Multilevel Value Co-Creation Within Key Accounts

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore relational aspects of key account management (KAM) in terms of social capital and relationship quality. The second objective was to identify the main dimensions that shape social capital and relationship quality within the KAM context. Finally, the third objective was to explore how relational KAM is practiced in the Middle Eastern context.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a qualitative methodology and a multiple case design. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with a sample of senior executives from large Saudi firms.FindingsThe results highlight the importance of relationship quality and social capital to KAM implementation. A multiple case study was used to build a relational framework for KAM in the Middle Eastern context.Practical implicationsThree strategies were identified for use within the context of KAM in the Saudi market. The first strategy consisted of a means of attracting potential customers. The second strategy involved communication, aimed at maintaining frequent contact with key accounts. Finally, the third strategy was concentrated in maintenance to help sustain the relationship with key accounts.Originality/valueThis study extends understanding and the application of KAM to the Middle Eastern context, contributing to social capital, relationship quality and the KAM literature.

The stage of development of and speed of cultural change in the Chinese market created an environment that differs considerably from that in the West; thus, examining key account management (KAM) in China and concluding its characteristics are necessary. This research adopts the systematic literature review method to review the relevant literature on KAM, including KAM theories, KAM models, KAM empirical studies and KAM practices in China. This study aims to identify and analyze the factors influencing the characteristics of KAM in the Chinese context. And this study summarizes the main factors affecting KAM in China as well as their influence and outcomes. Based on those factors, KAM theories, and Chinese context, the author would make five propositions on the aspects o f KAM orientation (KAMO), organization behavior (OB), and relational model (“guanxi” model) to infer the difference and characteristics of Chinese KAM. Keywords: China; “Guanxi” model ; key account management; management orientation; organizational behavior; relationship marketing

Identification as a challenge in key account management: Conceptual foundations and a qualitative study

Although drivers of the performance of key account management programs have been of great interest to research and practice, research on drivers of sales performance at the individual level of key account managers is scarce. Based on survey data and objective performance data of 1205 key account managers and 5818 salespeople, this study identifies drivers of key account manager's sales performance and differences between the drivers of key account manager's and regular salespeople's sales performance. Most importantly, key account manager's project management skills, use of internal experts, creation and communication of customer value, and their need for achievement reflect positive drivers of sales performance whereas key account manager's use of digital tools diminishes their sales performance. Furthermore, the use of internal experts reflects a more important determinant of sales performance for key account managers than for regular salespeople, whereas project management skills are more strongly related to regular salespeople's sales performance than to key account manager's sales performance. This study provides important implications for the recruitment and training of key account managers.

Purpose: The present work is aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the research landscape in Key Account Management (KAM) and to identify potential knowledge gaps and under studied research questions in the context of innovation in KAM. Method: Bibliometric and content analyses have been performed. The identified scientific articles underwent into a quantitative and qualitative investigation to map the global research landscape and to measure the evolution of scientific domains and production within KAM. Findings: The study highlights the significance of the corporate strategy, quality of the sales team and organizational framework for the evolution of KAM. Furthermore, the study identified key opinion leaders and current expanding research areas around KAM. Emerging areas for innovation for growth in KAM are cross-culture business management, digital marketing and e-commerce technologies. Implications: This study offers a guide for researchers on the area of KAM providing information on scholarly work covering B-to-B marketing insights on innovation in KAM. Originality: The conduction of a systematic review of the relevant literature allows us to understand better the intellectual structure of the field, to synthesize the findings of previous studies, and to identify expanding and emerging research areas. In addition, we identify the most influential publications and authors in the KAM field, providing guidance to researchers and practitioners when conducting research on this subject area.

The present research investigates the influence of gender on the roles and competencies in Key Account Management (KAM) across various cultural settings. Twenty-six managers from the following six countries participated in this study: Germany, France, Spain, Hungary, India, and Vietnam. The five major themes uncovered through thematic analysis shed light on the gender dynamics in KAM. Insights into gender-specific approaches to KAM are provided by our findings, which also emphasize the distinct contributions of various genders in KAM. The result highlights the potential advantages that organizations can derive from incorporating gender diversity into KAM teams. This study, which is among the initial ones to examine gender perspectives in KAM on an international scale, addresses a substantial void in the current body of literature and offers noteworthy implications for applied theories.

Medical Science Liaison (MSL) teams are a well-recognized function within the pharmaceutical and medical products industries. While in most organizations, MSLs have focused on the development of relationships with individual Key Opinion Leaders, progressive companies have realized the value that MSLs can also bring to Key Account Management (KAM). This article discusses the five steps that should be followed in order to successfully integrate the support of Key Accounts into an MSL function. These include understanding the business approach to KAM, identifying what MSL resources are available, developing a comprehensive strategic plan, implementing the plan, and evaluating and making any necessary adjustments. Finally, a case example outlining the experience of a small pharmaceutical company, and how the MSL function supported KAM will be shared.

Under the context of economic globalization, enterprises are now facing fiercer competition than ever from all sides. Key Account Management (KAM) has become the focus of marketing practice. This paper first briefly introduces the researches of the western KAM from the aspects of the resource, concept and execution etc., then points out the inadequacies in the existing researches and practical implementation. This paper has examined the KAM's implementation at Aluminum Corporation of China (CHINALCO), the biggest aluminum enterprise in China. Under marketing environment in China, the paper puts forward a model of two levels of KAM innovation that leads to the success. The results from the research also indicate that the classic KAM theories in western countries are not totally applicable to the Chinese enterprises. The paper also aims at offering certain practical basis to further enrich the Chinese KAM theory.

Key Account Management in information-intensive services

Key account management programs often lack efficiency and effectiveness, as most key account management organizations are inadequately designed for specific customer-supplier relationships. In this paper, a decision model based on transaction cost economics is developed that allows for individualized decision-making on the most appropriate key account management organization: By defining the transaction cost economics determinants uncertainty and frequency more in-depth companies will become able to refine their decision on the key account management organization alternatives with respect to the characteristics of their individual customer-supplier relationship.

Influence tactics, relational conditions, and key account managers' performance

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a term that includes how it works, and its attributed benefits. it is the term for a business strategy that grants the customer continuous improvement, increasing his internal operations performance, increases the economic value added EVA, satisfaction, loyalty, trust, increases cooperation commitment, continuity, and grabs additional investments throughout integrated parties. CRM is broadly recognized, widely-implemented strategy for managing and development a company’s interactions with customers and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes, principally sales related activities, but also those for marketing, customer service, and technical support. The overall goals are to find, attract, and win new customers, nurture and retain those the company already has, entice former customers back into the fold, and reduce the costs of marketing and customer service. CRM gives the most value to customers by tightly integrating their sales, marketing and support efforts. CRM's primary objective is to provide the entire organization with a complete, 360-degree view of the customer, no matter where the information resides or where the customer touch-point occurs. CRM is a business strategy that can be applied to software that works by gathering information concerning potential and targeted customers and analyzing the information starting and/or continuing closer relationships with customer, adding mutual benefits, giving businesses an interdependable opportunities to overcome “relationship gaps” and strengthen their competitive advantages. Using automated CRM applications to analyze customer complaints, and customize the internal processes accordingly, which will in return increase the business efficacy, mutual benefits, maintaining long term relationships, and intense the competitive advantages. Implementing CRM KPI’s improve customer service, which will subsequently improve customer satisfaction, maximize revenue upgrades the customers core competences thought the right products with the right quality, and quantity to the right people at the right place at the right time. CRM increases the customer’s efficiency of the managerial applications the entire organizational performance and its chain suppliers. Research Methodology and limitations The research methodology has been conducted on two folds, the first covered a detailed literature review for Business-to-Business (B2B) Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Key performance Indicators KPIs, suppliers’ managerial efficiency activities, Business-to-Business (B2B) Key Accounts Management (KAM)Key performance Indicators KPIs, and the suppliers’ performance activities. On the other fold, the results of the empirical study of the research based on a limited survey that has been distributed to 10 fast food suppliers, throughout Great Cairo, Egypt. The research was targeting 180 managers, and the received surveys are 120 respondents. It was recognized that further research is necessary to establish the exact nature of the causal linkages between proposed applications of CRM and Fast-Food Series suppliers to enhance managerial performance of business-to-business (B2B) key account management (KAM) on Fast-Food Series suppliers, in order to gain insights into practice elsewhere.

Purpose: The paper assesses the influence of key account management (KAM) and brand innovation on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) marketing performance. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study draws on an explanatory research design to administer questionnaires to 200 business operators in the Kumasi metropolis of the Ashanti region. The sampling process is based on the availability and willingness of SME business operators to participate. Output from SPSS and SmartPLS was used for structural equation modelling to estimate the hypothesised relationships between KAM practices, brand innovation, and marketing performance. Findings: The results support the proposed relationships, demonstrating that KAM practices significantly impact the marketing performance of SMEs, specifically customer-oriented profitability and customer-oriented relationships. The findings further indicate that brand innovations mediate the influence of KAM practices on marketing performance. Research Limitation: Given that most respondents were top management of SMEs, there is a strong possibility of bias in the information provided, as they may have withheld details that could cast their organisation in a negative light. Practical Implication: The paper contributes to the operational dimensions of SMEs on the practical importance of implementing KAM practices and brand innovations to achieve higher marketing performance. Social Implication: The paper will help policymakers appreciate areas of business operations that require attention when developing policies aimed at the long-term survival of SMEs. Originality/Value: The study enhances our theoretical appreciation of how KAM and Brand innovation practices lead to marketing performance.

In this chapter multinational corporations (MNCs) are described as consisting of multiple internal networks, and these networks are formed around most important customer relationships. The everyday operating of a supplier MNC takes place in these networks, which are constantly changing as the customer relationships are developing. This research identifies key account managers as central actors in these networks, guiding the development of customer relationships and internal networks. Here, different network activities of key account managers are identified and it is also shown how key account managers can develop customer-focused internal networks.

Electro Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) technology based ILI inspections have become vital for maintaining the safety of gas pipelines in order to manage crack threats. This technology has evolved over the past decade and has become widely used. As with any technology, existing EMAT services have limitations based on the physics of EMAT and the approach to the application of the technology in ILI services. This paper will describe how TC Energy and ROSEN collaborated to develop reliable EMAT inspection services for heavy wall pipeline applications in addition to the capability of currently available technology. This technology development process involved advancements in sensor design and fabrication, incorporation of latest electronic developments to enhance magnetization as well as leveraging machine learning techniques to enable EMAT inspection of pipelines up to 16.4 mm wall thickness. The paper will also describe the technology validation process including proof of concept, lab testing, innovative testing process on sample pipe while applying artificial defects that closely mimic natural ones, performance qualification process in line with applicable codes, pilot testing, and performance validation. The full process was executed to conform to typical industry validation requirements and to qualify under operator’s extensive technology validation program. The paper will also review preliminary results of the first pilot application and approval for broader application in pipelines. The paper describes the collaborative efforts of the research and development teams, business line management and key account management at ROSEN as well as the technology validation, threat management, and project management teams at TC Energy. The work has culminated in five inspections completed (48″ and 36″) on the operator’s system in Canada and the USA.