Collecting and Integrating Customer Feedback: A Case Study of SaaS Companies Working B2B
(2020) MIOM05 20192Production Management
- Abstract
- Even though companies are aiming for an agile way of working, and by that mainly focusing on providing value to their customers, it is challenging to get accurate customer data. Software companies are struggling in effectively and efficiently integrating customer feedback in their development processes. The purpose of the study was therefore to describe and understand structured approaches whose purpose is to achieve incremental improvements to the company’s offer through the integration of customer feedback into different functional units. The study primarily focused on SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) companies working B2B. Moreover, the master thesis was conducted as a multiple-case study where the research methods included literature... (More)
- Even though companies are aiming for an agile way of working, and by that mainly focusing on providing value to their customers, it is challenging to get accurate customer data. Software companies are struggling in effectively and efficiently integrating customer feedback in their development processes. The purpose of the study was therefore to describe and understand structured approaches whose purpose is to achieve incremental improvements to the company’s offer through the integration of customer feedback into different functional units. The study primarily focused on SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) companies working B2B. Moreover, the master thesis was conducted as a multiple-case study where the research methods included literature review, selection of five case companies, and semi-structured interviews. The analysis of the empirical data showed six general shortcomings pervading the companies: unstructured documentation, lack of data-driven prioritisation, insufficient validation, lack of routines for collecting feedback, insufficient use of quantitative collection methods, and inefficient communication of superordinate goals. Furthermore, five factors affecting the approaches of collection and integration of customer feedback in a given company were identified. These included: company characteristics, customer characteristics, offer characteristics, type of network, and market maturity level. Lastly, recommendations that could be applied by companies were provided in terms of a conceptual model for collection and integration of customer feedback, as well as five further recommendations. The recommendations emphasised the importance of the role as product manager, active participation of R&D, focus on both customers and users, communication of superordinate goals, and taking advantage of cloud setups. (Less)
- Popular Abstract (Swedish)
- Vår värld blir alltmer digital samtidigt som kunder blir alltmer kräsna. Mjukvaruföretag idag jobbar agilt och kämpar för att fokusera på kundvärde i en konkurrensintensiv bransch. Detta examensarbete presenterar aktiviteter som är viktiga för att effektivt samla in och integrera kundåterkoppling i SaaS-företag som arbetar B2B. Nuvarande företagsprocesser har kartlagts och analyserats utifrån existerande teori, vilket resulterat i identifieringen av sex vanligt förekommande brister: ostrukturerad dokumentation, brist på datadriven prioritering, otillräcklig validering, brist på rutiner för att samla in feedback, otillräcklig användning av kvantitativa insamlingsmetoder, och ineffektiv kommunikation av övergripande mål och visioner. Vidare... (More)
- Vår värld blir alltmer digital samtidigt som kunder blir alltmer kräsna. Mjukvaruföretag idag jobbar agilt och kämpar för att fokusera på kundvärde i en konkurrensintensiv bransch. Detta examensarbete presenterar aktiviteter som är viktiga för att effektivt samla in och integrera kundåterkoppling i SaaS-företag som arbetar B2B. Nuvarande företagsprocesser har kartlagts och analyserats utifrån existerande teori, vilket resulterat i identifieringen av sex vanligt förekommande brister: ostrukturerad dokumentation, brist på datadriven prioritering, otillräcklig validering, brist på rutiner för att samla in feedback, otillräcklig användning av kvantitativa insamlingsmetoder, och ineffektiv kommunikation av övergripande mål och visioner. Vidare har fem faktorer som påverkar företags tillvägagångssätt för insamling och integrering av kundåterkoppling kunnat identifieras. Dessa utgörs av karaktärsdrag hos företaget, kunderna och erbjudandet, samt marknadens mognadsnivå och hur företagets nätverk ser ut. Avslutningsvis har ett antal rekommendationer presenterats, dels i form av en modell för insamling och integration av kundfeedback, dels i form av fem kompletterande rekommendationer. Bland dessa nämns följande rekommendationer: vikten av rollen som produktchef, aktivt deltagande av FoU, fokus på både kunder och användare, kommunikation av övergripande mål och utnyttjande av fördelarna med molnlösningar. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9005948
- author
- Ahlgren, Oscar LU and Dalentoft, Johanna LU
- supervisor
- organization
- alternative title
- Insamling och Integrering av Kundåterkoppling: En Casestudie av SaaS-företag som Arbetar B2B
- course
- MIOM05 20192
- year
- 2020
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Software-as-a-Service, SaaS, customer feedback collection, B2B, user input
- report number
- 20/5639
- language
- English
- id
- 9005948
- date added to LUP
- 2020-06-24 14:52:37
- date last changed
- 2020-06-24 14:52:37
@misc{9005948,
abstract = {{Even though companies are aiming for an agile way of working, and by that mainly focusing on providing value to their customers, it is challenging to get accurate customer data. Software companies are struggling in effectively and efficiently integrating customer feedback in their development processes. The purpose of the study was therefore to describe and understand structured approaches whose purpose is to achieve incremental improvements to the company’s offer through the integration of customer feedback into different functional units. The study primarily focused on SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) companies working B2B. Moreover, the master thesis was conducted as a multiple-case study where the research methods included literature review, selection of five case companies, and semi-structured interviews. The analysis of the empirical data showed six general shortcomings pervading the companies: unstructured documentation, lack of data-driven prioritisation, insufficient validation, lack of routines for collecting feedback, insufficient use of quantitative collection methods, and inefficient communication of superordinate goals. Furthermore, five factors affecting the approaches of collection and integration of customer feedback in a given company were identified. These included: company characteristics, customer characteristics, offer characteristics, type of network, and market maturity level. Lastly, recommendations that could be applied by companies were provided in terms of a conceptual model for collection and integration of customer feedback, as well as five further recommendations. The recommendations emphasised the importance of the role as product manager, active participation of R&D, focus on both customers and users, communication of superordinate goals, and taking advantage of cloud setups.}},
author = {{Ahlgren, Oscar and Dalentoft, Johanna}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Collecting and Integrating Customer Feedback: A Case Study of SaaS Companies Working B2B}},
year = {{2020}},
}