and social |between the various buyers' needs and the | |Competitors, Investors. |responsibility in the new product development via |organization's marketing | | |a market segmentation to meet customer needs. |program†(Kerin,2006,et. al,2006,p. | Table 3Analysis of Alternative Solutions[pic] Table 4 Risk Assessment and Mitigation |Risk Assessment and Mitigation | |Alternative |Risks and Probability |Consequence and Severity |Mitigation Techniques and Strategies | |Engaging stakeholders at all |Organizational resistance. |; Clash between middle management |Establish company culture that values | |levels of the new aCRM product |Increase costs |and employees. |employees a nd stakeholders. | |development. Delay in time projections |;Clash between different |Align marketing goals of aCRM with | | | |divisions. |overall business strategy. | | | | |Establish clear objectives, business | | | | |goals and mission statements. | |Business Alliance with Zurich |Organizational resistance. | ;Clash between external and |Establish company culture that values | |Airlines |Increase costs |internal teams |customers and products. | |Delay in time projections. |; Loss of skilled management and |Communicate, model and lead by example | | | |employees |from CEO, board and senior management. | | | |;Evaluation of team may result in |Establish clear objectives, business | | | |more costs to finance new aCRM |goals and mission statements. | | | |project. | | | | | | | | | | | |Environmental scanning and |Costly |;Research may find that current |Project scope and aCRM portfolio | |marketing-mix research and |Timely |aCRM product is not profitable. |Marketing-mix portfolio. | |profitability index, |More workforce | | | Table 5 Pros and Cons of Alternative Solutions |Alternative |Pros |Cons | |Engaging stakeholders in all levels of the new |Increase employee motivation and morale. Employees may feel over tasked vie new product,| |aCRM product development. |Increase productivity. |training new skills and training new hires. | | |Improve customer services |Increase resistance from some employees. | | | |Deliverables of goals require more time | |Develop business alliances with Zurich Airlines|Add to customer value and increase customer |Increase employee resistance. | |and form other partnerships to remain |benefits. |Time consuming. | |competitive. |Speed up production. Increase costs | | |May reduce overall cost |Organizational resistance | | | |Employees may see | | | |Jobs as being threatened | | | | | | | | | |Environmental scanning, marketing-mix research |May speed up production and implementation |Time consuming. | |and developing ongoing custome r audits, |Aid in developing an overall software synergy |Increase costs. | |profitability indexes to measure overall |fit. |Delay overall time projections. | |effectiveness of the aCRM. |Increase profitability ratios, and return on | | | |investment(ROI) ratios, | | Table 6 Optimal Solution Implementation Plan Action Item Deliverable |Timeline |Who is Responsible | |Initiate a CRM project feasibility, forecasting and | |CEO, Board of Directors and Senior | |marketing-mix before developing and implementing new|4 weeks |Management Team, Financial Manager | |CRM product. | | | | Align new aCRM product objectives with overall | 4 weeks |CEO, Board of Directors and Senior | |business objectives and provide update for current | |Management Team, Project Leadership Team| |CRM. | | |Analyze a profitability analysis, return on | 4 weeks |CEO, Board of Directors, Senior | |investments (ROI) and market ratios to determine | |Management, Marketing, research and | |competitors and competitors prices. | |development and financial manager. | |Adopt marketing-mix strategies that will retain | |CEO, Board of directors, senior team, | |customer loyalty and identify value added incentives|Ongoing |champion leaders, cross functional team | |and rewards for loyal customers. |leaders, employees and customers. | |Train, mentor and lead the employees in the adoption| |Senior management, human resource | |of the aCRM product development by providing them | |management, champion leaders, | |with the highly technical skills, self- paced |20 weeks |cross-functional team leaders and | |training, | |technical skilled leaders, | |e-performance evaluation. | | |Attention to increase funding and workforce addition| |Senior managers, cross-functional team | |to the product support, administrative support, call|24 weeks |leaders, technical skilled leaders, call| |centers, e-business websites for customers and other| |center leaders, information technology | |product development customer enha ncement support | |leaders and customer support leaders. | |systems. | | |Hiring new employees and training them with the | |Middle managers, team leaders, human | |needed KSA’s to provide excellent customer service. |24 weeks |resource manager and management team. | |Business alliances with Zurich Airlines and other | 48 weeks |CEO, Board of Directors and Senior | |business partners. | |Management Team, Financial Manager | |Conduct SWOT analysis, profitability index. | Quarterly/Annually |Team leaders and senior leaders. | Table 7 Evaluation of Results |End-State Goals |Metrics |Target | |Forecasting and marketing-mix will identify |Forecasting results from social economic and |Business customers and regular customers | |market synergies that will keep Classic |technical factors as well as market-mix results| | |Airlines a viable competitor and ahead in the |to identify trends and future trend of | | |CRM market industry. |consumers buying behaviors. | |Classic Airlines will adopt business |Using benchmarking examples from Microsoft, |Target is benchmarking and best practices CRM | |intelligence and align with business partners |PeopleSoft and other leading aCRM and eCRM |service providers. | |to enhance its new CRM product. |service providers, Classic will adopt the | | | |synergy fit for its CRM. | | |Classic Airlines will provide employees with |Providing skills assessments, skills training |Target is employees and stakeholders involve in| |the high technology skills to face a fast |and career advancement, Classic will retain and|customer relations and customer contact. | |changing technical environment. attract those with the technical skills to | | | |remain a viable contender in the CRM industry. | | |Classis Airlines will enhance the functionality|Providing internet and on line information so |Classic Airlines frequent flyer program, | |of the aCRM new product development by adopting|that feedback, information, and decision making|business customers, regular customers and | |personalized websites, target marketing via |can be conducted with more available |potential customers. | |e-business, customer email and other channels |information and time sensitive data. | |to market and sustain customer relations. | | | |Conduct SWOT analysis, profitability index and |Accomplished via multi-channeling, e-marketing,|All stakeholders | |customer surveys to measure the effectiveness |e-commerce and other web bases to measure and | | |of the CRM. |evaluate | | | |Customer loyalty retention. | |

Communicate Effectively at the Direct Leadership Level Essay

a.Mass communication enables you to communicate information to large numbers of people in a relatively short time. .Identify the principles of interpersonal transactional communication a.First principle – You cannot NOT communicate. i.Each day we receive thousands of behavioral cues to communicate. We choose which are worthy of our attention. We interpret or attribute meaning to each of these cues. We learn to accept some cues and reject others. We select the cue we will respond to and how we will communicate that response. Through this process, we assign purpose to each communication. Communication with purpose cannot be random. This conditioning process begins early in life. b.Second principle – Communication is predictable. i.Whenever you choose to recognize some sensory cue, you must organize the information in some personally acceptable way. The easiest way to do this is  to compare the behavior you now sense to all the behaviors you’ve ever known. As you repeat this process, you come to expect certain patterns of communicative behavior from certain people in certain situations. You learn to categorize people and their responses by paying attention to the feedback you get from people when we communicate with them. In this way, you improve the effectiveness of your communication by learning more about your own and the other person’s communicative patterns. c.Third principle – Communication is a â€Å"chicken and egg† process. i.Think of yourself as a simultaneous and continuous sender and receiver. Because communication occurs constantly in some form, it is difficult to determine whether you communicate first and respond last or vice versa. However, does it really matter? We define the context of our communication through punctuation. Punctuation is simply assigning specific beginning and ending points along the line of the continuous communication process. Human communication, as a dynamic process is best understood as a system where senders are simultaneously receivers and receivers are simultaneously senders. d.Fourth principle – Communication occurs at two levels. i.Communication not only conveys information, but at the same time imposes behavior. All interpersonal communication occurs at two levels: content and process. â€Å"The Dynamics of Human Communication† refers to the two levels as content and relationship while the USASMA model refers to them as content and process. We will use content and process. Content communication conveys information. Process communication (tone, context, gesture, and other nonverbal action) sends instructions to the receiver about how to interpret the message. When the content message does not match the process message, conflict and mistrust form in the mind of the receiver. e.Fifth principle – Transactions are between equals or up–and–down. i.You relate to people as equals or as nonequals. A typical example of a nonequal relationship is that of the mother–infant pair. Nonequal relationships include two different positions: one communicator is in the superior, or one–up position, while the other is in the one–down, or inferior position. Do not equate the words â€Å"up† and â€Å"down† with judgmental terms as â€Å"good,† â€Å"bad,† â€Å"strong,† or â€Å"weak.† Nonequal relationships are often set by social or cultural factors. It is usual for one–up persons to define the nature of the relationship. f.Sixth  principle – Communication is a sharing of meaning. i.This means that what meaning one person assigns to a word or image may not be the same as the meaning assigned by someone else to the same word or image. Each of us has our own system of classification, our own filtration system, by which we assign meaning. When we share our assigned meanings (GUESSES) with others, we expose some of our self–hoping that the other will understand us and interpret our meaning as we do. 4.Identify the relationship between listening and effective oral communication a.The Three Myths about Listening i.Listening is a natural process.- If you believe that listening occurs naturally, like breathing, then it follows that you never need to learn how to do it. Listening is a skill just like driving a golf ball or firing a rifle. You develop the skill just as you would any other skill. ii.Listening is the same as hearing.- Hearing is a natural process, but as we stated above, listening is a skill that we develop. We can train ourselves to â€Å"not listen† or to listen selectively. iii.Listening is the same as paying attention.- Many times we pretend to listen when we really are not. The receiver of the communication must indicate to the speaker that he is being heard and understood. The receiver indicates attention through both verbal and nonverbal indicators. b.Overview i.Let’s look at listening from a different approach, in relation to four types of internal and external responses to spoken messages. These responses range from very casual, almost accidental, to very deliberate and purposeful types of responses. They are not orderly stages that you go through when listening, nor a sequence that must be followed. All or only a few of these may occur within one set of listening transaction, or they may be skipped or types may be applied in any sequence. The four types are reflex, content, relational or active, and introspective listening. c.Type I, Reflex Listening i.A very basic kind of listening involving little more than hearing and a recognition that some noise has come to you. Reflex listening is very common in social settings, classrooms, public settings, and in concerts. Reflex listening involves primarily â€Å"guidance† noises where you can move out of  danger, approach and engage prospective pleasant experiences, but stay tuned to hear other important messages should they occur. d.Type II, Content Listening i.This type of listening is the one most frequently referred to when teachers and managers (leaders) criticize â€Å"poor† listening. Learning in school, receiving instructions on the job, getting information about what to do and how to run your life, are all involved in the content level. You listen to learn and to understand and to somehow retain information. An important dimension of content–type listening is an ability to detect which messages are accurate, useful, sound, truthful, reliable, and relevant. e.Type III, Relational Listening i.Listening is important not only in relation to getting the content of the message called â€Å"deliberative listening† but also in another dimension called â€Å"empathic listening.† This empathic dimension to listening includes active listening. Active listening reflects a whole orientation to life and to people–one which implies that to listen is to have the creative power to imagine how it would make sense to say what the other person is saying. It says that the other person (the speaker) is fundamentally important and worth listening to. How do you â€Å"do† active listening–by listening to a person without passing judgment on what is being said, and mirroring back what has been said to indicate that you understand the feelings the speaker was putting across. Effective communication is free to happen when threats have been removed. By the mirroring process, you help build a climate in which you can be accepting, noncritical, and non–mor alizing. f.Type IV, introspective listening i.Focus in this type of listening is on having something happen to the listener, not to the speaker. It may be the inner enjoyment of hearing poetry or music or spoken endearments. You experience something when you listen introspectively. Introspective listening has the quality of listening with a very open mind, but it also has the uncommon quality of applying your own deep understanding of your personal commitments and of the persuasion process as you evaluate the speakers’ messages.

Caring For a Patient in A&E with DKA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Caring For a Patient in A&E with DKA - Essay Example the situation of the patient, the analysis of feelings, evaluation of the experience, analysis to make sense of the experience, conclusion where other points are considered and reflection upon experience to examine what you would do if situation arose again. The case I have chosen to discuss in this assignment is about Mrs. X, a 29 year old woman. The name of the patient and the place will not be disclosed throughout the assignment for the purpose of anonymity and confidentiality. Mrs. E was brought into our Accident and Emergency Race Track-Majors department complaining of feeling generally ill for 3 days. She was apparently suffering from intermittent abdominal pain and constant vomiting. She was pale with dry cracked lips and very weak. Due to the busy A&E Department, the patient waited for 30 minutes before being assessed by myself. Temperature was 37.3 degree celcius, blood pressure 109/67, pulse rate was 89 per minute and respiratory rate was 28 per minute. Blood sugar level was 22.7 mmol/l and urine dip stick revealed plus 3 ketones, plus 3 of Glucose and traces of protein. Blood ketone levels as determined by ketone strip were 5.8 mmol/l. I made a diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis and shifted her to the resuscitation room where further treatment was rendered. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening condition that frequently requires hospitalization in those with type 1 diabetes and is the most common cause of diabetes-related death in children (Della Manna et al 2005). Diabetic ketoacidosis may be defined as a state of absolute or relative insulin deficiency aggravated by ensuing hyperglycemia, dehydration, and acidosis-induced derangements in intermediary metabolism (Rucker 2006). It most commonly occurs in type-1 diabetes. It is characterized by hyperglycemia over 300mg/dl, low bicarbonate (15mEq/L) and acidosis (pH

The Impact of Slavery on British Colonialism. (The Atlantic slave Term Paper

The Impact of Slavery on British Colonialism. (The Atlantic slave trade) - Term Paper Example The treatment the slaves received during this time in history cannot be compared to any other type of annihilation on human beings and culture. The New world consisted of north, central and south America. The Atlantic slave trade began as a trade between the Old World and the New World in the Americas began to increase. As technology on European ships, became greater and gave ships a better ability to travel through the rough waters of the Atlantic Ocean. A process of triangular trade started to occur. The first portion of the triangle would be from transporting the goods from Europe to Africa in order to purchase slaves2. The second would be the trade of slaves from Africa to the Americas. The third portion of the triangle would be the final goods being exported from the Americas to Europe. This triangle of trade is the system that was used throughout the bulk of the Atlantic slave trade era. Europeans believed the use of slaves would help fix their labor shortage problem3. They ove rworked the natives of the New World, and many would die from being run into the ground or from diseases. The Europeans labor supply in the New World was dwindling and so their solution to their immediate problem was to import labor from Africa in order to expand their production and wealth. The Atlantic slave trade became a vital part in the Industrial Revolution. Portugal was the first European country to participate in slave trading. Other European countries that were participating in slave trading were England, France, Spain and the Netherlands as well as the United States from across the Atlantic Ocean4. These nations would purchase slaves from African community leaders, and they would pick them up from outposts that were created for the purpose of the slave trade on the western coast of Africa where the slaves were taken from the central and Western parts of the continent. They would then be boarded onto ships like cargo and were transferred to the Americas cheaply and quickly . The slaves then became the legal property of the proprietor and could be sold at the market; much like material goods or services5. It has been estimated that the number of slaves brought across the Atlantic Ocean amounts to 12 million individuals with about a million individuals dying during cargo ship transportation. The highest number of immigrants from the Old World into the New World, actual numbers of slaves procured from slave traders has accounted to be much higher. The racism we see today towards individuals of African descent stemmed from the slavery they were subjected to6. Human beings would be on equals otherwise, as are all born as such. Walter Rodney’s perspective on racism states that "Above all, it was the institution of slavery in the Americas which ultimately conditioned racial attitudes, even when their more immediate derivation was the literature on Africa or contacts within Europe itself. It has been well attested that New World slave - plantation soci ety was the laboratory of modern racism. The owners contempt for and fear of the black slaves was expressed in religious, scientific and philosophical terms, which became the stock attitudes of European and even Africans in subsequent generations7. Although before and after the slave trade era there had been contributions to the racist philosophy, the historical experience of blacks being enslaved by the whites for four centuries established the tie between racist and color prejudice, and created individual racists, as well as

Ethics in the 21st Century Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethics in the 21st Century - Research Paper Example Today, the world tolerates the problems of ethics alongside the technological and scientific domains that dominate the human race. Human beings can not just respond by themselves without the assistance of technology. Issues within the scientific community cannot be confronted until philosophical and ethical considerations are taken into account. Ethical reconciliation should be utilized when solving problems or interacting with diverse cultures. If one wishes to arrive at ethical clarifications of problems at hand, references must be cited to the traditional world of thought and wisdom. According to Prof. H. Atlan, philosophy is the key to arrive at ethical answers and to attend the problems of science and technology faced today. (UNESCO Headquarters|2001). There are two types of ethics that relate to globalization. First one is based on the ethics of sovereignty of States and the power structure. The second one relates to the responsibilities of the liberal market. These two kinds o f ethics and the vibrant relationship between the state the condition of ethics today. Globalization in the 21st Century gave birth to an accord between people who think internationally. In actuality, the emergence of a global civil community, through the sponsorship of global democracy, global governance and residency all contribute towards surfacing of ‘globalization of ethics’. (UNESCO Headquarters|2001)  Most students and officers when hearing the word â€Å"ethics† become spell bounded and images of departmental sanctions, internal affairs of a company, and extensive lawsuits came dawdling into their minds.  

Economics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economics - Coursework Example The GDP deflator for the base year is always equal to 100% by definition. Because of this the Nominal GDP and the Real GDP for the base year are always equal. In this case, the Real GDP for 2002= Nominal GDP for 2002= 1.02 Billion Dimmens since it is the base year. In determining the size of the economy, we look at the nominal GDP between the two years. The year 2002 has a nominal GDP of 1.02 billion dimmens while 2003 has a nominal GDP of 1.08 billion dimmens. Thus the economy has grown in the year 2003. 3. You have been hired by the government as an economic statistician and given the job of calculating the CPI (the chili price index, not the consumer price index). According to the government’s official recipe, the ingredients for a batch of chili are: 3 pounds of hamburger, 2 pounds of tomatoes, and  ½ pound of onions. The base year calculating the CPI is 1996. The prices of the ingredients for chili are determined by an extensive nationwide survey. The current and 1996 prices for the ingredients

Enterprise Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Enterprise Finance - Essay Example The basic characterization of these sources can be done on two levels; internal and external (Biz/ed 2007). Previously, internal sources were more widely available to businesses, and they depended heavily on this method of financing. However, now external sources are also being greatly availed. Each method has several more characterizations, and each sub-source has its own advantages and disadvantages. The discussion that follows will cite as examples several of these sources for an analysis of the different methods of business finance. Internal Sources: as the name implies, this method of financing depends upon the business itself, and no external help is involved. Economic stability ha to be generated from within the establishment. Bushiness that do not have resources, funds or the means to invest or implore outside means of finance see it as the ideal way of establishing and developing their businesses. It is easier, hassle free and can be done on a more customized level, as the only party involved is the business management itself. However, this method involves a greater time period for the results to surface, and the management has to rely on its components for co-operation and patience if the efforts have top be dealt with successfully. Furthermore, mostly relatively small business make use of this approach of financing, as the greater the establishment, the greater the funds required for the maintenance and development of the business, and these increased funds can seldom be catered for internally. Also, all the loses of incurred during this process of financing would have to be born by the