Lucrezia Songini

Performance measurement of the after-sales service network-Evidence from the automotive industry

The after-sales activities are nowadays acknowledged as a relevant source of revenue, profit and competitive advantage in most manufacturing industries. Top and middle management, therefore, should focus on the definition of a structured business performance measurement system for the after-sales business. In addition, since many actors are involved along the after-sale service supply chain, an integrated and multi-attribute set of measures needs to be designed consistently at every level of the supply chain. Nonetheless, little attention was devoted by scientific and managerial literature to this topic. The paper aims at filling this gap, and proposes an integrated framework for the after-sales network performance measurement, and provides an empirical application to two automotive case companies and their official service network. The cases show that performance measurement systems of different supply chain actors should be aligned in order to achieve strategic consistency. In particular, the performance of different actors at the process level of the framework concurs in determining the after-sales service overall performance towards the final customer. In addition, linkages at other levels (mainly the business and activity ones) may be needed or helpful in ensuring consistency between strategic and operational objectives, inside the organisations and thus for the whole supply chain.

Performance measurement systems in after-sales service: an integrated framework

In todays competitive markets, companies are shifting from a Product-centric to a Customer-centric view. The After-Sales (AS) service can become a key differentiator and a major profit source. Thus, after-sales cannot be considered simply a set of operative activities; rather it plays a strategic role, affecting the definition of the product-service mix offered to the customer and the physical and organisational configuration of the overall logistics chain. Therefore, importance should be given to its strategic management and to the definition of a structured business performance measurement system. In this context, this paper a) provides a review of the existing body of knowledge about AS performance measurement systems, b) proposes an integrated framework for AS performance measurement consisting of four levels (business, process, activity, and development and innovation), and c) provides an empirical application of the framework to four case studies in durable consumer goods – automotive, home appliances and consumer electronics.

The role and performance measurement of after‐sales in the durable consumer goods industries: an empirical study

Purpose – To analyse the role of after‐sales services in manufacturing contexts, and the related after‐sales performance measurement systems.Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory case study research was performed in the automotive, household appliance, IT and consumer electronics industries. The sample is made up of 48 firms with after‐sales operations in Italy.Findings – The role attributed to after‐sales activities in the IT and consumer electronics and household appliance industries shows an orientation to improve company image, customer satisfaction and retention (marketing focus). A different situation characterises the companies studied in the automotive industry. In most firms, however, measurement systems are quite simple and short‐term oriented, especially in the IT and consumer electronics and household appliance industries. The measurement of non‐financial performance emphasises effectiveness rather than efficiency, and the automotive industry, on the whole, presents more advanced measur...

Family Involvement and Agency Cost Control Mechanisms in Family Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises

Family firms may experience different agency conflicts to the classical principal‐agent conflict, which arise depending on the varying extent of family involvement. Agency cost control mechanisms should be introduced to cope with them. The paper focuses on family involvement, in governance () and in management (), agency cost control mechanisms, and financial performance in family . The results show that is negatively related to agency cost control mechanisms, but they are positively related to , Finally, the importance of agency cost control mechanisms positively influences the financial performance. Hypotheses were tested using .

The Automotive Industry: Heading Towards Servitization in Turbulent Times

The European automotive industry has been fiercely hit by the recent economic downturn, which has further emphasized the structural overcapacity of production plants and price competition in the sales of new vehicles. Services constitute the main means for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), authorised dealers, and repair shops, as well as the independent actors, to survive and be profitable, thanks to the size and age of the vehicle fleet. Servitization is thus a strategy pursued by manufacturers and their networks. However, the offering is still dominated by transactional, product-oriented services. Moreover, the relevance of services is still not fully recognized by the service network, which is not completely aware of the impact of servitization on profitability and customer loyalty. In addition, end customers are often not aware of the full range of services available. Further, the perceived importance of services by the network and the final customers may differ. At the forefront of servitization are noteworthy experimentations of sustainable mobility solutions that improve environmental impact and quality of life. These are the forerunners of new business models dominated by result-oriented services, where customer get access to vehicles on-demand rather than through direct ownership.

Management Styles of a Sample of Japanese Manufacturing Companies in Italy

The article aims to point out the presence of some aspects of Japanese management systems in a sample of Japanese manufacturing enterprises in Italy and analyzes headquarters control on Italian subsidiaries.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DETERMINANTS: THE RELATION WITH CSR DISCLOSURE

Originality/Value of chapter Our research findings show that legitimacy theory represents the most relevant theory in explaining CSR disclosure practices of Italian large firms, as well as the operational implementation of stakeholder theory, such as stakeholder management. On the contrary, institutional theory only partially explains CSR disclosure, with respect to the pressures coming from financial markets.

Product-Service Portfolio Configuration vs. Economic and Financial Results: An Empirical Analysis in the Italian Truck Industry

Based on an extensive survey involving Italian heavy truck workshops, this chapter introduces an empirically based typology. The research aims at identifying the main features that characterise heavy truck assistance workshops offering similar product–service portfolios and having a comparable service attitude. The developed typology allows a better understanding of the relationship between workshop types and their economic and financial results. The analysis shows that the attitude towards the proposal of comprehensive product–service portfolios supports workshops to prosper in this market that is affected by weak demand, hard competition and decreasing margins.

Aligning Product-Service Offerings with Customer Expectations

The rapid servitization of the market calls heavy-truck companies for the development of a proper Product-Service (PS) portfolio able to capture customer requirements and needs. In such a context heavy-truck companies are required to monitor strictly customer attitude towards services. The control of the importance given to service quality determinants can be critical to dynamically verify and optimize the completeness and consistency of existing service offerings. An empirically-based typology, built upon an extensive survey involving about 1.000 Italian heavy-truck customers, shows the existence of different types of customers having a different awareness towards service quality determinants that, in turn, can influence their orientation towards PS offering choices.

The glass ceiling in SMEs and its impact on firm managerialisation: a comparison between family and non-family SMEs

This article aims at comparing family and non-family SMEs with regard to the role of women in ownership, governance and management roles and its relation with the firm managerialisation. We conducted a quantitative deductive design and tested the hypotheses through a questionnaire survey of 313 SMEs in Italy. Findings reveal that family SMEs are a more favourable context for breaking through the glass ceiling. Results also show that in non-family SMEs managerial mechanisms are more relevant when women are involved in governance and managerial roles. On the contrary, in family SMEs, our findings do not outline an active role of women in favouring firm managerialisation.