Course Project: Field Value-in-Use Assessment in B2B Marketing

Project description
The objective of the course project is to perform a field value-in-use assessment for a B2B company. For your
chosen company, identify 1 of their products or services and perform the following tasks applied for that
product or service:
1. Briefly introduce the company and its product or service.
2. Explain how the company segments its customer base using the bases of segmentation below. A
company may use one or a combination of segmentation variables. (Do not discuss variables that are
not relevant.)
a. Conventional
i. Geography (e.g., Belgium, The Netherlands and France)
ii. Industry (e.g., manufacturing, education, agriculture)
iii. Customer Size (e.g., revenue, number of employees)
iv. Customer Behavior (e.g., heavy users, normal users, light users; first-time buyers and
frequent buyers)
b. Progressive
i. Application (e.g., vacuum dry pump to clean refrigerators or air-conditioning units)
ii. Usage situation (e.g., scheduled maintenance versus emergency maintenance)
iii. Customer Capabilities (e.g., hobbyists versus professionals)
iv. Customer Priorities (e.g., innovation, productivity, cost cutting)
v. Contribution to profitability (e.g., customer lifetime value)
3. Evaluate the company’s current segmentation scheme. For the segment you are going to investigate
(see next question) evaluate the following:
a. Measurable: Can you collect the necessary data on the segment and the customers within the
segment and measure its size and growth potential?
b. Profitable: Do you expect a positive pay-off from this segment?
c. Accessible: Can customers in the segment be accessed, or are there any barriers such as
tariffs, trade barriers, trade disputes, transportation and infrastructure issues, intellectual
property and legal issues, environmental regulations, and health and safety concerns?
d. Actionable: Can your sales and marketing efforts change the behaviors of the customers in
the segment in favor of your offerings?
4. For 1 customer segment, build a customer value model for that product or service (only with
information from the company/secondary sources). Make sure to write down the word equations.
5. Afterwards, validate your value model with a customer within that segment. (in case the company has
not launched the product/service, you can address a prospective customer)
a. Which initial assumptions for your model turned out not to be supported?
b. Which new insights did you gain that you did not account for in your model?
c. Were there any value elements that raised more contention than anticipated?
d. Discuss any other findings you deem relevant.
6. Based on your analysis, what would your suggested price range be? How does this compare with the
current price (in case the product is already launched)? Is the company leaving money on the table or
is it gaining an equitable return on what it is offering?
7. Compose a value proposition for the customer of the product or service.
 8. Describe the DMU for the customer and build a value stack. Make sure you link the decision makers to
the benefits they deem important.
9. Does the company currently actively communicate the product’s customer value? If so, how (e.g.,
through case studies, value calculators, spreadsheets, …)? If not, propose how they could actively
communicate the product’s value for the customer.
Make sure you communicate your findings back to the company!

Information gathering
In order to obtain the information to perform the tasks you will need to organize meetings with the company
and their (prospective) customers of different segments. Before setting up a meeting you need to make sure
that the employee you will meet with is knowledgeable about the company’s product or service.
When looking for a company, it is important to state your own value proposition. You are asking them to invest
time, so convince them that the analysis you can bring to the table is of value to them! Possible scenarios
might be: (1) A company may be looking to launch a new product or service and be interested in which
segments to target and/or which price to set; (2) A company may want to penetrate new segments of the
market with an existing product or service, but might not know which segment to target and/or what price to
ask in these segments; (3) A company may want to validate its current pricing model to optimize profits. In any
case, your analysis can provide valuable insights for them.
Ask the company to put you in contact with one of their customers.

Submitting a company
Once you have found a company, you will have to input its name in the excel spreadsheet on Ufora.
Additionally, include a short description of the company and its operations. If possible, also include which
product/service you will be investigating. If the company meets the criteria for the course project (i.e., it is a
B2B company) and is not yet taken by someone else, then the company will be accepted. The only exception is
when two teams work with the same company but on a sufficiently different product/service.

Report
You will write a report that answers the questions in the project description. The deadline for the project is 20
December (23:59).
The deliverables are as follows:

• Report (English, max 12 pages not including front page or appendix, max 20 pages total)
o In pdf format on submitted on Ufora with the name: TeamX_Report (change X with team
number)
o Include the contact information of someone within each organization you have contacted in
the appendix. We will select a number of teams where we will contact the companies to
verify that no foul play took place.
o On the front page, please indicate the team number and team members.
Evaluation
Teamwork is a must and free riding will be dealt with swiftly. If you run into an issue, do not hesitate to
contact us via shimanto.rahman@ugent.be.
The course project is graded using the following rubric (not every dimension has the same weight):
Criteria Exceptional (17-20) Very Good (14-16) Good (12-13) Satisfactory (10-11) Substandard (<10)
Critical Provides a highly Demonstrates a Demonstrates a Offers a Offers a superficial
Analysis perceptive and insightful perceptive and solid analysis of reasonable or minimal
analysis of the information insightful analysis the information, analysis of the analysis, lacking
gathered, identifying key of the information, identifying information, depth and critical
patterns, connections, and identifying key relevant patterns, though some areas insight.
implications (less obvious patterns, connections, and may lack depth or
connections are made). connections, and implications. thorough
implications. examination.
Clarity of Expresses ideas with Presents ideas in a Presents ideas in a Communicates Presents ideas in a
Expression exceptional clarity and clear and concise mostly clear and ideas adequately, disjointed or
articulation, enhancing manner, ensuring concise manner, though some convoluted
overall readability and effective structure is not sections may be manner, making
comprehension. communication. always consistent. unclear or verbose, the content
structure is difficult to
inconsistent. understand.
Integration of Seamlessly integrates Effectively Integrates sources, Integrates sources Minimally
Sources various relevant sources, integrates sources, providing a adequately, integrates sources,
demonstrating a high level providing a well- grounded and though some with little evidence
of synthesis and cohesion in supported and coherent sections may lack of meaningful
presenting information. coherent presentation of seamless synthesis or
presentation of information. Some connection or cohesion.
information. information is consistency. Some Important
missing. information is information is
missing. missing.
Evidence of Demonstrates a profound Shows a strong Shows an Adequately Shows minimal
Understanding understanding of the understanding of understanding of demonstrates evidence of
subject matter, exhibiting a the subject matter, the subject matter, understanding, understanding,
comprehensive grasp of accurately accurately though some areas with significant
concepts and providing conveying key conveying may lack depth or inaccuracies and
insightful interpretations. concepts and concepts and thorough misconceptions
information. information. exploration. evident.
Creativity and Introduces original and Shows creativity in Shows creativity in Demonstrates Shows minimal
Innovation innovative ideas or approaching the approaching the some creativity, creativity, with
solutions, demonstrating a assignment, assignment, though the ideas that are
high level of creativity and presenting ideas presenting ideas approach may be unoriginal and lack
a fresh perspective. that go beyond the that spark interest. somewhat innovation.
conventional and conventional or
offering a unique lack originality.
perspective.
Adherence to Strictly adheres to all - Adheres to most Generally follows Fails to adhere to
Guidelines assignment guidelines and assignment assignment most assignment
instructions, meeting or guidelines, with guidelines, though guidelines, with
exceeding all specified only minor some deviations substantial
criteria. deviations that do may be present, deviations that
not significantly affecting the severely impact
impact the overall overall quality of the overall quality
quality of the the work to a of the work.
work. moderate extent.