Optimización y aproximación al problema de la regresión simbólica a través de Straight Line Programs (SLP's) y algoritmos genéticos : Entrenamiento genético de SLP's

El problema de la regresión simbólica consiste en el aprendizaje, a partir de un conjunto muestra de datos obtenidos experimentalmente, de una función desconocida. Los métodos evolutivos han demostrado su eficiencia en la resolución de instancias de dicho problema. En este proyecto se propone una nueva estrategia evolutiva, a través de algoritmos genéticos, basada en una nueva estructura de datos denominada Straight Line Program (SLP) y que representa en este caso expresiones simbólicas. A partir de un SLP universal, que depende de una serie de parámetros cuya especialización proporciona SLP's concretos del espacio de búsqueda, la estrategia trata de encontrar los parámetros óptimos para que el SLP universal represente la función que mejor se aproxime al conjunto de puntos muestra. De manera conceptual, este proyecto consiste en un entrenamiento genético del SLP universal, utilizando los puntos muestra como conjunto de entrenamiento, para resolver el problema de la regresión simbólica.

Combining Customer Requirements and Modularity in Complete Tap Water Solution

This thesis studies forming a complete solution concept for tap water systems in project business environment. The aim of the study is to find tools and means for the target company to determine the scope of their tap water solution offering and to research what kind of organizational capabilities and resources are needed to supply such system solutions. With the help of literature, the characteristics of systems selling and project business and thematics of systems integration and integrated solutions are examined, and the significance of modularity and customer requirements in the given operational environment is discussed. After this, a checklist tool for customer requirements management is developed for the tap water system along with a module allocation method. The study proposes that with the checklist and module allocation the technical specifications can be extensively and innovatively defined for the system. The tools developed are a part of a complete tap water solution concept, which suggests that integrated solutions might constitute possibilities for the company to outperform its competitors when the traditional business methods of the industry are becoming obsolete.

Characterisation of pigment particles by scanning electron microscope and image analysis programs

Coating and filler pigments have strong influence to the properties of the paper. Filler content can be even over 30 % and pigment content in coating is about 85-95 weight percent. The physical and chemical properties of the pigments are different and the knowledge of these properties is important for optimising of optical and printing properties of the paper. The size and shape of pigment particles can be measured by different analysers which can be based on sedimentation, laser diffraction, changes in electric field etc. In this master's thesis was researched particle properties especially by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and image analysis programs. Research included nine pigments with different particle size and shape. Pigments were analysed by two image analysis programs (INCA Feature and Poikki), Coulter LS230 (laser diffraction) and SediGraph 5100 (sedimentation). The results were compared to perceive the effect of particle shape to the performance of the analysers. Only image analysis programs gave parameters of the particle shape. One part of research was also the sample preparation for SEM. Individual particles should be separated and distinct in ideal sample. Analysing methods gave different results but results from image analysis programs corresponded even to sedimentation or to laser diffraction depending on the particle shape. Detailed analysis of the particle shape required high magnification in SEM, but measured parameters described very well the shape of the particles. Large particles (ecd~1 µm) could be used also in 3D-modelling which enabled the measurement of the thickness of the particles. Scanning electron microscope and image analysis programs were effective and multifunctional tools for particle analyses. Development and experience will devise the usability of analysing method in routine use.

Factors of customer project profitability in an engineering industrial enterprise

The purpose of the study is to find factors affecting projects' profitability in project business. The issue is approached from customer profitability and project management point of view. The study has been made for a big Finnish company acting in a global market place. The research method is quantitative. Research hypotheses are based on the literature. The used database is originated from the company's ERP- (enterprise resource planning) and project financial follow-up —system. The findings of the study supported the hypotheses weakly. Obviously profitability fluctuated depending on a customer and a project manager. The reasons could not be justified with the variables used in the research.

Mobile Subscription Acquisition and Retention Costs - An Actvity-Based Model

The objective of this master’s thesis was to develop a model for mobile subscription acquisition cost, SAC, and mobile subscription retention cost, SRC, by applying activity-based cost accounting principles. The thesis was conducted as a case study for a telecommunication company operating on the Finnish telecommunication market. In addition to activity-based cost accounting there were other theories studied and applied in order to establish a theory framework for this thesis. The concepts of acquisition and retention were explored in a broader context with the concepts of customer satisfaction, loyalty and profitability and eventually customer relationship management to understand the background and meaning of the theme of this thesis. The utilization of SAC and SRC information is discussed through the theories of decision making and activity-based management. Also, the present state and future needs of SAC and SRC information usage at the case company as well as the functions of the company were examined by interviewing some members of the company personnel. With the help of these theories and methods it was aimed at finding out both the theory-based and practical factors which affect the structure of the model. During the thesis study it was confirmed that the existing SAC and SRC model of the case company should be used as the basis in developing the activity-based model. As a result the indirect costs of the old model were transformed into activities and the direct costs were continued to be allocated directly to acquisition of new subscriptions and retention of old subscriptions. The refined model will enable managing the subscription acquisition, retention and the related costs better through the activity information. During the interviews it was found out that the SAC and SRC information is also used in performance measurement and operational and strategic planning. SAC and SRC are not fully absorbed costs and it was concluded that the model serves best as a source of indicative cost information. This thesis does not include calculating costs. Instead, the refined model together with both the theory-based and interview findings concerning the utilization of the information produced by the model will serve as a framework for the possible future development aiming at completing the model.

Analyzing customer profitability: an empirical study

The purpose of this study was to define the customer profitability of the case company as well as to specify the factors that explain customer profitability. The study was made with a quantitative research method. The research hypotheses were formulated mainly on the grounds of previous research, and were tested with statistical research methods. The research results showed that customer profitability is not equally distributed among the customers of the case company, and the majority of its customers is profitable. The interpreters for absolute customer profitability were sales volume and the customer’s location region. The interpreters for relative customer profitability were the customer’s location region and the product segment into which a customer can be classified on the basis of the products that were sold to this customer.

Creating a customer profitability accounting model

Customer profitability accounting is a well-researched topic in the academic field, and it has been proved to posses rather undisputable benefits. However, the calculation of the customer profitabilities can be challenging, therefore the usage of the accounting is not self-explanatory in organizations. The aim of this study was to create a customer profitability accounting model for a wholesales unit in the case company to function as a sales management tool. The literature review of the study presents certain fundamental issues related to customer profitability accounting, in addition a theoretical framework for accounting model design is provided. The creation of the model was commenced by setting the requirements for it and examining the foundation of the model design, which consisted of for instance price setting and cost structure of products. This was followed by selecting approaches to the creation of the model. The result of the study was an accounting model, for which a determination of included revenues and costs was executed, along with the formulation of an allocation criteria of the costs. Lastly, the customer profitabilities were calculated in accordance with the accounting principles and the calculation logic of the model. The attained figures proved the model to provide an appropriate solution for obtaining the customer profitabilities and thus to use the accounting information as a sales management tool in for instance decision making and negotiation situations.

Measuring Customer Experience in Mobile Internet

Problems in the mobile services are complex where the lack of the user analysis is not the modest issue. User centered design has increasingly become as a basis for the design of mobile services. The concept of user centered design gives end-user extensive attention at each stage of the design process. Mobile service providers want to offer experiences for users and clearly the users look for services that can provide pleasant experiences. In this thesis, the elements of user experience in mobile internet were studied as well as user experience measuring methods were researched. This study was looking for user experience measuring metrics and methods to specify new factors to measure user experience. During this thesis research project an application called CEM4Mobile was designed and implemented. CEM4Mobile is an application for observing and analysing user experience based on the user activity and behaviour. As a result of this thesis, a collection of user experience elements and measuring metrics were found. The elements and metrics were designed and implemented to CEM4Mobile product, which measures user experience. It was found out that the user experience measuring methods were based on interaction between two people but CEM4Mobile makes user observation programmatic.

Enhancing Customer Knowledge and Its Sharing At a Paper Production Line

This study has been made for specific paper production line at an international forest industry company in Finland. The main purpose for the study was a need to examine the current situation of the customer knowledge and its’ sharing at case production line, recognize the problems in it and finally, find out the improvement actions. The study is composed of theoretical and empirical parts. In theoretical part, knowledge management and information sharing in addition to customer knowledge management are presented. Empirical data from case production line was collected by using survey questionnaires. The results are analyzed in discussion and conclusions and finally, study ends with summary which includes recommendations. Based on the study, the amount and quality of customer knowledge and gaining and transferring the customer knowledge were found as the main challenges. The proposed solutions were discovered from moving towards more dynamic operating environment and in the area of customer knowledge management, especially from the communities of creation.

Success factors of customer and supplier master data system

Especially in global enterprises, key data is fragmented in multiple Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Thus the data is inconsistent, fragmented and redundant across the various systems. Master Data Management (MDM) is a concept, which creates cross-references between customers, suppliers and business units, and enables corporate hierarchies and structures. The overall goal for MDM is the ability to create an enterprise-wide consistent data model, which enables analyzing and reporting customer and supplier data. The goal of the study was defining the properties and success factors of a master data system. The theoretical background was based on literature and the case consisted of enterprise specific needs and demands. The theoretical part presents the concept, background, and principles of MDM and then the phases of system planning and implementation project. Case consists of background, definition of as is situation, definition of project, evaluation criterions and concludes the key results of the thesis. In the end chapter Conclusions combines common principles with the results of the case. The case part ended up dividing important factors of the system in success factors, technical requirements and business benefits. To clarify the project and find funding for the project, business benefits have to be defined and the realization has to be monitored. The thesis found out six success factors for the MDM system: Well defined business case, data management and monitoring, data models and structures defined and maintained, customer and supplier data governance, delivery and quality, commitment, and continuous communication with business. Technical requirements emerged several times during the thesis and therefore those can’t be ignored in the project. Conclusions chapter goes through these factors on a general level. The success factors and technical requirements are related to the essentials of MDM: Governance, Action and Quality. This chapter could be used as guidance in a master data management project.

Customer reference marketing in a business to business context

This study focuses on the phenomenon of customer reference marketing in a business tobusiness (B to B) context. Although customer references are generally considered an important marketing and sales tool, the academic literature has paid surprisingly little attention to the phenomenon. The study suggests that customer references could be viewed as important marketing assets for industrial suppliers, and the ability to build, manage and leverage customer reference portfolios systematically constitutes a relevant marketing capability. The role of customer references is examined in the context of the industrial suppliers' shift towards a solution and project orientation and in the light of the on going changes in the project business. Suppliers in several industry sectors are undergoing a change from traditional equipment manufacturing towards project and solution oriented business. It is argued in this thesis that the high complexity, the project oriented nature and the intangible service elements that characterise many contemporary B to B offerings further increase the role of customer references. The study proposes three mechanisms of customer reference marketing: status transfer, validation through testimonials and the demonstration of experience and prior performance. The study was conducted in the context of Finnish B to B process technology and information technology companies. The empirical data comprises 38 interviews with managers of four case companies, 165 customer reference descriptions gathered from six case companies' Web sites, as well as company internal material. The findings from the case studies show that customer references have various external and internal functions that contribute to the growth and performance of B to B firms. Externally, customer references bring status transfer effects from reputable customers, concretise and demonstrate complex solutions, and provide indirect evidence of experience, previous performance, technological functionality and delivered customer value. They can also be leveraged internally to facilitate organisational learning and training, advance offering development, and motivate personnel. Major reference projects create new business opportunities and can be used as a vehicle for strategic change. The findings of the study shed light on the on going changing orientations in the project business environment, increase understanding of the variety of ways in which customer references can be deployed as marketing assets, and provide a framework of the relevant tasks and activities related to building, managing and leveraging a firm's customer reference portfolio. The findings contribute to the industrial marketing research, to the literature on marketing assets and capabilities and to the literature on projects and solutions. The proposed functions and mechanisms of customer reference marketing bring a more thorough and structured understanding about the essence and characteristics of the phenomenon and give a wide ranging view of the role of customer references as marketing assets for B to B firms. The study suggests several managerial implications for industrial suppliers in order to systematise customer reference marketing efforts.

Teknisen auringonsuojauksen tukikonseptin liiketoimintalähtöinen arviointi

Työssä tutkitaan erään tekniseen auringonsuojaukseen keskittyneen yrityksen päätöstä tuottaa aloittelevia yrityksiä palveleva tukikonsepti. Konsepti sisältää mitoitusohjelmia, kokoonpano-ohjeita sekä markkinointimateriaalia. Oleellista on selvittää kannattaako yrityksen keskittyä kyseisiin asiakkaisiin, sekä onko konsepti oikea ratkaisu tälle segmentille. Tätä varten työssä tutustuttiin toimiala-analyysiin, strategiaan, segmentointiin sekä differointiin. Työssä selvitettiin, että Porterin viiden voiman malli on yhä toimiva aloitus toimiala-analyysin laatimiseen. Strategiaan liittyviä koulukuntia löytyy kirjallisuudesta useita erilaisia, oleellista on löytää oikea lähestymistapa kuhunkin tilanteeseen. Segmentointi on tärkeä vaihe, koska sen avulla selvitetään yrityksen eri asiakasryhmiä. Differointi on usein suositeltu keino kilpailuedun tavoittelemiseen. Työtä varten laadittiin yritykselle toimiala-analyysi. Lisäksi yritykselle etsittiin segmenttejä sekä pohdittiin sen mahdollisuuksia differointiin. Segmenttejä löydettiin kolme erilaista. Samalla todettiin, että paras tapa differoida yrityksen tuotteita on keskittyä tuotteiden aineettomiin ominaisuuksiin. Toimiala-analyysin, segmenttien sekä differointimahdollisuuksien perusteella päädyttiin siihen, että yrityksen päätös keskittyä enemmän uusiin ja aloitteleviin asiakkaisiin vaikuttaa järkevältä. Konseptin ominaisuuksien perusteella myös konsepti vaikuttaa hyvältä tavalta palvella kyseistä asiakassegmenttiä.

The Contribution of Mobile Device Manufacturers’ Site Usage to Brand Satisfaction and Loyalty

Recently most of the mobile phone manufacturer companies started to pay extra attention to their websites. This research investigates the sources of value creation on the mobile phone manufacturers’ website and the affect visiting the manufacturers’ website has on brand loyalty and brand satisfaction. The results show a correlation between positive website usage experience, brand loyalty and brand satisfaction. Moreover there is a relation between Novelty, Efficiency, Lock-in and the perceived usefulness the manufacturers’ website has on the mobile phone device. And finally the main reason behind Finnish student’s mobile phone brand loyalty is its country of origin.

Asiakkuuksien johtaminen kuljetusalan pk-yrityksessä

The profitability on transportation field has been low for a long time. The re-cession that started in the fall of 2008 has caused even more trouble to transportation companies as the number of transportations has gone down and the competition has gotten tougher since the time before the recession. Because the low profitability level does not allow competing with prices, transportation companies must come up with other means to differ from their competitors. The main goal of the research was to find out how a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) on transportation field should manage its customer relationships. Due to limited resources, companies should direct their resources to serving their most valuable customers. Companies should first make a determination of their customer base. This works as a base for establishing customer portfolios, in other words making customer groups based on e.g. profitability, buying volumes and loyalty. Companies can gain competitive advantage also by improving their service quality. Important information regarding the selection criteria of a transporta-tion company, transaction methods, service time and accessibility of person-nel, customers’ expectations on transportation company’s personnel, utiliza-tion of IT-solutions as a part of transportation service, the image of a transportation company and necessity of quality control meetings was gathered for this research by interviewing customers. By utilizing this information, transportation company can adapt its service offering to equal the customer needs and expectations better. A service process example was created to improve the service quality of the transportation company. It shows the whole process from the customer sending the transportation order to the point when the customer receives an invoice from the transportation company. The example process shows the most fragile stages of the service process: the interaction points. An example of this is when the driver and the customer meet at the unloading place. The results show that even a SME can have the opportunity to succeed in competitive markets by managing CRM. Expensive software are usually out of reach of a SME, but having a CRM software does not automatically guar-antee success in customer relationship management. Small and medium-sized firms can commit their current customers and recruit new customers by utilizing customer knowledge, offering top quality service, being innovative and offering functional services.

Project and customer profitability analysis: an empirical case study

The objective of this case study is to provide a Finnish solution provider company an objective, in-depth analysis of their project based business and especially of project estimation accuracy. A project and customer profitability analysis is conducted as a complementary addition to describe profitability of the Case Company’s core division. The theoretical framework is constructed on project profitability and customer profitability analysis. Project profitability is approached starting from managing projects, continuing to project pricing process and concluding to project success. The empirical part of this study describes the Case Company’s project portfolio, and by means of quantitative analysis, the study describes how the characteristics of a project impact the project’s profitability. The findings indicate that it really makes a difference in project portfolio’s estimated and actual profitability when methods of installation and technical specifications are scrutinized. Implications on profitability are gathered into a risk assessment tool proposal.