Title: The key account management system in the paper industry business environment

Authors: Laura Piila, Harri Haapasalo

Addresses: Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4610, FI-90014 Oulun yliopisto, Finland. ' Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4610, FI-90014 Oulun yliopisto, Finland

Abstract: The primary objective of this study was to construct and explore a Key Account Management System (KAMS) and to analyse how it appears in a case organisation of the paper industry. The theoretical construct was based on the value net approach, elements of the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) process and elements of Key Account Management (KAM). In the empirical part of the paper, the target organisation|s processes were analysed through the basic elements of KAMS. The processes of the case organisation were divided into three different levels: the corporate and division level, the management level at the paper mill and the operative level. The basic elements of KAMS were analysed through all of these levels. The elements of the value net approach and the elements of the CRM process were found in the latter two levels. The elements of KAM were found in the corporate and division level. This method and these results can be used when improving and analysing key accounts and KAM on a wider scale.

Keywords: key account management; KAM; customer relationship management; CRM; value networks; business excellence; paper industry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBEX.2009.024444

International Journal of Business Excellence, 2009 Vol.2 No.3/4, pp.223 - 240

Published online: 04 Apr 2009 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article