Asset management in insurance companies differs from conventional asset management to the extent that respect has to be taken to both assets and the commitments the insurance company has towards its customers. A model that has proven to fit well regarding the matching of assets and liabilities is the Asset Liability Management Model (ALM model). In addition to the matching in the balance sheet, the ALM model can be used in a company's work with strategic portfolio allocation by applying it as a basis for analyzing investment strategies with expected risk and return. From this, the ALM model also becomes relevant for calculating key figures according to the legal framework Solvens II which includes laws and regulations regarding the demands on economical strength (solvens) of insurance companies.Hence, the goal of this masters thesis has been to, on behalf of Bliwa Livförsäkring, create an ALM model to support the asset management department of Bliwa in their work with defining a credible way of analyzing the future risk and return of Bliwa's asset portfolio and insurance undertakings.The ALM model generally consist of four submodels, the scenario model, the liability model, the asset model and the company model, where the scenario model often is named as the core of the ALM model. The course of action has been to develop these submodels individually, with focus on the scenario model.

The purpose of this study is to provide a longitudinal examination, within grocery retailing, of four marketing tools and their impact on enhancing customer loyalty. The study examines whether the relationship between the four marketing tools and customer satisfaction has a positive effect on attitude and behavior loyalty. The findings from this study show that the marketing tools have not helped enhancing loyalty between 2004 and 2007. Between these years, service quality has the most affect on loyalty. Self-scanning as an effective marketing tool could be questioned, the relation in this study is not supported.

Problem formulation: What factors influence the customer?s choice of bank? How is the customer loyalty towards the customer?s current bank?Purpose: The main purpose is to see what factors are definitive to the customer?s choice of bank and how strong the customer loyalty is towards the bank. It is also interesting to see whether customers who are satisfied with their current bank may still consider switching to something else.Method: The method is both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection, with main focus on a quantitative survey. The qualitative part consists of interviews with a smaller focus group to receive a deeper insight of the consumer?s thoughts regarding the main purpose and problem formulations.Conclusion: The main factor when choosing a bank is recommendations from family or friends.

The purpose of the thesis has been to explore the use of hedge fund styles when constructing portfolios of hedge funds (i.e. funds of hedge funds). The central question is if the use of hedge fund styles can significantly explain and improve risk adjusted returns (characterized by Sharpe ratios). The study has been done in collaboration with Optimized Portfolio Management AB who desire further knowledge and evaluation of hedge fund styles for their fund of hedge funds.To be able to create successful ex ante portfolios we have explored various prediction models for both risk and return. Our findings indicate that return prediction is problematic using simple models such as regression since the risk exposure of the indices appear to change significantly over time.

Customer satisfaction is a key aspect for many corporations, among them Exacta Distributionscenter. To raise their customer satisfaction, we have researched ways to raise customer satisfaction through the implementation of an error-handling system and recommendations on how the organization should function in the future. This paper describes how these recommendations and the application has been developed, through help in existing theories. This results in a customer portal with the main purpose to provide help in handling orders with errors, and several routines recommended to Exacta Distributionscenter. .

Course:Business Administration, Master Thesis, Second Level, 30 Credits.Authors:Sara Frännlid and Helena RamstedtTutor:Jim AndersénTitle:Internet, relationships and loyalty ? Best praCtice foR the bankMarketPurpose:The study aims to explain how banks use electronic customer relationship management, eCRM, to create loyal customers. A figure will be created, which will enlighten the factors a bank should focus on when enhancing customer loyalty through the internet. Through interviews with two successful banks is it possible to study how a bank can successfully create loyal customers.Methodology:A qualitative method in terms of semi-structured interviews is used. The empirical results were then analyzed with the theory in order to contribute with a new figure.Theoreticalperspective:The theory describes how a bank can create a loyal customer over the Internet.

The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze how companies offering tailor made products on the internet, can work with their marketing and their customer relationships. The study will answer the purpose from a service management perspective and there will also be presented theories from an Electronic Commerce perspective.The starting point for this study was the qualitative method. The essay builds its empirical material from interviews with knowledgeable persons in the subject and the owner of the company whose products are tailor made and sold on the internet. It was conducted seven interviews, four of which were face-to-face, two conducted by mail and finally there was made a telephone interview.Conclusions have been drawn based on the empirical material and theory. The study has been able to identify three concepts that are central to this type of product: Site-building, customer involvement and promotion & relationship management..

The store manager can make great benefits of having an eye on how the staff works towards the customer, because the personnel is an important tool when competing with other stores. This paper is focusing on the part that relates to the staff in the store, which is one of the key tools in the competition for customers after the customer made it to the store. Many stores have guidelines which the staff should follow when they meet with customers. If the staff is too tightly controlled by these guidelines, customers can perceive the first encounter with the staff as artificial and as if the genuine friendliness does not exist. It is important that the staff looks at the individual customer and treat every customer in a personal way and that the staff can see the customer?s needs.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) ämnar hjälpa företag att förstå kunders beteenden för att möjliggöra förvärvandet av nya kunder, underhålla befintliga relationer samt skapa lojalitet. Förståelsen för hur företag bör hantera kundrelationer har fått stor uppmärksamhet under de senaste åren vilket har utmynnat i relationsmarknadsföring på one-to-one nivå. ICA är det enda företaget inom den svenska dagligvaruhandeln som erbjuder sina kunder skräddarsydda, individuellt anpassade erbjudanden. Denna uppsats syftar således till att undersöka hur ICA använder CRM i ett försök att skapa mer lönsamma kundrelationer genom one-to-one marknadsföring. Studien genomfördes huvudsakligen genom intervjuer med två nyckelpersoner inom CRM på ICA.

Multi-brand portfolios are characterized by comprising many brands in the same product category. Companies that have chosen to organize their products according to this strategy are facing both possibilities, such as expanding the accessible market size, and challenges such as how to organize the brands, their individual roles and their relation and position to the other brands in the category to maximize revenues. To address these aspects of multi-brand portfolios, I have investigated four product categories where multiple brands are represented at Mölnlycke Health Care, Unilever, Fagerhult and L?Oréal; how the multi-brand portfolios are organized, how the segmentation, positioning and product differentiation are done and what advantages and disadvantages that are associated with this strategy. My conclusions are that multi-brand portfolios can be organized in many different ways and to become successful, they have to be set in relation to the company?s whole brand architecture.

Syfte: Syftet är att undersöka sambandet mellan kundkort, lojalitet och lönsamhet. Vidare ämnar vi kartlägga lojalitetsskapande åtgärder och hur dessa påverkar lönsamheten. Metod: För att uppfylla det beskrivande syftet med uppsatsen, valde vi att kvalitativt undersöka hur två företag i petroleumbranschen arbetar med lojalitetsprogram. Intervjuer genomfördes med ansvariga för kundkort på AB Svenska Shell och Svenska Statoil AB. Empirin analyserades sedan med hjälp av teorier om Customer Relationship Management, relationsmarknadsföring samt lojalitet och lönsamhet.

In recent years, customer profitability has become a focal point of academic discussions on business performance. However, researchers remain divided as to how evaluation of customers ought to be conducted, resulting in uncertainty of how accounting systems should be adapted to prevailing conditions. This paper aims to investigate the application of customer accounting techniques and the role they play in the organisational and commercial context in which they take place. In a case study of Billerud, a Swedish company providing materials and services for packaging solutions, the interplay between customer accounting techniques and customer relationship characteristics has been examined through the application of a theoretical framework developed by Lind and Strömsten. Particular emphasis has been put on deviations from the prescribed pattern of the framework.

Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication is a phase in the digital revolution connecting computing devices with each other bringing along new business opportunities for companies. Although being a fast growing field it has not been researched to any greater extent, particularly not within the academical literature. Consequently, information on how M2M can affect organisations seems strongly needed. This thesis uses three perspectives, derived from already recognised business benefits of M2M, as an aid to select proper theoretical tools to investigate the phenomenon. The purpose of this thesis is to gain knowledge of how an M2M adoption affects a firm?s organisation, customer offerings and customer relations.

The purpose of this study is to develop and practically evaluate a new approach for the introduction of changes in internal and external processes in a customer front, but with the aim of maintaining or increasing customer perceived quality during insertion. A working model has been developed and is used in a qualitative research in the form of a case study carried out in a customer front, on a customer group in Telia's mobile customer service in Sweden. There is currently little research that has studied the implementation phase.The results of the study show that the designed working model works satisfactorily, but also that it can be developed more. Employees are satisfied and the sale was a positive boost, however, declined the customer experience a little bit. Employees raises questions as leader behavior, confidence in the group ahead, everyone's different circumstances and desire for the individual choice.The biggest challenge for future leaders will be to manage and lead continuous change.

This qualitative case study, made with four companies, looks closer at how more effective information management, with the help of IT-systems, affect companies market communication and relations to customers and suppliers. Customer Relationship Management perspective is used and Enterprise Resource Planning-systems are the ground for new technology change. The main conclusions are that new technology affects the outcome of companies? relationships towards their customers and suppliers and that the processes and activities between the involved parties are more closely linked. Also involving your suppliers and external actors makes the information handling more effective and companies that do so most likely have a competitive advantage..