The organization's desire to establish relationships with consumers. Template - GN1403: Business Process Modeling - Business Informatics. Partial or selective competition

In the theory of digital digital marketing, CRM is considered as a personalized macro process that provides competitive advantages to the supply chain in the modern market - the consumer market. The goal of CRM is to ensure a stable position of the supply chain in the market and a guaranteed sales volume based on long-term, trusting and mutually beneficial relationships between the focal company and end consumers.

In modern conditions, an interconnected, harmonious combination in digital marketing of the concepts of marketing, logistics and the level of service provided by CRM technologies is a necessary condition for its success. A characteristic feature of the CRM macro process is its focus on powerful, modern IT support in the form of CRM systems. Thus, from the perspective of information integration in supply chains, CRM is often considered as application software for organizations designed to automate strategies for interacting with customers (clients), in particular to increase sales, optimize marketing and improve customer service by storing customer information and history relationships with them, establishing and improving business procedures and subsequent analysis of the results.

An example is Oracle Siebei CRM, a customer relationship management system developed by Siebei Systems Corporation, which was acquired by Oracle Corporation in 2006.

This system includes the following solutions:

• business analytics;
• sales management;
• marketing management;
• contact centers and call centers;
• order processing management;
• managing relationships with partners;
• employee relations management.

Its advantages:

• wide functionality;
• flexibility and extensibility – the architecture and customization tools allow you to configure the product in accordance with business requirements;
• The modular structure allows companies to select and use only the modules they need. This makes it possible to implement the system in stages, starting with basic modules, gradually increasing capabilities;
• quick implementation - achieved due to ready-made configuration and large quantity standard objects;
• the presence of more than 20 full-featured industry solutions - industry CRM solutions, adapted to the characteristics of specific industries, reduce the cost of the service share in the CRM project (as well as the time to implement the system).

In the context of DRM CRM is a model of supply chain interaction that assumes that the customer is at the center of the entire supply chain business philosophy, and the main areas of activity are measures to support effective marketing, sales and logistics processes in serving customers. Supporting these business goals involves collecting, storing, and analyzing information about the focal company's customers, suppliers, intermediaries, and internal processes.

An IT CRM system may include:

• front part, providing customer service at points of sale with autonomous, distributed or centralized information processing;
• the operational part, which provides authorization of operations and operational reporting;
• data store;
• analytical subsystem;
• distributed sales support system: data replicas at points of sale or smart cards.

Basic principles CRM are the following.

• 1. Availability of a single information repository where information about interactions with customers in the supply chain is collected.
• 2. Using multiple interaction channels: point-of-sale service, phone calls, email, events, meetings, website registration forms, advertising links, chats, social networks.
• 3. Analysis of collected information about clients and preparation of data for making appropriate decisions - for example, segmentation of clients based on their significance for the company, potential response to certain promotions, forecasting the need for certain company products.

This approach implies that when interacting with a client, the SC manager has access to all the necessary information about the relationship with this client and a decision is made on the basis of this information (information about the decision, in turn, is also saved).

The main goal The implementation of CRM in the concept of digital marketing is to increase the degree of customer satisfaction by analyzing accumulated information about customer behavior, regulating tariff policy, setting up marketing and logistics tools. Thanks to the use of automated centralized data processing in the supply chain, it becomes possible to effectively and with minimal participation of employees take into account the individual needs of clients, and due to the speed of processing, to carry out early identification of risks and potential opportunities.

Classification of CRM by functionality:

• sales management (SFA - sales force automation);
• marketing management;
• management of customer service and call centers (systems for processing subscriber requests, recording and further work with customer requests);

Classification by levels of information processing:

• operational CRM – registration and prompt access to primary information on events, companies, projects, contacts;
• analytical CRM – reporting and analysis of information in various sections (sales funnel, analysis of the results of marketing activities, analysis of sales effectiveness by product, customer segments, regions and other possible options);
• collaborative CRM - the level of organizing close interaction with end consumers, clients, up to the client’s influence on the company’s internal processes (surveys to change the quality of a product or service order, web pages for customers to track the status of an order, notification of events related to an order or personal account , the ability for the client to independently configure and order products and services in real time and other interactive features).

Within the framework of modern practice, CRM can be considered as an expression of the concept of transition from production and technological orientation in management to orientation towards the end consumer. This transition is due to the formation of a consumer market, which is characterized by an excess of supply of goods and services over demand while leveling out their quality. Under these conditions, the business strategy of the focal supply chain company changes significantly, in which marketing tasks are primarily associated with customer retention and reducing the uncertainty of demand for goods and services. Customer loyalty is seen as a new and extremely important resource - a sales resource.

Functionally, CRM is the end macro process of the supply chain. CRM logically completes the ideology of end-to-end, process management in SCM implemented by modern supply chains. Thus, CRM systems expand the capabilities of ERP-class systems in planning and operational management of key business processes by taking into account external resources - sales resources.

The need to use CRM in digital marketing is associated with the emergence of a new type of consumer - a consumer sensitive to speed, availability and quality of service. Such a consumer is considered by the focal company as a business partner. Important aspects of service management that stimulates the loyalty of such consumers are value analysis and ensuring a balance between the price of services and the values ​​of time and place created by the supply chain for both the focal company (the value of customer loyalty) and for its customers (the value of goods and services, including including logistics). Actually, CRM management is built on the basis of value exchange. The values ​​acquired by the client as a result of transactions in the supply chain can be different - speed and quality of service, quick response to changes in demand, complexity of logistics services, accuracy of order execution, after-sales service, discounts for repeated use, etc. The value can be measured by the ratio of the cost expression of benefits from the purchase of a service (good) to its actual cost or the difference between the assessment of the total benefits and costs in monetary (points) form.

CRM-class information systems are a strategic tool for obtaining customer knowledge. In this way, they differ significantly from simple accounting systems, which implement only the functions of storing general data about customers (customer databases). CRM-type information systems are based on the concept of individual marketing, which provides a holistic view of the needs and preferences of customers based on the history of interaction with them. Collected and processed information about customers (for example, their purchase history, returns, claims, requests, etc.) is used for more accurate, targeted sales management in the supply chain. Based on this information, CRM systems implement various management automation tools - territorial sales management, customer service management (including logistics), marketing management, contact and activity management based on specified regulations, etc.

Indications for the use of CRM systems are high costs of interaction between counterparties in supply chains, active business, a wide geography of sales of services, a complex distribution structure, as well as systemic motives (Table 5.4).

Marketing based on the use of CRM systems allows one to successfully solve one of the most important tasks of any supply chain in modern conditions - the task of retaining consumers. The importance and economic significance of solving this

Table 5.4. The main motives for using CRM systems in DRM

Motive, problem		Required solution, goal, need
Crisis situation	Risk of losing business due to low qualifications and dishonesty of personnel, low debt collection, loss of large contracts, high dependence of the order portfolio on managers	The need to control information flows and databases, streamline the activities of employees responsible for sales
High rates of development	The risk of losing customers due to limited resources for interacting with them in the supply chain (lost profits). The flow of interactions exceeds the organizational and managerial capabilities of SC departments	Automation of standard, routine operations that ensure interaction with customers in the supply chain
Supply chain status	Risk of supply chain strategy misalignment. Pressure from external factors, including market factors	Ensuring a positive image of the supply chain (brand), investment attractiveness (CRM database is an intangible asset of the supply chain)

the challenges are explained by the significant difference in the costs of finding new customers and retaining them. According to statistics, the cost of attracting a new client is 5–10 times, and the cost of returning a lost one is 50–100 times higher than retaining an existing one. In addition, the functionality of CRM systems (Fig. 5.5) ensures objectivity in assessments of the marketing activities of the focal company and identification of the importance of the after-sales customer support service, a significant (almost halving) reduction in the order fulfillment cycle, increasing

Rice. 5.5.

increasing income due to the accuracy of sales forecasts and correct ranking of customers, etc. (Table 5.5). In general, the effectiveness of successful CRM projects in supply chains is very high. They pay for themselves in an average of 8–12 months.

CRM systems are often integrated with ERP-class enterprise planning and management systems, significantly expanding their capabilities. CRM software offered by developers can be integrated (CRM systems themselves) and highly specialized, complementing classic CRM functionality (Table 5.6). The most common CRM-type information systems presented on the business software market are shown in Table. 5.7.

Table 5.5. Characteristics and performance indicators of using CRM systems

Index		Increase in efficiency, %
Sales cycle	Reducing the time for concluding, processing and completing transactions
Amount of deals	Increase in the number of concluded (won) transactions
	Reduced sales and customer support costs
Profitability	Increased profitability of transactions
Number of clients	Increasing the share of retained (own) profitable customers
Operating time	Reducing the time it takes to complete customer service operations
Sales forecast	Improving forecast accuracy
Marketing	Increasing marketing efficiency (based on final financial results)

Table 5.6. Types of CRM-type systems and technologies used

System type	Purpose	Main functions
SFA – sales force automation	Sales automation	Automation systems for operations for the sale of goods in retail outlets. Tool for sales managers: planning operations and flow organization of work, order processing, online trading, generating commercial offers, reports, configuring goods (services), etc.
MA – marketing automation	Marketing automation	Organization, support and analysis of marketing campaigns, including via the Internet: automatic distribution of offers, grouping of clients, repository of information about products, prices and competitors, etc.
CSA&CSS – customer service automation & support	Automation of customer service and support	Tools for call processing and customer self-service via the Internet (individual online stores): monitoring of demand and mobile sales, priority sales, etc.
BCM – business contact management	Managing contacts (interactions)	The first versions of CRM systems: recording interactions with customers, contact history, customer ranking and sales forecast, sales funnel, etc.
Call/contact center management	Call and contact management center	Personalization of the company’s interaction with clients: round-the-clock reception and processing of requests received by phone, through regular mail, fax and mobile communications, the Internet, SMS, etc.
FSM – field service management	Managing services for geographically remote users	After-sales service management: warranty and post-warranty service, monitoring the execution of applications and contracts, resource planning for service
PRM/SRM – partner/supplier relationship management	Relationship management with partners/suppliers	Coordinated sales/supply planning taking into account available channels and resources. Interaction with dealers and analysis of their work. Trainings and interactive meetings, etc.
	User technical support	Automation of office work and dispatching activities

Table 5.7. Examples of CRM-type systems

	Main characteristics	Additional data
Siebei System ("Oracle")	A complex, multimodular system with high functionality for large companies. Leader in the field of CRM solutions. Industry versions available. ERP interface. Belongs to the category of expensive systems	siebel.com, siebel.ru Implementation company "Sputnik IT" (spklabs.com) Up to 30% of global sales of CRM systems for large businesses. Solutions for medium businesses
Sales Logix. Interact Commerce	Leader in the field of CRM solutions for medium and small businesses: service-marketing-sales. E-commerce technology support		saleslogix.com Implementation company "Sputnik IT" (spklabs.com)
MS CRM. Microsoft	A new generation system, fully integrated with the company’s office and ERP solutions		microsoft.com Solution for large companies
NauRP/CRM. NAUMEN	System of the company "NAUMEN" (Russia) for small and medium-sized enterprises, integrated with a data exchange system		naumen.ru We offer a set of interconnected solutions based on Call Center: CRM, EDI, IP telephony
WinPeak. WinPeak Int.	Russian CRM system with mobile support function for sales agents (WP Link)		naumen.ru Technology call center
	Inexpensive, effective solution for medium and small businesses. More than 20 industry solutions		tscrm.ru, terrasoft.com.ua, ls-crm.ru Implementation company "Lineservice"
	CRM solution based on the 1C system		rarus.ru Implementation center "1C-Rarus". Technology call center

• URL: oracle.com

Part one. Opportunistic relationships.

“We are particularly interested in how to develop a supplier,” said one training request. After some clarification, it turned out that we are talking about the supplier meekly “bending in” to the proposed conditions. Unfortunately, today many people understand education as the dictatorship of the buyer. I immediately remember the school in its worst manifestation and the army, when there is point 1, and everyone else refers to it

Types of relationships with suppliers

To understand how you can manage relationships with suppliers, you first need to understand what types of relationships generally exist in B2B. There is a scale in which the extreme values ​​are “opportunism” and “partnership”, and in the middle there is something in between. This scale can be divided into 4 parts, i.e. distinguish 4 types of relationships (Fig. 1):

economically feasible;

partial competition;

selective cooperation;

partnerships or alliances.

Let's take a closer look at what these relationships are, in what cases they can be used, and how they manifest themselves.

Rice. 1 Types of relationships with suppliers

Economically feasible relationships

Let's start with one of the extreme values ​​and analyze the first type - that very “opportunism”. In essence, this is a regular transaction. And although in theory such relationships are called opportunistic, this does not mean at all that you are talking with representatives of the supplier “through the lip” - all negotiations should be conducted according to a win-win strategy and according to the principle “softly - towards the person, firmly - towards the issue being resolved.” But in this case, you choose a supplier based on its ability to meet clearly defined requirements and can easily replace it with a better offer.

It is clear that this is only possible if there are a lot of suppliers, and the degree of dependence of your business on this is extremely low. However, his dependence on you should not be high, otherwise your refusal may lead to his bankruptcy.

Using this principle, you can build relationships with suppliers of standardized serial products or standard services, i.e. in markets where there is a lot of competition and there are many offers to choose from. But this is only acceptable if the timely delivery and quality of these goods and services are not critical for your business - they are purchased in small volumes and have a low share in value creation.

What kind of goods could these be?

Well, for example, light bulbs in the far corridor of your factory, where no one walks. If there are no lights on there for several hours or even a couple of days, production will not stop. True, this still should not be allowed, because most likely the distant corridor is an emergency exit, and concern for fire safety is not an idle desire of the fire inspectorate. But the temporary absence of this light bulb will not harm production. Just like dirty windows in an office, if the cleaning company is late in cleaning them for a couple of weeks or does not do this job well enough, this will not affect either the level of sales or customer satisfaction.

In trade, this category can include, for example, some exotic sausage with spices - you won’t even notice its absence on the shelf based on your revenue. If the economy class store does not have “Doctorskaya”, the revenue for the day will clearly suffer, and a repetition of this situation may lead to the loss of regular customers. This example, by the way, suggests that this category can also include those products that have absolutely or almost no effect on the company’s financial results and customer satisfaction.

And that very “exotic sausage” should be isolated from the entire range of purchased goods and services and combined into one group with other products that are not critical for your business. It is with their suppliers that economically feasible relationships can be built. With the exception, of course, of situations where there are very few suppliers on the market or the products are non-standard - in this category of purchased goods this, although rare, does happen. However, even in the case of non-standard products, it is unlikely that you will build a partnership with a supplier of non-critical materials - there is simply no need.

What does it look like?

To answer the question of how economically viable relationships work, you need to think about what you want from working with these companies. I think the answer is obvious: to have as little work as possible. Our task in this case is to reduce the time and costs for order processing, delivery and acceptance. Therefore it is necessary:

standardize the product/service to the maximum;

achieve maximum automation of the process from the supplier (electronic supply, ordering by the end consumer using a standard form, etc.);

lead to a minimum volume of document flow (for example, deliveries every 2 days, and invoices and payments - once a month, standard contracts or invoice agreements, etc.);

specify the content of the service (for example, do not load all the office supplies for the entire office into one box, but distribute them among departments, i.e., the supplier must complete them by department in his warehouse, the concept of direct supply);

if possible, combine purchases (for example, do not have a supplier of office supplies and a supplier of household chemicals, but choose one that supplies all these goods);

get the supplier to check the quality at the output, so as not to waste time and effort on checking the quality when accepting the goods.

Plus, when choosing a supplier, you should pay special attention to those operational solutions for fulfilling orders that he already has. And if you do everything correctly, by and large, it turns out that once you have chosen such a supplier, you simply... forgot about it.

Focus: minimal process costs. Relationships are based on the principle of a “New Year’s card” - write at the end of the year “We thank you for your work this year... You are the most responsible... Thank you!”

What procurement methods should I use?

In such cases, competitive negotiations, requests for quotations and tenders are appropriate as a procurement method, where the lowest price, all other things being equal, is decisive, i.e. guarantees of quality and ease of use. But there can be a pitfall here if you don't thoroughly vet these providers first, at least based on customer references and financial history. So the filters for entering the tender should be very good.

What if it turns out that there is no one to participate in the tender, because there are virtually no suppliers on the market or they do not meet our needs at all? Then we will talk about other relationships and the fact that you will educate the supplier, i.e. actually nurture him, provide him with assistance, stimulate him so that he reaches the required level. Some might argue that it is easier to work with a few “bad” suppliers or make do with what you have than to engage in such parenting. But to check this, you should calculate how much of your time and effort you will take now, and most importantly - in the future, from really important suppliers and important products.

Summary
Economically feasible relationship - This minimal amount contacts with the supplier and maximum requirements for him in order to reduce the costs of the procurement process. Apply to suppliers of non-critical goods in markets where product quality is standardized, interdependence between supplier and buyer is low, and buyer power predominates (the product is easy to buy).

So, the criteria to determine relationships of the “economically feasible” type:

Products purchased: non-critical

Risk level: low

Product share of profit: low or absent

Quality: standardized

Supply market: buyer power, many suppliers, easy to change suppliers, low level of interdependence

Share of value creation: low

Partial or selective competition

This type of relationship with suppliers is also called “coordination” in the literature. This is still an opportunistic relationship, but closer to a partnership. They are acceptable when it comes to products that do not require customization - basic, but simple and with high degree standardization.

The main difference between coordination and economically feasible relationships is that, according to this principle, it is quite possible to work with suppliers of basic products who have sufficient influence on production (sales), higher volumes of purchases, play a major role in creating value and make up a sufficient share of profits.

If we turn to the ABC analysis of profitability and cost of procurement, then these will be suppliers of simple, standardized goods of category B, well-demanded ones from category C and, possibly, some simple goods from group A.

But it should be noted that profitability in this case means not just a high markup on a product, but its share in the total profit. The markup can be very high, but if sales volume is low, profit sharing will be low. But an inexpensive product with a large volume of purchases (in terms of cost) will fall into category B, and with a very large volume - into category A. So you should not repeat the common mistake and focus on the cost of a unit of goods when performing ABC analysis. In addition, it should be understood that ABC analysis does not provide a complete picture when choosing the type of relationship.

There are several criteria that allow you to understand in which cases it is possible to build relationships on the principle of “partial competition”:

Products purchased: main

Risk level (importance of supplies for production): medium

Share of products in profit: quite high

Quality: standardized

Supply market: many suppliers, easy to change suppliers, moderate interdependence of supplier and buyer

Share in value creation: quite high

But if the products are standard, but there are very few suppliers and they feel like monopolists, “partial competition” cannot be used. As in cases where there is a lack of resources in the market. This often happens when a company enters regions where the market for these products has not yet developed. Then, depending on the importance of the product, it is recommended to consider “selective cooperation” or “partnership” - you can find a local supplier and begin to educate and develop him, or you can choose an existing supplier who is ready to follow you in the region. And then the supplier to whom you previously had an opportunistic relationship may move into the category of partners.

If the supplier looks down on us because your volumes do not interest him at all, first find out whether he has free capacity - it is quite possible that the behavior of the supplier’s representative is unreasonable, and the presence of free capacity is a serious trump card in this game.

And if your volumes are really too small to interest a large supplier, you can choose one of 4 ways:

produce it yourself (make-or-buy approach);

choose a small supplier with a great desire to grow and “grow” it;

team up with other companies and carry out joint procurements;

“turn on” creativity and the art of negotiation and find an opportunity to interest a large supplier and come to an agreement with him.

There is also a 5th way - do nothing, continue to work with a supplier who does not fully meet your requirements, jeopardizing the quality of supplies, creating significant safety stocks, incurring additional costs for cargo handling, etc. But this is hardly acceptable for the company oriented towards increased efficiency and continuous development. This means that in such a situation - the main product and problematic supplies - there can be no talk of “partial competition” or “economically feasible” relations.

It is also impossible to establish opportunistic relationships with suppliers of, for example, natural milk. Why do we almost never see natural milk in federal chains, and why do projects to produce such products under the chain’s private label usually fail? Because networks are accustomed to “squeezing out” suppliers, and when working with such products, partnerships are necessary. But managing them is very costly in both time and money, requires a different level of purchasing competence, forces senior management to be involved in these relationships, and encourages them to improve and rebuild processes.

It is easier to work in a market where the mass buyer does not yet make high demands - then you can limit yourself to the usual economically feasible approach. But how long will this continue? On the other hand, if you are content with what you have and do not demand different approaches from the supplier, will it begin to develop?

Why and how to build relationships of the “partial competition” type?

Companies can gain significant benefits from this type of relationship:

reduction of transaction costs both when initiating a purchase and during its implementation;

the opportunity for the supplier to realize the advantage of enlarging the object (with simple and standard products and goods), which is why the recipient also benefits;

ease of changing the supplier if the recipient is no longer satisfied with the price, quality or the service itself;

maintaining active competition in the supplier market.

In “partial competition,” several suppliers are typically discussed and then selected. Moreover, it is possible to purchase according to this scheme only those goods for which the volume of demand allows for a fairly quick change of suppliers, and, therefore, there is the potential for expedient “opportunistic” prices.

The company's needs are distributed among several suppliers. Most often, the 30:70 principle is used for one product - the division of volumes between two companies: the “main” supplier and the “background”. Sometimes a “spare” supplier is also used, to whom orders are periodically given. Short- and medium-term relationships are established with suppliers. The most optimal way would be competitive procurement or competitive negotiations. For not very large volumes, you can use a request for quotes.

What does it look like?

The markers of any relationship are the points of contact between its participants and the style of behavior, the roles of the participants, as well as the status of company representatives. If in economically feasible relationships we often use electronic procurement in the form of a simple administrative formality and transfer contacts to the end consumer, then in the case of the supply of basic simple goods and raw materials, contacts occur at the level of the purchasing manager and department head.

More complex but standard contracts are already used here. Buyers conduct a thorough market analysis and pre-qualification assessment when selecting suppliers, visiting the factories and warehouses of a potential supplier to check its integrity and the quality of production and processes. Regular performance assessment is carried out, which allows not only to provide feedback to the supplier, but also to suggest improving service in certain aspects that are beneficial to the buyer.

Food for thought: Write everything down. Determine which contacts and in what form are most optimal to carry out in the case of “partial competition”.

Summary

Partial competition relationships are aimed at coordinating supplies from the best suppliers in the market for a basic, simple and standardized product. They are used in markets where buyer power predominates or where there is balanced power, i.e. there are many suppliers, which allows you to quickly change suppliers if necessary and receive used O greater benefits when switching to another supplier. Such relationships are short-term and medium-term.

There are four main types of marketing relationships. The first two are market relations between suppliers and consumers. They form the basis of relationship marketing and are externally oriented. The first type includes the classic market relationships supplier-consumer, supplier-consumer-competitor and the network of physical distribution of goods and services. These types of relationships are discussed in this chapter and in Chapter 15. The second type is a special type of market relationship, such as when customers are part of a brand endorsement program or consumers do business with service providers. These relationships will be explored in the chapters on direct marketing and services marketing.  

In systems of supplier-consumer relationships, third-party certification of products is also beginning to be provided. At the same time, quality requirements in contracts have become more serious, and guarantees of their fulfillment have become more responsible.  

Modern foreign trends in the development of supplier-consumer relationships are characterized by several directions. On the one hand, the specialization of companies is growing, leading to the transfer of the production of many components of products to suppliers. Companies try to focus on what they do better than others. On the other hand, processes of integration of suppliers and consumers are developing. The latter are not satisfied with the role of buyers and seek to penetrate into the processes of creation and production of components and materials in order to be confident in their quality.  

The project pays special attention to the development of contractual relations at enterprises. The contract allows you to more clearly and specifically link the results of the performer’s work with his payment. When developing a system of contractual relationships, first of all, the supplier-consumer-customer-executor relationship is established within the enterprise. Their technological and organizational connections are provided for when designing the division of labor on an enterprise scale, fixed by a system of mutual claims and enshrined in contract agreements. The contracting relationship project is specified in design decisions at the workshop level. An approximate composition of design solutions at the enterprise level is presented in Table. 1.  

Train people in the organization to understand supplier-customer relationships.  

In Fig. Figure 1.1 shows a diagram of interaction between the owner, entrepreneur and financial manager. Their relationships are governed by contracts. In this case, the owner and entrepreneur is different faces. In addition to contracts, personal contacts, mutual trust, and the desire for cooperation and prosperity of the company play an important role. The actions of the entrepreneur-manager are determined by the behavior of suppliers, consumers and competitors, and the actions of the financial manager are determined by the behavior of investors and creditors, including commercial banks, financial and insurance companies, as well as the rules of stock exchange transactions, etc.  

The financial economy of the electronics industry is determined by the system of monetary transactions within the industry to provide all its production with the necessary funds, receive and distribute profits, create special funds, organize financial relationships with suppliers, consumers, banks and the State budget.  

For example, in the practice of Japanese companies, work to ensure product quality and the influence of marketing on it is based on the principles that are strictly followed in their relationships between the supplier and the consumer. The customer and the supplier bear full responsibility for carrying out quality control with mutual trust in each other the customer and the supplier are independent, and each respects the independence of the other party the customer is responsible for providing reliable information and clearly formulated requirements for the supplier, which guide the latter in production products required by the customer, a contract is concluded between the customer and the supplier, which determines the quality of the product, its quantity, cost, delivery time and method of financial settlements; the supplier is responsible for ensuring quality that meets the customer’s requirements, as well as providing, at the customer’s request, the necessary and reliable information, the customer and the supplier in advance establish methods for assessing the quality of various products that meet the requirements of both parties, the customer and supplier jointly develop a mechanism and methods to ensure the resolution of controversial issues and disagreements, the customer and supplier exchange information to ensure the most effective implementation of product quality control, taking into account the interests of each party, the customer and supplier in order to maintain friendly and business relations that meet the interests of both parties, exercise control, including the provision of orders, record keeping, the customer and the supplier when concluding business  

Organizing competitive bidding is a complex and multifaceted job. Here we will limit ourselves to only a brief description of it, necessary to familiarize ourselves with this opportunity, widely used in industrialized countries, to establish highly effective relationships between suppliers and consumers.  

As technology changes, product life cycles shorten, and competition from foreign companies increases, establishing close relationships in organizations' markets becomes a vital necessity. In this regard, marketing and sales departments in companies are assigned the role of leading strategic units. Buyers increasingly view the suppliers they trust as strategic partners who share information and leverage each other's expertise to develop cost-effective, high-quality new products. The significance of this phenomenon for marketing is that successful marketing in the organizational market is more than simply manipulating the four elements of the marketing mix, which include product, price, promotion and placement. The basis for success is the skillful formation of appropriate relationships with consumers. Understanding this has led to the introduction in some companies of the position of customer relationship manager, who oversees cooperation and plays the role of a connecting and coordinating link, whose activities are aimed at customer satisfaction. In addition, more and more companies are reorganizing their sales force to meet the need to effectively manage customer relationships. This process is called core account management, or national account management.  

Companies would be wise to begin identifying and assessing all of their market assets, such as their brands, customer relationships, distribution channel relationships, supplier relationships, and intellectual capital. The company should follow a policy that would contribute to the growth of these assets.  

Thus, the enterprise is the center of action for the interests of owners, investors, employees, suppliers, consumers, as well as the state, and can be defined as an economic and socio-technical system that functions to maximize the value of capital. Achieving this main goal should be based on taking into account the entire set of goals that arise in the process of production activities of the enterprise. These include material (production) goals - a program for producing products, performing work or providing services of a certain level of quality, cost (monetary) goals - the desire for profit, its distribution, ensuring liquidity, etc., as well as social goals - those desired in future relationships between employees at the enterprise, staff income level, interesting work, production culture, environmental protection. Taking into account and in-depth understanding of the main goals of the enterprise, reflected in its development strategy, serve as the basis for developing a business plan for its activities.  

In the one shown in Fig. 1.2.14 A quality star has two upper limits - its roof. The left plane of the roof is a system of motivation for high-quality work, the right plane is a system of education and training of personnel. The left side edge depicts the system of relationships with suppliers, the right side edge depicts the system of relationships with consumers. In the center of the star we show what goals are being pursued and, if successful, achieved by creating a system, and below is the time when this or that system was clearly formulated in documents and/or books, articles.  

At the first stage of working with suppliers, the consumer carries out 100% incoming control of the received components through special departments dealing with relationships with suppliers. As a result, these departments become directly responsible for the quality of components, which then go to production departments, where full quality control of batches is carried out.  

With the transition to direct relationships within a supplier-consumer type enterprise, the volume of work of centralized services decreases, but barriers between departments increase.  

The material includes a statement of management principles, new relationships between consumer and supplier, issues of staff involvement and interest in improving quality and the need to change corporate culture, as well as a description of systems, tools and activities of quality circles and groups. Particular attention is paid to the five components of a documented quality system and its certification, relationships with consumers, relationships with suppliers, motivation and training of company personnel.  

During the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1971-1975), based on the study of the accumulated experience in the functioning of direct long-term economic relations, the main regulations were prepared and put into effect regulating the relationship between the parties (supplier, consumer, supply and sales organization) and the procedure for attaching consumers to suppliers for such connections.  

A separate issue that requires immediate resolution is the revision of the mechanism of action in the system of managing economic relations of transit and custom regulations. It is known that their use as a tool regulating the nature of the relationships between all participants in economic relations (suppliers, consumers, supply, sales and transport organizations),  

The supply of equipment to construction sites is carried out by the relevant Union Main Kits under the USSR State Supply Committee or the customer ministries in accordance with the Basic Provisions on the supply of equipment, instruments, cables and other products to enterprises under construction and reconstruction, as well as on the relationship between suppliers, customers and consumers of these products, approved by orders of the USSR State Supply Committee dated August 8, 1968 No. 190 and July 14, 1970 No. 135, or in accordance with those in force for. individual cases by special government decisions on these issues.  

In the process of working with consumers, enterprises (links of the resource supply chain) face two main goals:

• ? attracting new customers (expanding the customer base);
• ? retention of existing consumers (loyalty management).

The priority in achieving these goals is determined by the stage of the enterprise's life cycle and market conditions. On initial stages The enterprise is forced to spend the bulk of its resources on attracting consumers and focus on increasing its customer base. As the market situation stabilizes, the company's main focus should shift to retaining consumers and increasing their loyalty. There are several main reasons for this:

• ? the cost of attracting a new consumer, depending on the type and state of the market, is 5 to 10 times more expensive than retaining an existing consumer;
• ? reducing the outflow of consumers by 5-10% can bring the company up to 75% of additional profit;
• ? as the market becomes saturated, the costs of attracting a new consumer increase, and the costs of retaining them remain at a consistently low level;
• ? a large percentage of regular consumers ensures high stability of the business and its attractiveness for external investment.

The above reasons determine the emergence and development of the “customer relationship management” business process, the location of which is shown in Fig. 6.4.

Rice. 6.4.

Analysis of the data presented in Fig. 6.4 allows us to draw the following conclusions:

• ? in accordance with the data in Fig. 2.2 and the definition of marketing management, its main task is to attract potential consumers of products and services within a strategic time interval;
• ? consolidation of relationships with real clients is achieved in the process of sales (trading) of products and services, and this process is accompanied by short-term relationships with clients attracted through marketing management, and with clients who have shown their own initiative based on the information they have collected, including informal communication channels;
• ? Customer relationship management relies on both marketing management and sales functions with a focus on retaining existing customers through a selective approach to servicing them.

The main factors that play a decisive role in retaining consumers are:

• ? strong positive emotions that the enterprise evokes among consumers;
• ? simplifying purchasing decisions and reducing risk, for example, due to stability of quality, prices, service, guarantees, etc.;
• ? convincing consumers that the company's offer always has unique value;
• ? economic barriers (for example, discounts earned by the consumer during cooperation with the enterprise, i.e. financial dependence);
• ? technical barriers (the need to significantly change production technology upon termination of cooperation with the enterprise);
• ? legal barriers (sanctions for violating the terms of the contract upon termination of cooperation with the enterprise);
• ? cognitive barriers (the need for retraining when changing suppliers);
• ? spatial barriers (for example, geographical proximity to the enterprise);
• ? personal connections (moral obligations towards the enterprise).

An enterprise can use a certain set of methods and tools for retaining consumers (Table 6.6):

Table 6.6

Methods and tools for retaining consumers at the enterprise

	Tools
1. Pricing methods	? systems of discounts and bonuses; ? discount cards; ? simple and cumulative discounts; ? discounts for attracting new clients, ? price guarantees, ? special financing conditions
2. Methods that provide additional consumer value to the enterprise’s offer	? increasing the efficiency of solving consumer problems and ease of purchase; ? creating a wide range of products to satisfy consumers’ desire for variety; ? joint product development with consumers; ? creation of system products; ? product customization; ? innovative approach to solving consumer problems; ? formation of high emotional value of the product; ? high-quality design of areas of contact with the outside world; ? special standards service; ? formation of client orientation of staff; ? effective system for handling complaints; ? measuring customer satisfaction; ? regular communication with consumers using various communication means and occasions; ? involving famous people and objects in product marketing; ? branding; ? creation of a client club; ? event marketing (Event); ? creation of a single information center; ? increasing the intensity of personal contacts; ? involving consumers in the process of word-of-mouth advertising
3. Methods that ensure structural retention of consumers	? stimulating consumers to make specific investments that depreciate when the relationship breaks down; ? formation of platforms - commonly used linguistic, cultural, financial and other standards; ? formation of joint information systems; ? concluding long-term contracts; ? monopoly on goods and know-how; ? close personal relationships with consumers

The main functions of customer relationship management are as follows:

• ? creating a customer-focused strategy;
• ? practical implementation of this strategy;
• ? creating a customer-oriented business culture.

Creating a strategy involves identifying the most promising customer groups and developing processes and programs aimed at increasing their loyalty. In fact, this is a more detailed segmentation, but focused not so much on product development, as in marketing management, but on building more effective processes for interacting with target customers. By identifying groups of unprofitable and profitable consumers, the enterprise adjusts its actions towards them in order to either get rid of them or retain them. A deeper understanding of the motives and characteristics of customer behavior allows us to model processes that ensure the required level of quality and develop programs that meet the expectations of target customers.

The practical implementation of a strategy presupposes, on the one hand, its direct execution and the development of evaluation and control methods, and on the other, the optimization and automation of processes. It is at this stage that the issue of introducing customer-oriented information technologies, such as a CRM system, contact center, etc., becomes relevant. The main task becomes minimizing organizational costs when personalizing products and services. An important component of this stage is training customers to use new types of products and, possibly, adjusting their actions.

Creating a customer-centric business culture is a complex function of customer relationship management. In essence, it is close to organizational change programs aimed at developing certain behavioral models of enterprise employees. Here the main tasks are, firstly, the formalization of the reasons and structure of contacts with clients (business ethics), secondly, the selection, training and motivation of staff and, thirdly, the organization of the workspace and environment in which services are provided to clients.

The material presented above creates the prerequisites for the formation of an algorithm for managing relationships with consumers in the operational period (Fig. 6.5).

Data analysis Fig. 6.5 allows us to draw the following conclusions:

• ? this algorithm includes all the main functions of the marketing subsystem, which should ensure the integration of links in value chains;
• ? contact with the consumer in order to obtain a requirement is necessary for the supplier and consumer to obtain additional information about each other, including information about the direct participants in further relations. In this case, we are talking about the limits of using sociological and psychological methods for managing these relationships in addition to administrative (within vertically integrated supply chains) and organizational methods;
• ? An important characteristic of the relationship between supplier and consumer is, on the one hand, the consumer’s solvency, and on the other hand, the supplier’s potential to create value for a given consumer, including supply chain capabilities. In any case, customer relationship management will be beneficial if it results in alignment of the values ​​of both the customer and the supplier;
• ? If it is impossible to create value for the end consumer on its own, the supplier can use the capabilities of supply chain participants. In this case, the supplier turns into a consumer who is aware of the value he wants to have. In this regard, customer relationship management becomes cyclical and provokes further contacts and agreement on the value parameters of counterparties at a new level until the supply chain is fully formed;
• ? As a result of the creation of value and its delivery from one counterparty to another, the values ​​of these counterparties are compared up to the end consumer. In this case, three main scenarios are possible:
  • a) the actual and desired values ​​for a specific participant in the supply chain and (or) the end consumer coincide. This situation creates the necessary preconditions for discussing the issue of long-term cooperation between these counterparties,
  • b) the actual and desired values ​​for a particular supply chain participant and (or) the end consumer do not coincide to a significant extent. In this case, refusal from further relations is possible,
  • c) the actual and desired values ​​for a particular supply chain participant and (or) the end consumer differ slightly. This situation is a compromise, and one or more contacts may be needed to make a decision on long-term cooperation.

The name of the business process “customer relationship management” is quite arbitrary, since in a civilized market the priority of the consumer over the supplier is clear. It is advisable to consider the features of managing relationships with consumers both from the position of the supplier and from the position of the consumer (Table 6.7).

Table 6.7

Customer relationship management functions	Customer relationship management object
	consumer	provider
			event
Goal-setting	Receipt values	Receiving a profit	Creating and delivering value
Planning	Determining the sequence of acquisition and consumption of value	Development and implementation of a sequence of actions to create and deliver value to the consumer	Development of strategy, plans and programs for the development of the enterprise and links in value chains
Organization	Formation and issuance of requirements, assessment of consumed value	Design and implementation of technological and logistics processes for creating and delivering value	Implementation of basic business processes for value management
Motivation	Availability of needs and requirements	Providing conditions for receiving and distributing profits	Conclusion of cooperation agreements
Control	Matching actual value to perceived value	Correspondence of business process parameters to the characteristics of the value created	Integrating quality into business processes
	Collection and synthesis of information about suppliers' capabilities	Collection and synthesis of information about business processes that do not create value for the consumer	Introduction of management accounting and effective use of human capital
Analysis and synthesis	Justification for the decision to obtain the best value	Developing capacity to design, create, communicate and deliver value	Continuous training and development of the potential of enterprise personnel
Coordination	Impact on multiple value providers	Coordination of actions to ensure the competitiveness of value chain participants	Development and implementation of development programs for value chain participants
Regulation	Ensuring that the value received corresponds to solvency	Making appropriate adjustments to business processes in accordance with customer requirements	Implementation of information technologies based on the extraction of necessary resources
Rationing	Ensuring well-being while consuming value	Rational use of resources, ensuring the planning process	Development of norms and standards

In addition to the activities listed in Table. 6.7, it is also advisable to use activities within the framework of sociological and psychological management methods. However, it should be remembered that these measures are recommended to be implemented in combination. This approach is especially relevant for the market for industrial and technical products, when the consumer is represented by a purchasing center, i.e., several specialists who can be persuaded to cooperate for a short time, using exclusively psychological methods management.

• Losev S.V., Peters T. Managing relationships with clients // Marketing in Russia and abroad. 2006. No. 1. URL: http://dis.ru/library/528/25916/
• Galyamova E.F. Strategy for the formation of sustainable relationships with consumers of industrial enterprises // Bulletin of the Udmurt University. 2001. No. 1.S. 31-39.

Customer relations have become an important focus of the organization's communications efforts. It is this area of ​​activity that takes the most time and effort of the company. Good relationships with consumers allow you to sell products and services more successfully. And also thanks to good relationships, it is possible to promote innovations and unique products.

Customer satisfaction with a product or service -- priority in the activities of the manufacturer in the buyer's market. It is no coincidence that consumer relations units appear in organizations, either as an independent department or as part of communications departments.

At first, relationships with consumers were built as work with claims and complaints. Recently, companies have expanded their consumer relations function. Now it includes the development of methods for evaluating services and goods for management, the development of programs for meeting consumer needs and increasing sales, the development of personnel training programs and assessing the effectiveness of the company’s work with consumers.

Consumer product marketers argue that customer dissatisfaction can be mitigated with an appropriately personalized response and a couple of coupons. In relations with consumers, a company should not adopt a defensive strategy. On the contrary, customer relations employees should do everything possible to ensure that consumers are aware of the benefits of using the company's product at the time of the purchase decision.

The main goal of relations with consumers -- building sales volume. An uninformed or uninvolved buyer will not make the first purchase or try the product. A satisfied consumer will make a repeat purchase, but a dissatisfied one may not. Therefore, relations with consumers have the following goals:

• 1. Attracting new consumers. We must work to create new customers by informing and convincing them of the merits of our products.
• 2. Retention of old consumers. Still, a significant part of the company’s sales occurs for an already established buyer.
• 3. Marketing of new items and services. Thousands of new products and services are entering the market, and the consumer is lost in information about them. To do this, the company must provide explanations regarding the released product.
• 4. Checking the management of the complaint. Consumers protest if their wishes are not met. Many companies analyze complaints and respond to them. An employee can salvage a relationship with a consumer by responding quickly and satisfactorily to complaints.
• 5. Cost reduction. If you teach the consumer the rules for choosing and using a product, this will allow the seller to save time and money.
• 4.1 Promotion of goods and services

Communications -- often one of the most cost-effective means of promotion. Efficiency requires planning communications, as well as supplementing them with other means of marketing communications -- advertising, sales promotion, personal selling.

Advertising is used to promote a product that has been on the market for a long time. It is effective in supporting sales. Lack of advertising can cause a drop in sales as a result of decreased awareness.

Supporting a product already on the market involves providing it with sufficient coverage in the media. This coverage is no longer conducted in news columns, but on pages with entertaining articles.

Sponsorship can also support awareness of an existing product. The scope of sponsorship varies by industry and product.

Beginning the launch of a new product requires a clear focus on timing. It is important to ensure parallel timing of product coverage in the media, advertising, informing sellers about a new product and the availability of goods for sale.

When planning to introduce a new product or service to the market with the support of the communications department, the company must:

• · do not allow the new value of the product to be undermined by the previous release of advertising;
• · ensure that the product is known to dealers before the product is released to the market;
• · identify the necessary media and draw up a plan for releasing information to the media.

Successfully bringing a product to market can also be the subject of an entertaining story. For example, the production of the five millionth car at the Moskvich plant.

Bringing a product of industry demand to the market has its own specifics. Here organizations are sellers and consumers. Another feature of the industrial market is the small number of buyers. In this regard, personal meetings with consumers, such as invitations to lunch, allow supplying companies to learn more about consumers and their plans.

Coverage of a new industrial product is aimed at a professional audience. An event successfully presented in the media can attract a fairly wide audience to the product.

Advance information about potential product markets and the investment market allows us to collect a sufficient number of orders and attract investors to finance production projects.

So it is necessary to conduct preliminary information, which will create a buyer by the time the product is launched on the market and demand for this product.