A study of Data Mining concepts used in Customer Relationship Management (CRM...IJSRD
Customer relationship management (CRM) has evolved as an approach based on generating positive relationships with customers, increasing customer loyalty, and expanding customer lifetime value [1]. To understand the needs of customers and providing value-added services are recognized as factors that regulate the success or failure of the organizations. In the recent years, technology enhancement made customer relationship easier in various fields such as marketing, sales, service and Management Information Technology [2]. To deliver customer value, there are concepts such as data mining and data warehousing with the use of technology. Even through data mining concepts, organizations can easily find out their valuable customers and helps in making better decisions. There are data mining tools which answer business questions that were time-consuming consuming in the past. These tools simplify these questions and make customer relationship management effective [3]. This researcher work is focused on understanding the consumer’s behavior for themed weddings. The themed weddings management strategies are based on technology, business and customer perspectives. The customer preferences are measured using Regency, Frequency and Monetary (RFM) method. Business strategies are defined to understand the customer preference towards themed weddings management and the technologies such as WEB 2.0 and data mining tool Weka are used. The survey technique, and thematic content analysis using data mining tools, to accomplish the goals of today’s customer relationship management philosophy for themed weddings management.
The main objective of the study is to explore customer relationship marketing as a competitive tool at Best Point Savings and Loans Limited. A cross-sectional research and quantitative approach was adopted for the study. A non-random quota sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 20 staff members. Questionnaires were adopted to collect data from the staff. Data was descriptively analyzed. Findings from the study revealed that Customer Relationship Marketing strategy in Best Point Savings and Loans Limited to create and retain profitable customers
A study of Data Mining concepts used in Customer Relationship Management (CRM...IJSRD
Customer relationship management (CRM) has evolved as an approach based on generating positive relationships with customers, increasing customer loyalty, and expanding customer lifetime value [1]. To understand the needs of customers and providing value-added services are recognized as factors that regulate the success or failure of the organizations. In the recent years, technology enhancement made customer relationship easier in various fields such as marketing, sales, service and Management Information Technology [2]. To deliver customer value, there are concepts such as data mining and data warehousing with the use of technology. Even through data mining concepts, organizations can easily find out their valuable customers and helps in making better decisions. There are data mining tools which answer business questions that were time-consuming consuming in the past. These tools simplify these questions and make customer relationship management effective [3]. This researcher work is focused on understanding the consumer’s behavior for themed weddings. The themed weddings management strategies are based on technology, business and customer perspectives. The customer preferences are measured using Regency, Frequency and Monetary (RFM) method. Business strategies are defined to understand the customer preference towards themed weddings management and the technologies such as WEB 2.0 and data mining tool Weka are used. The survey technique, and thematic content analysis using data mining tools, to accomplish the goals of today’s customer relationship management philosophy for themed weddings management.
The main objective of the study is to explore customer relationship marketing as a competitive tool at Best Point Savings and Loans Limited. A cross-sectional research and quantitative approach was adopted for the study. A non-random quota sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 20 staff members. Questionnaires were adopted to collect data from the staff. Data was descriptively analyzed. Findings from the study revealed that Customer Relationship Marketing strategy in Best Point Savings and Loans Limited to create and retain profitable customers
Customer Relationship Management and Banking Sector Market Share performanceinventionjournals
The influence of customer relationship management (CRM) on Nigeria banking sector market share performance is the focus of this study. It examined the influence of customer identification, customer retention and technology on customer relationship management and banks market share performance. The ever increasing competition and dynamics in the market place and the need for banks to survive, grow and meet the stakeholders objectives calls for a meaningful long lasting relationship between marketers and all other stakeholders in the organisation. The population of this study consists of all 617 headquarters employees of the 21 deposit money banks in Port Harcourt metropolis that is registered with Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC); while the sample size of 243 determined through the Tara Yamani formula. Questionnaire was used as an instrument for primary data collection. The Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation was the statistical technique employed for hypothesis testing in the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 17. The findings of this study revealed that there is significant relationship between customer identification, retention, and market share; while technology positively influence CRM and bank market share performance. Customer identification and retention are dimensions of CRM, while market share is the measure of performance, with technology as moderating variable influence between CRM as a measure of bank performance. It is therefore noted that banks will have better competitive advantage when all relevant stakeholders appreciate and demonstrate these customer relationship management strategies with a view of achieving the desired corporate objectives.
Data Mining Concepts with Customer Relationship ManagementIJERA Editor
Data mining is important in creating a great experience at e-business. Data mining is the systematic way of extracting information from data. Many of the companies are developing an online internet presence to sell or promote their products and services. Most of the internet users are aware of on-line shopping concepts and techniques to own a product. The e-commerce landscape is the relation between customer relationship management (sales, marketing & support), internet and suppliers.
Protecting Margins and Creating Value in TelecomLightwell
In 2010, Communications, Media, and Entertainment (CME) businesses are becoming more confident in their revenue potential with most companies feeling the recession is behind them or nearly halfway over. To prepare for spending growth, many CME businesses plan to increase their focus on sales strategies with a keen focus on improving customer collaboration as a top priority.
However, improving customer collaboration, especially in business-to- business (B2B) selling and order scenarios, is difficult to achieve due to product portfolio and selling/ordering process complexity. Within the CME marketplace, companies are offering customers a rich array of options including products and services via multiple channels. This is good news for customers, who demand freedom of choice and ease of use. But it makes selling and order management a complex task for CME companies, which are looking to optimise these processes to increase sales performance.
Customer Relationship Management and Banking Sector Market Share performanceinventionjournals
The influence of customer relationship management (CRM) on Nigeria banking sector market share performance is the focus of this study. It examined the influence of customer identification, customer retention and technology on customer relationship management and banks market share performance. The ever increasing competition and dynamics in the market place and the need for banks to survive, grow and meet the stakeholders objectives calls for a meaningful long lasting relationship between marketers and all other stakeholders in the organisation. The population of this study consists of all 617 headquarters employees of the 21 deposit money banks in Port Harcourt metropolis that is registered with Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC); while the sample size of 243 determined through the Tara Yamani formula. Questionnaire was used as an instrument for primary data collection. The Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation was the statistical technique employed for hypothesis testing in the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 17. The findings of this study revealed that there is significant relationship between customer identification, retention, and market share; while technology positively influence CRM and bank market share performance. Customer identification and retention are dimensions of CRM, while market share is the measure of performance, with technology as moderating variable influence between CRM as a measure of bank performance. It is therefore noted that banks will have better competitive advantage when all relevant stakeholders appreciate and demonstrate these customer relationship management strategies with a view of achieving the desired corporate objectives.
Data Mining Concepts with Customer Relationship ManagementIJERA Editor
Data mining is important in creating a great experience at e-business. Data mining is the systematic way of extracting information from data. Many of the companies are developing an online internet presence to sell or promote their products and services. Most of the internet users are aware of on-line shopping concepts and techniques to own a product. The e-commerce landscape is the relation between customer relationship management (sales, marketing & support), internet and suppliers.
Protecting Margins and Creating Value in TelecomLightwell
In 2010, Communications, Media, and Entertainment (CME) businesses are becoming more confident in their revenue potential with most companies feeling the recession is behind them or nearly halfway over. To prepare for spending growth, many CME businesses plan to increase their focus on sales strategies with a keen focus on improving customer collaboration as a top priority.
However, improving customer collaboration, especially in business-to- business (B2B) selling and order scenarios, is difficult to achieve due to product portfolio and selling/ordering process complexity. Within the CME marketplace, companies are offering customers a rich array of options including products and services via multiple channels. This is good news for customers, who demand freedom of choice and ease of use. But it makes selling and order management a complex task for CME companies, which are looking to optimise these processes to increase sales performance.
Social Observational ActivitySpend some time observing another.docxsamuel699872
Social Observational Activity
Spend some time observing another adult interacting with at least one other adult (at home, in a park, at the mall, at work, etc.) and reflect on the nonverbal cues and body language that they tend to use. What are they trying to “say” to the other person?
Locate scholarly materials to help support your accuracy of what the person’s body language and nonverbal communication is conveying (eye contact, posture, appearance, leaning in, facial expressions, artifacts [a uniform, etc.] gestures, etc.) Be descriptive in your analysis of all non-verbal communication that you identify and body language examples.
.
Your paper should be 2-3 pages in length. Include at least two scholarly references in addition to the course textbook to support your analysis and position.
Introduction of the specific topic
Customer Relationship Management
As a group, we will be explaining how customer relationship management is a customer-focused and customer-driven organizational strategy. Elaborate on how modern CRM systems can build sustainable long-term customer relationships that can create value for both companies and their customers. In addition, to helping many companies acquire new customers while also retaining and expanding their relationships with advantageous existing customers. Overall, this topic is an approach to manage a company’s interaction with current and potential customers. It uses data analysis about customers history with a company to improve business relationships with customers. It specifically focuses on customer retention and driving sales growth. The reason this is important and relevant to our class is because businesses data is used to see what customers like and don’t like. Businesses use this because sales tend to improve overall when they use CRM.
Tentative milestone/schedule of the project.
Introduction
Customer relationship management is very commonly referred to as CRM within the business world. It is perceived as both a customer-driven and customer-focused strategy that in part is used to aid the communication between businesses and their customers (Rainer & Prince, 2020). It does in fact also contribute a great deal to many businesses marketing tactics and more specifically allowing them to focus on customers individually. Then, providing them with the proper information needed to meet their individual customer’s needs and desires, which in essence contributes to creating a customer intimacy that so many businesses lack today. With living in a very digital and internet driven world today, customer relationship management has been able to really fill a void that has unintentionally been created by the Internet because of how impersonal it has made what used to be in-person experiences, now digitized.
The process in which customer relationship management is utilized, is by employing information technologies through numerous systems and applications. It is a technology used to manag.
Social Observational ActivitySpend some time observing another.docxrosemariebrayshaw
Social Observational Activity
Spend some time observing another adult interacting with at least one other adult (at home, in a park, at the mall, at work, etc.) and reflect on the nonverbal cues and body language that they tend to use. What are they trying to “say” to the other person?
Locate scholarly materials to help support your accuracy of what the person’s body language and nonverbal communication is conveying (eye contact, posture, appearance, leaning in, facial expressions, artifacts [a uniform, etc.] gestures, etc.) Be descriptive in your analysis of all non-verbal communication that you identify and body language examples.
.
Your paper should be 2-3 pages in length. Include at least two scholarly references in addition to the course textbook to support your analysis and position.
Introduction of the specific topic
Customer Relationship Management
As a group, we will be explaining how customer relationship management is a customer-focused and customer-driven organizational strategy. Elaborate on how modern CRM systems can build sustainable long-term customer relationships that can create value for both companies and their customers. In addition, to helping many companies acquire new customers while also retaining and expanding their relationships with advantageous existing customers. Overall, this topic is an approach to manage a company’s interaction with current and potential customers. It uses data analysis about customers history with a company to improve business relationships with customers. It specifically focuses on customer retention and driving sales growth. The reason this is important and relevant to our class is because businesses data is used to see what customers like and don’t like. Businesses use this because sales tend to improve overall when they use CRM.
Tentative milestone/schedule of the project.
Introduction
Customer relationship management is very commonly referred to as CRM within the business world. It is perceived as both a customer-driven and customer-focused strategy that in part is used to aid the communication between businesses and their customers (Rainer & Prince, 2020). It does in fact also contribute a great deal to many businesses marketing tactics and more specifically allowing them to focus on customers individually. Then, providing them with the proper information needed to meet their individual customer’s needs and desires, which in essence contributes to creating a customer intimacy that so many businesses lack today. With living in a very digital and internet driven world today, customer relationship management has been able to really fill a void that has unintentionally been created by the Internet because of how impersonal it has made what used to be in-person experiences, now digitized.
The process in which customer relationship management is utilized, is by employing information technologies through numerous systems and applications. It is a technology used to manag.
Relationship Marketing Strategies in Banking Sector: A ReviewIJBBR
The paper is review of relationship marketing strategies prevalent in Banking Sector. In this era of mature and intense competitive pressures, it is imperative that banks maintain a loyal customer base. Nowadays, banks realize the importance ofRelationship Marketing. Relationship marketing offers benefits to the banks,
customers as wellas employees of the organization. Relationship Marketing gives the banks way to developmutually beneficial and valuable long term relationships. These long term relationships are further helping banks in reducing operating cost and attracting new customers.
Embracing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to Improve Organisational Vi...IOSRJBM
The study aimed at finding ways of improving organisational viability by small businesses in Chinhoyi through applying Customer Relationship Management (CRM). This study was prompted by lack of growth of the sector. These firms have been facing a business environment characterised by low Gross Domestic Product (GDP), foreign currency challenges, high unemployment, brain drain, liquidity crisis, high competition and low demand for domestic products. The descriptive design was used. Thirty registered small businesses, with approximately 100 subordinates and 25 managers/supervisors formed the target population for the study. The sample size was 40 and comprised of 30 subordinates and 10 managers/supervisors. Simple random sampling was used to select respondents for the study. The research instruments used were questionnaires, observations and interviews. The study found out that many small businesses do not have a comprehensive CRM programme. The study concluded that lack of a comprehensive customer relationship management programmes by small businesses has been hampering performance of the sector. The study recommends the implementation of CRM programmes by small businesses in Zimbabwe through information centres and embracing information technology. Feedback processes are also necessary for CRM. There is need to carry out a national survey on CRM for small businesses for generalisation of findings across the entire Zimbabwean economy.
CRM Implementation in Indian Telecom Industry – Evaluating the Effectiveness ...Waqas Tariq
With the liberalization and internationalization in telecommunication, service quality has become an important means of differentiation and path to achieve business success. Such differentiation based on service quality is seen as a key source of competitiveness for many Indian firms and hence have implications for leadership in such organizations. Faced with a growing market and increasing competition, companies in the telecom business are adopting to new technological imperatives in order to outperform their competitors. These companies adapt continuously to the dynamic environment so as to survive competition. The emphasis here lies in identifying critical value adding processes and redesigning them to become customer centric. One such approach in the adoption of an IT to move towards customers is the Customer Relationship Management (CRM). The Indian Mobile Service Providers are using CRM extensively to identify the needs of the customers and stretching out ways and means to satisfy them. In this context, it is absolutely essential to study the effectiveness of the CRM being practiced by the mobile service providers. This study specifically analyses the extent to which CRM is being practiced by the mobile service providers, and identifies the effect of the service quality of the mobile service providers on the Customer Loyalty. As CRM focuses on being customer centric, it becomes essential to measure the effectiveness of CRM in terms of the degree to which the customers are advocates of the mobile service provider as well as to measure the degree to which they participate in the cross selling and up selling of the various products and services of the provider. To evaluate the effectiveness, there are lots of quantitative techniques available and some work in this area has already been done. But there is a dearth of literature focusing on the relative efficiency. One advanced operations research technique which evaluates the relative efficiency is the Frontier Analysis or Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). This paper attempts to use Data Envelopment Analysis to assess the effectiveness of Mobile Service Providers, specifically a set of the providers offering services in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The research has identified a set of input and output parameters for each Service Provider, from which the efficient frontiers (DMUs) are determined. The relative efficiency of the Service Providers are measured with respect to the efficient frontier and then analyzed. Detailed recommendations are set forth, for appropriate interventions to address the specific gaps identified through the gaps analysis. The analysis further provides useful information and opens up new avenues for future research.
Customer is a king and Customers are the mainly focused in making new marketing strategy. In the banking field a unique relationship exists between the customers and the bank. But because of various reasons like lack of training ,new technology literacy, financial targets, risk of failure etc., some banks are still following the traditional ways of marketing and another hand some are making attempts to adapt CRM. It is with this background, the researcher has made a modest attempt towards the idea that CRM can be adapted uniformly in the banking industry for betterment of Banking Services. Understanding on Customer Relationship Management is always a concern among the service providers especially banks. Banks makes their own way of managing their relationships new and existing customers. The aim of this paper is to examine the Customer Relationship Management as a new methodology looks forward to identify and attract consumers through the process of developing relationships (business - customer). The methodology of the CRM aims to maintain customer satisfaction and increase consumer loyalty. The purpose of this paper is to study the importance of CRM systems and in-depth knowledge of methods and management techniques customer relationships.
The main issue of this study is that CRM has become a multi-faceted and complex phenomenon that is ridden by various factors. Due to this complexity, a number of different variables have been used to measure CRM which investigated by several prior studies. However, most of businesses need to know and look at the particular measures and dimensions of the CRM that have a significant impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty, which would enrich the business' performance, especially with the increase in competition as well as lack of differentiation in providing a service. This paper aimed to review literature on CRM and to identify its impact on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. The studies are analyzed on the basis of some general characteristics and variables that significantly enhance CRM and its influence on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. For this purpose, we investigate the existing literature on the impact of CRM on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty along with its spread among publications to identify the potential development in the field.
EVOLUTION OF CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP
CRM-Definition, emergence of CRM practice, factors responsible for CRM growth, CRM Process, framework of CRM, Benefits of CRM, Types of CRM, Scope of CRM, Customer Profitability, Future Trends in CRM, CRM and Cost-Benefit Analysis, CRM and Relationship Marketing, Customer Relationship Management Unit-1 IMBA Osmania University
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has grabbed the attention of both practice and research in the past decade, developing into an area of major significance. The focus of the CRM concept is to build a long-term and value-added relationship for both the organisation and customers. Governments – although considered late followers compared to the private industry – have been showing growing interest in CRM systems recently to help public and government agencies track and manage relationships with their constituents. In this article, we review existing literature to provide an understanding of the field. We also present a proposed CRM framework based on literature review and practice work. The proposed framework is envisaged to act as a practical management tool that provides a holistic overview of implementation phases, components of each phase, and associate critical success factors.
MBA Projects, synopsis, and synopsis of various regular as well as distance learning undergraduate and postgraduate courses for various institutions like SMU – Sikkim Manipal University, SMUDE, AIMA, AMITY, IGNOU, SCDL, JAMIA, AMU, JHU etc.
International Journal of Business and Management Invention (IJBMI)inventionjournals
International Journal of Business and Management Invention (IJBMI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of Business and Management. IJBMI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Business and Management, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online.
The Journal will bring together leading researchers, engineers and scientists in the domain of interest from around the world. Topics of interest for submission include, but are not limited to
International Journal of Business and Management Invention (IJBMI)inventionjournals
International Journal of Business and Management Invention (IJBMI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of Business and Management. IJBMI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Business and Management, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online
A STUDY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO BANKING INDUSTRY IN INDIAIAEME Publication
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has emerged as a popular business strategy in today’s competitive environment. It is a discipline which enables the business to identify and target their most profitable customers. CRM involves new and advance marketing strategies which not only retain the existing customers but also acquire new customers. It has been invented as a unique technique capable of remarkable changes in total output of companies. CRM in financial services industry is a cyclical process which starts with definition of customer expectations which are difficult to manage but are often the cause of dissonance which results in loss of existing customer base.
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
LF Energy Webinar: Electrical Grid Modelling and Simulation Through PowSyBl -...DanBrown980551
Do you want to learn how to model and simulate an electrical network from scratch in under an hour?
Then welcome to this PowSyBl workshop, hosted by Rte, the French Transmission System Operator (TSO)!
During the webinar, you will discover the PowSyBl ecosystem as well as handle and study an electrical network through an interactive Python notebook.
PowSyBl is an open source project hosted by LF Energy, which offers a comprehensive set of features for electrical grid modelling and simulation. Among other advanced features, PowSyBl provides:
- A fully editable and extendable library for grid component modelling;
- Visualization tools to display your network;
- Grid simulation tools, such as power flows, security analyses (with or without remedial actions) and sensitivity analyses;
The framework is mostly written in Java, with a Python binding so that Python developers can access PowSyBl functionalities as well.
What you will learn during the webinar:
- For beginners: discover PowSyBl's functionalities through a quick general presentation and the notebook, without needing any expert coding skills;
- For advanced developers: master the skills to efficiently apply PowSyBl functionalities to your real-world scenarios.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 4DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 4. In this session, we will cover Test Manager overview along with SAP heatmap.
The UiPath Test Manager overview with SAP heatmap webinar offers a concise yet comprehensive exploration of the role of a Test Manager within SAP environments, coupled with the utilization of heatmaps for effective testing strategies.
Participants will gain insights into the responsibilities, challenges, and best practices associated with test management in SAP projects. Additionally, the webinar delves into the significance of heatmaps as a visual aid for identifying testing priorities, areas of risk, and resource allocation within SAP landscapes. Through this session, attendees can expect to enhance their understanding of test management principles while learning practical approaches to optimize testing processes in SAP environments using heatmap visualization techniques
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into SAP testing best practices
2. Heatmap utilization for testing
3. Optimization of testing processes
4. Demo
Topics covered:
Execution from the test manager
Orchestrator execution result
Defect reporting
SAP heatmap example with demo
Speaker:
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
Topics covered:
UI automation Introduction,
UI automation Sample
Desktop automation flow
Pradeep Chinnala, Senior Consultant Automation Developer @WonderBotz and UiPath MVP
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Neuro-symbolic is not enough, we need neuro-*semantic*Frank van Harmelen
Neuro-symbolic (NeSy) AI is on the rise. However, simply machine learning on just any symbolic structure is not sufficient to really harvest the gains of NeSy. These will only be gained when the symbolic structures have an actual semantics. I give an operational definition of semantics as “predictable inference”.
All of this illustrated with link prediction over knowledge graphs, but the argument is general.
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
JMeter webinar - integration with InfluxDB and GrafanaRTTS
Watch this recorded webinar about real-time monitoring of application performance. See how to integrate Apache JMeter, the open-source leader in performance testing, with InfluxDB, the open-source time-series database, and Grafana, the open-source analytics and visualization application.
In this webinar, we will review the benefits of leveraging InfluxDB and Grafana when executing load tests and demonstrate how these tools are used to visualize performance metrics.
Length: 30 minutes
Session Overview
-------------------------------------------
During this webinar, we will cover the following topics while demonstrating the integrations of JMeter, InfluxDB and Grafana:
- What out-of-the-box solutions are available for real-time monitoring JMeter tests?
- What are the benefits of integrating InfluxDB and Grafana into the load testing stack?
- Which features are provided by Grafana?
- Demonstration of InfluxDB and Grafana using a practice web application
To view the webinar recording, go to:
https://www.rttsweb.com/jmeter-integration-webinar
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a buttonDianaGray10
Here is something new! In our next Connector Corner webinar, we will demonstrate how you can use a single workflow to:
Create a campaign using Mailchimp with merge tags/fields
Send an interactive Slack channel message (using buttons)
Have the message received by managers and peers along with a test email for review
But there’s more:
In a second workflow supporting the same use case, you’ll see:
Your campaign sent to target colleagues for approval
If the “Approve” button is clicked, a Jira/Zendesk ticket is created for the marketing design team
But—if the “Reject” button is pushed, colleagues will be alerted via Slack message
Join us to learn more about this new, human-in-the-loop capability, brought to you by Integration Service connectors.
And...
Speakers:
Akshay Agnihotri, Product Manager
Charlie Greenberg, Host
State of ICS and IoT Cyber Threat Landscape Report 2024 previewPrayukth K V
The IoT and OT threat landscape report has been prepared by the Threat Research Team at Sectrio using data from Sectrio, cyber threat intelligence farming facilities spread across over 85 cities around the world. In addition, Sectrio also runs AI-based advanced threat and payload engagement facilities that serve as sinks to attract and engage sophisticated threat actors, and newer malware including new variants and latent threats that are at an earlier stage of development.
The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
Download the full report from here:
https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
A Comparative Case Study Investigating the Adoption of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) The Case of Tesco and Sainsbury's
1. International Journal of Managing Value and Supply Chains (IJMVSC) Vol. 4, No. 1, March 2013
A Comparative Case Study Investigating the
Adoption of Customer Relationship Management
(CRM) The Case of Tesco and Sainsbury’s
Azizul Hassan1 and Masud Parvez2
1Tourism Consultants Network, The Tourism Society, UK.
2Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK.
Email id: ma.hassan@ymail.com, mparvez_07@yahoo.com
Abstract:
From cross comparison viewpoint, this study has been designed with the objectives of: first, to explore the
key influential aspects of CRM and second, to identify and critically discuss the current trends of CRM
adoption. Tesco and Sainsbury’s are two major retailers in the United Kingdom and taking these as the
case studies. This mixed method study has employed the in depth interview techniques with the use of semi-
structured questions. Major retailers in the United Kingdom have been adopting strategies and policies of
customer relationship management. Results have indicated that, effective CRM can influences positively
and thus to ensure business growth and profitability. The Loyalty Card holders of both Tesco and
Sainsbury’s do not frequently shop at other retailers, responsiveness is the key factor for effective CRM,
and newsletters sent to the customers are the most reliable way for information sharing.
Key Words: customer relationship management, impact, the Loyalty Card scheme, responsiveness,
Tesco, Sainsbury’s
Introduction:
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has emerged as one of the powerful marketing tools
in recent years. The retail sector, in particular has experienced a massive increase in their sales
and profit maximization with the supportive roles that CRM can play. Customer Relationship
Management is an essential phenomenon for any business entity. In recent years, where the
competitions are far more aggressive than ever before, companies have to necessarily concentrate
on their customers in order to exist and strengthen their presence. Major retailers are engaging in
competition with an aim of retaining existing customers along with adding more diversified
numbers to their business. This has given rise to newer concepts and strategies for customer
relationship management approaches. Customer relationship management has been passing
through changes. After considering the current market position, reputation and easier access for
information collection, this study has selected the two large retailers of the United Kingdom,
Tesco and Sainsbury’s. These two retailers are also believed as pioneer in terms of applying the
modernized CRM framework. Also, these two retailers have widely expanded their business
activities both within and beyond the United Kingdom. In retail business, an effective customer
relationship management represents essentiality, due to the changing pattern of market dynamics.
This is one of the reasons for which CRM is considered as an important tool of present business
arena. Even, formulation of a successful business and market planning also depends on better
performance analysis for both of the customers and retailers. Objectives of this study have been
DOI: 10.5121/ijmvsc.2013.4101 1
2. International Journal of Managing Value and Supply Chains (IJMVSC) Vol. 4, No. 1, March 2013
designed from a cross comparison viewpoint, with first, to explore the key influential aspects of
CRM and second, to identify and critically discuss the current trends of CRM adoption.
Literature Review:
2.1 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – as a core business strategy: Customer
relationship management (CRM) is considered as one of the core strategies of business that is
more oriented to integrate the internal functions or process of a business organization. Customer
Relationship Management has been defined by several academics. Many of these definitions
circle within the gathering, collection and use of information on the customers along with the
customer focused activities. The most common is by Anderson and Kerr (2001) in the book titled
‘Customer Relationship Management’ as, this is an approach that is comprehensive by nature and
creates, maintains and expands the relationship with customers. Peppers and Rogers (2004) have
claimed that, Customer Relationship Management has been persistently covering the wider
framework of creating and maintain relationship value with the customer base, sales and income.
This has also expanded on the grounds of services or products marketing along with the direct or
indirect pattern of sales. The approaches of CRM are by and large dependent on both the
customers and the suppliers of services or products. All of these are largely intertwined and till
the recent time, there has not been any sign observed that tends to break the theoretical settings of
CRM. Obviously, as argued by Kotorov (2003), the core of the contents and the focuses has been
considerably altered with technological advancement and for the last few decades companies
have adopted more technology oriented innovations. According to Dyche (2001), customer
relationship management has become more than a maxim, as the strategic approaches designed
for improving the value of the share holders by establishing the proper relationship with customer
segments or key customer bases. Armstrong, et al, (2009) have attempted to define customer
relationship management from a comprehensive viewpoint. According to Armstrong, et al,
(2009), CRM is based on the elementary marketing thought that any business organization
expects to know its customers as individuals. The elements of knowing these individual
customers are characterized by the warehouse of data that intends to store the diversified
information of the company, the call centre, systems of customer service, e-commerce,
operational system (include the handling of entry of orders, invoice payments or even the
inventory system) and the sales system (including the mobile sales communication or
appointment marketing). However, in practice customer relationship management engage the
automated form of customer contacting system along with the wider details on the customer
(Kotorov, 2003). The entire process has been framed with the linkage of higher quality base data
on the customers and supported by information technology and CRM is one of today’s important
business concerns (Bose and Sugumaran, 2003).
2.2 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – Key Influential Factor Analysis: The
implementation and affectivity of CRM are widely dependent on the proper use of information
communication technologies along with the strategies of relationship marketing for delivering
profitable goals for the longer term (Scullin, et. al., 2004). The strategies of CRM those are
exclusively customer oriented are most likely to enhance the value of the business organizations.
These are considered as the set of business practices that is mostly designed for an organization to
reach existing and potential customers more closely that will offer the opportunity for mutual
understanding and thus can offer better worth to each other. By the adoption of such strategies,
the business organizations and the customers are considered to become more beneficial to each
other in a meaning that allows them to create a link between them (Ahn, et al., 2003). From this
specific point of consideration, Customer Relationship Management can be defined as the
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business enterprise based strategies to achieve the customer specified objectives through the
adoption of customer oriented actions. The main aspect of CRM cannot be narrowed down to the
limited activities performed by the marketing department. Also to divert the entire business
organization towards a common goal of customer focused (Pappers and Rogers, 2004).
2.3 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – Recent Trends: Retailers largely depend on the
application of CRM policy frameworks and approaches for ensuring its business success
(Alexander and Turner, 2001). All of these approaches tend to strengthen the existing position in
a volatile market situation, both locally and globally. All of these activities in total have helped
to generate the demand for exploiting the market opportunities. The management of customer
relation also as a result has experienced a massive demand oriented factor. The overall
investments of CRM related activities have reached the level of £3.6 billion in 2007 and that was
a sharp increase by 14% from the previous financial year (Barker, 2007). The entire process of
investments on CRM will experience a steady growth that will be commonly based on the
customer satisfaction and revenue generation for the retailers. Brand management and customer
relationship management can influence the market profit, the growth of financial performances
and there will be a reasonable growth on the investment figures of CRM in the coming years
(Morgan, et. al., 2009). Thus, customer relationship management is regarded as the organization
based business planning those are obviously aimed for decreasing the operational or related costs
and to raise the level of profitability through solidification of the customer loyalty. The
appropriate strategies of CRM characteristically pass together the required information through
most of the data sources of the business organization or even from the outside of the organization
for providing a comprehensive vision on each of the customers.
Company Profile:
3.1 Tesco: According to Tesco (2012), Tesco is one of the most popular retail chain stores in the
United Kingdom. After the Wal-Mart of the United States of America and Carrefour of France,
this is considered as the third largest retailer in the world. Tesco has operation in fourteen
countries of the world covering Europe, Asia and North America and occupy more than thirty
percent of the United Kingdom retail market. Tesco was originated by Sir Jack Cohen back in
1919. The Tesco Club card scheme was introduced in 1995 and was designed to offer service
benefits to the customers in a unique way. The www.tesco.com was introduced in 2000 to
encourage the trade of e-commerce. ‘The First Class Service’ was introduced in 1993-1994. In
the following year the ‘One on Front’ service was launched to reduce the waiting time at the
check-out. Through the Club cards information on areas like merchandizing, pricing, customer
services, promotions, customer acquisitions, media effectiveness, customer communications and
market research have been generated. The ‘Customer Championship’ in store was adopted by
Tesco in 2001-2002; the ‘Learn Thinking’ concept was also developed in the same year. In order
to turn Tesco as more accessible for the customers, the fixed telephone and the mobile phone
lines has been fixed. Specially designed for women, ‘My Time’ has been devised to offer the
women to have free knowledge about the spa, beauty salons, luxury gyms and price cut on
cosmetics, perfumes and even the designer clothes. As stated by the Tesco Chief Executive
Officer, Sir Terry Leahy in the Tesco Annual Report in 1998, the mission has been set to earn the
and expand the customer loyalty for the whole life. Tesco has been termed as the best
practitioner of CRM regarding its knowledge on the customer thoughts, their impression and their
feelings about grocery shopping (Jim Barnes, Chief Executive of the Bristol Group). According
the Club card loyalty program of Tesco Mr. Crawford Davidson, the entire philosophy of Tesco is
to balance the business for the customers. This can happen as a combination of the company’s
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culture, insight and customer. After every three months the Tesco customers take delivery of
magazine from the company. This magazine highlights company products to more than 150,000
loyal customers. Almost 8 million Tesco shoppers are contacted by the CRM tools.
3.2 Sainsbury’s: According to Sainsbury’s (2012), Sainsbury’s was originated in 1869. Initiated
by John J. Sainsbury along with his wife M. A. Sainsbury, the company experienced rapid growth
during the Victorian period. Sainsbury’s is the third largest retail chain store in the United
Kingdom and has managed to take 16.5% market share of the United Kingdom retail market. The
main company has been known as the Sainsbury’s super markets Limited. This group has its
head office based on Holborn Circus of London attached with the support centre. Sainsbury’s has
successfully introduced the Nectar Card Scheme. This program has raised massive response
among the customers. On the basis of such initiative, In February of 2012, Sainsbury’s extended
the Nectar partnership with its strategic alliance Aimia for the coming seven years. Like the Club
card scheme of Tesco, this loyalty card scheme has been able to spread over a solid customer base
of 11.5 million since its introduction in 2002. The Nectar card scheme is considered as having
connection with increased number of partners and attracting the attention of more customers from
all over the world. The Nectar card offers Sainsbury’s to form partnerships with different other
retailers or organizations and has been able for customers’ data collection on different issues.
While, the data produced through the Club card only restricted within Tesco. During the time of
Christmas of 2011, Sainsburys’ experienced the highest number of Nectar card users that has
allowed redeeming points worth up to £100 million. Rewards generated through use of the
Nectar data has been offered in the store that has allowed the customers to potential purchases.
This has also helped Sainsbury’s policy planners to understand the potential customer base where
the business can be established or expanded. Along with all of these initiatives, Sainsbury’s has
managed to have strong presence in the social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter, Bebo
and so on.
3.3 Recent Trends of Customer Relationship Management by Tesco and Sainsbury’s: Both of
Tesco and Sainsbury’s have been in a continual process of applying customer relationship
management strategies into practice. According to Tesco (2012), as a powerful tool of Customer
Relationship Management, more than 150,000 Tesco customers are regularly receiving magazines
having the latest and exclusive offers. These magazines have advertisements, articles and latest
news on the products and services. Tesco Clubcard is a loyalty scheme which has been
introduced to retain and gain loyalty of the customers. Effective practices of Customer
Relationship Management have also been expanded throughout the world and more than 8
million customers are contacted through the adopted tools of CRM by Tesco. In order to stay in
touch with the existing and potential customers, www.tesco.com as introduced in 2000. All these
efforts are having positive impacts on customers’ decision making process. On the other side, in
accordance to Sainsbury’s (2012), it has been gradually encouraging the shoppers to shop online
and in store. Like Tesco, Sainsbury’s has also sending magazines to it’s’ customer base and has
introduced the Nectar Card. Sainsbury’s has been prioritizing on collecting information on the
customers’ experiences. This can become an effective element to formulate most beneficial and
effective marketing strategies.
Research Methodology:
The two case studies selected for this study are two of the large retailers in the United Kingdom:
Tesco and Sainsbury’s. As these are retail chains, two branches of both of the retailers have been
selected: the St. Johns Wood and the Stepney Green Branch of Tesco; the White chapel Branch
and the Bromley Branch of Sainsbury’s. The very basic reason to select these two retailers as the
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case studies is their strong presence in the United Kingdom retail market. The easy access,
convenience and familiarity of the researcher with these case study sites have also been the other
considerable fact. Typically the case study method allows the researcher to become involved
with the ways of exploring in-depth data and information. The explanatory type case study
method can be identified as the useful mode of conducting qualitative research works in the
business sector (Welch et. al., 2011). In the case study method exploration of the experiences
from real ground extends the data validity and reliability even on the most complex life situations
(Gerring, 2011). Survey method or statistical comparison cannot always present valid data and
information. This has influenced for considering the case study method as more suitable for
conducting business research (Seuring, 2008). The quantitative method largely depends on the
statistical data and analysis (Pellissier, 2008). Where, the very basic strength of the qualitative
research method lies in its closeness and involvement that allows the researcher to find out the
required information in a more positive way. The qualitative approach has been considered as
having more affectivity to understand the human mindset along with exploring the ways for
constructing or developing socio psychological or business related models (Doz, 2011).
Considering the basic strengths of both types of research methods; the mix-method has been
selected for this study. This study employed the semi structured interview techniques that has
enabled the researcher to collect data, facts and enhanced information regarding the human
experiences and their expectations. Characteristically, the interviews enable the researcher to get
subjective knowledge on their experiences and surroundings. The interviews allow the researcher
to gather more qualitative type information and data. In terms of flexibility and application, the
mix qualitative interview techniques have more acceptability than any other types of research
tools (Price, 2002). A total of twenty face to face interviews were conducted in two branches of
Tesco and in two branches of Sainsbury’s, respectively. The interviews were recorded and these
data were self transcribed, while, the quantitative data were presented graphically through the use
of MSExcel format. Interviewees for the qualitative data for Tesco and Sainsbury’s were coded
as A1 or A2 and B1, B2, respectively. To avoid bias and to check the validity and reliability of
data, two pilot tests also have been conducted.
Findings and Analysis:
4.1 Gender and Age Group as Core Target of CRM Strategy: Among the Tesco respondents, out f
10, 8 were male and 2 were female. The age group was also interesting. The age group of 29-38
comprised the maximum of 4 in number, while the 39-48 was the second highest with 3
respondents, the above 48group was 2 and the 18-28 group was the smallest with 1 respondent.
Respondent A1, A2, A3 and A6 argued that majority of the customers belonged to the male
group. A7 stated that, ‘in Tesco, the customers are typically middle aged than young or old’.
While, A8 argued that, ‘traditionally, the customers are dominated by males than females’.
Table 1: Age Group of Tesco and Sainsbury’s Customers.
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Sainsbury’s respondents were also diversified in terms of gender and age group. There were
more male respondents than the female with 7 and 3, respectively. Where, the age group was
divided with 5, 3 and 2 respondents in the 29-38, 39-48 and above 48age group, respectively.
Respondent B4 coined that, ‘male customers mostly go for shopping in Sainsbury’s’, while, B1,
B2, B3 and B5 supported the opinion. B6 argued that, ‘the younger age groups dominated the
customer segments’.
4.2 Frequency of Shopping as a Goal of CRM: All of the respondents were frequent purchasers
at the store, where the interviews were taken. A maximum number of 9 respondents, used to shop
at least twice a week in the Tesco stores, where only 1 of them shopped once a week. Among the
Sainsbury’s customers also, all of them were regular shoppers. Here also, the maximum of 6
respondents used to shop twice a week. On the other hand, 2 each shopped once in a week and
every day, respectively. According to Bell and Patterson (2007), the loyalty of customer is
expressed through purchasing specific products and services. In that sense, both Tesco and
Sainsbury’s have brand loyal customers who shop in these stores on a regular basis.
4.3 Shopping at other Retailers as an Indicator of Ineffective form of CRM implementation by
Tesco and Sainsbury’s: Among the Tesco customers, 5 of them shop at Asda, 3 at Sainsbury’s
and other retailers like Lidl and Iceland at the same time. Only 2 of them never shopped at any
other retailer and the major number of 5 of them used to shop at other retailers once a month.
Table 2: Frequency of Shopping at Other Retailers by the Tesco and Sainsbury’s Customers.
While, out of the Sainsbury’s customers, 5 of them shop at other retailer like Tesco, 1 at Asda and
1 went to multiple retailers. While, only 4 of them never went shopping at any other retailer.
Here also, a maximum number of 4 shoppers went to other retailers once a month. These data
visibly represents that a majority of the frequent shoppers of Tesco and Sainsbury’s never limit
their shopping within these two retailers. But, the tendency was quite clear indeed that they go
less to the other retailer stores. Both of the Tesco and Sainsbury’s customers went to shop at other
retailers once a month that is they used to shop mostly at Tesco and Sainsbury’s. This clearly
supports the first hypothesis that the Loyalty Card holders of both Tesco and Sainsbury’s do not
frequently shop at other retailers.
4.4 Key influential aspects of CRM: The key influential customer segment of Customer
Relationship Management can be identified as the Loyalty Card holders of both Tesco and
Sainsbury’s and these consumers do not frequently shop at other retailers. As the very basic
discussion on key influential factors, Peppers and Rogers (2004) argue that customer relationship
management has been continually covering areas like building and maintain relationships with the
core base of customer, income and sales. Core of all other viewpoints of academics like
Anderson and Kerr (2001), Dyche (2001) and Armstrong, et al, (2009), is the relationship with
customers. From the literature review it is clear that the key influential aspects of customer
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relationship management is creating, maintaining and expanding relationship with the core
customer base. However, the findings reveal that the respondent customers were the regular
customer to both Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Both of these retailers have initiated the Loyalty card
schemes. Out of 10 respondents, 9 of them used to shop at Tesco twice a week, where, in case of
Sainsbury’s, the number was 6. These respondents were all loyal and have been benefitting from
customer relationship management policies employed by these retailers.
4.5 Store Selection as a Sign of Recent Trend of CRM by Tesco and Sainsbury’s: Nearness to the
store was the main reason for 5 Tesco customers. On the other side, service quality was the
reason for 3 respondents, loyalty was for 1 and price was the main reason for 1 respondents. But
this represents that effective CRM was not considered as the most influential, where nearness to
the store becomes the main factor.
Respondent A3 stated that, reasonable price and the availability of products are the main reasons
for choosing Tesco. Respondent A9 described that he is a loyal customer for more than a decade.
The availability of healthy food products has helped to make him loyal to Tesco. On the other
side, for the Sainsbury’s customers also, nearness was the key factor for choosing the specific
store for shopping.
Among them, 5, 4 and 1 respondents identified nearness, loyalty and product quality as the main
reason for shopping at the identified store. Consumer decision making process has been
constantly influenced by positivism, where logic and action has interconnection and the approach
of positivism depends more on logic and generalization (Caldwell, 1994). In that sense, decision
making process by the general customers of both Tesco and Sainsbury’s have been constantly
depending on logic and reality, that is using their judgment before purchasing the products or
services. From that perspective, findings of this study and the literatures have interconnection
between them.
4.5 Recent Trends of CRM: This question was asked in a qualitative manner. Most of the
respondents answered the intervention of modernized technologies in the retail business sector.
A1, A3, A4 and A5 argued that, ‘recent technological innovations can be identified as the basic
trend of CRM’. This statement was supported by A2, A6, A7 and A8. The respondent A9
viewed the online based communication with customers is the most recent trend of CRM. On the
other hand, A10 opined that, ‘CRM has been the same for years, but its format has changed to
meet demands of time and space. In the case of Tesco, electronic means of communication with
customers is the most modern form of CRM’. Regarding Sainsbury’s, most of the respondents
argued that, sending magazines to existing and potential customers is the most effective trend of
CRM. B1 was more focused and stated that, ‘I consider that the Sainsbury’s has been successful
in using technology based CRM’. The similar announcement has been declared by B2, B3, B4
and B5, respectively. The respondent B6 was bit more responsive and commented that,
‘Sainsbury’s should adopt both conventional and non conventional forms of CRM to attract and
create interest within the customer base’.
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Conclusions and Implications:
In the business domain, most of the entities are more or less customer focused. Other
than profitability, these business organizations depend on customers as the common
feature. Based on the two large scale retailers of the United Kingdom (e.g. Tesco and
Sainsbury’s), this study was aimed to identify and compare the key aspects and impacts
of CRM policies adopted by these two. Particular attention was provided on the loyalty
card schemes as the Clubcard and Nectar Card. The identified key influential customer
segment for customer relationship management is the Loyalty card holders of both Tesco
and Sainsbury’s and these consumers do not frequently shop at other retailers. Primarily,
Peppers and Rogers (2004) argue that customer relationship management has been
continually covering areas like building and maintain relationships with the core base of
customer, income and sales. Theoreticians or academics like Anderson and Kerr (2001),
Dyche (2001) and Armstrong, et. al., (2009), view that, it is the relationship with
customers that can be identified as the most influential factor of CRM. Reviewing the
existing literatures, it is clear that the key influential aspects of customer relationship
management is creating, maintaining and expanding relationship with the traditional and
online based customer base. However, findings of this study reveal that the customers
remain loyal in both cases of Tesco and Sainsbury’s, as these retailers remain attentive to
their customers’ demands. As a solid base of CRM, both of these retailers have initiated
the Loyalty card schemes. The respondents were loyal as they have been benefitting
from the CRM policies employed by these retailers. However, important finding of the
study explores that the customer loyalty cannot be granted as static and non flexible.
Where, a considerable number of the customers also visit other retailers with an intention
to either cross check the prices or the availability of products and services. This study
suggests that the Loyalty card holders of both Tesco and Sainsbury’s do not limit their
shopping only within these two retailers. Loyalty cannot be viewed as ‘blindness’,
where, numerous alternatives have become available for customers. The recommended
policy of CRM is to emphasize on products and services development through adopting
diversified strategies than only remaining confined to maintain relationships with
customers. In terms of identifying the current trends of CRM adoption, responsiveness
appears as a vital cause of effective CRM. Technological innovations are having
influences on the traditional modes of CRM at least for the last few decades. Such
influences have found their ways through arguments of Kotorov (2003), Bose and
Sugumaran (2003) and Scullin, et. al., (2004). The core contents and the centers of
attention of CRM have considerably altered with technological advancements and
retailers have compromised with these technologies oriented innovations more frequently
than ever before. The conventional CRM policies are now merged with the electronic
and traditional means of communication. This is because; in comparison with small
stores, understanding the customer shopping patterns with large retailers having
thousands of customers is simply difficult. The study points out that, this is one of the
reasons, that incites large retailers like Tesco and Sainsbury’s to adopt shifting features of
CRM.
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