report on konica minolta healthcare market in delhi & u.p. east
Post on 10-Feb-2017
225 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 1
Increasing Brand Awareness and Sales promotion Schemes of
Konica Minolta Health Care India Pvt. Ltd. In Delhi & UP East
A project Report submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Masters of
Business Administration
Submitted By
Shashank Tripathi
14020441186
Marketing & Operations (B-27)
Under the guidance of
Project Guide Project Mentor
Dr. Praveen Kumar Mr. Tanveer Siddique
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 2
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 3
Executive Summary
Konica Minolta Healthcare India Pvt. Ltd. is into the business of supplying imaging solutions for
medical purpose. There are various other players which are in the same domain. Since Konica
Minolta is the late entrant in the market because of legal issues in Japan, the Brand Awareness is
low in the sub-urban region, though the brand is well known globally. My project was to
promote the brand in UP-east & Delhi region by identifying the prospects and making them
aware about the various solutions offered by the brand in the medical imaging needs. The second
part of the project was to generate leads and if possible convert them into customers. Third part
of the project included what are the key decision making points which customers takes into
consideration when they buy a medical equipment.
This project report covers the deliverables in all the three aspects of the project and is specific to
the area mentioned above. This project report covers the various aspects of brand awareness
programs that Konica Minolta expected from us to deliver and the prospecting method which I
used to identify the potential customers. My internship started from product training in Mumbai
followed by market study in Delhi office under the guidance of my Mentor Mr. Tanveer
Siddique. We went to various existing customers and interviewed them to understand what their
expectations are with the products offered by the company and their future requirements. The
products offered by the company are more engineering intensive and customers understanding
about the product is also very high as the company operates in the B2B segment, it was very
important to understand the products working thoroughly. So I have also included some of the
situations where I felt the importance of the same.
The last part of the report contains the findings and the suggestions which I believe should be
applied to increase the Brand awareness in the specific region and will ultimately help the
organization to earn more customers.
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 4
DECLARATION BY STUDENT
I hereby declare that the project entitled “Increasing Brand Awareness and Sales promotion
Schemes of Konica Minolta Health Care India Pvt. Ltd. In Delhi & UP East” submitted for
the MBA Degree is my original work and the project has not formed the basis for the award of
any degree, fellowship or any other similar titles.
Name of the student: Shashank Tripathi
Signature of the Student:
Place: PUNE
Date: 31/07/2015
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 5
Acknowledgement
Apart from my personal efforts, the success of any project depends largely on the encouragement
and guidelines of many others. I would take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the
people who have been instrumental in the successful completion of this project.
This project could not have been completed without the guidance of my mentor Mr. Tanveer
Siddique who not only encouraged and helped me in understanding the business but also
challenged me throughout my internship. I would like to thank him for his tremendous support
and help.
I would like to thank Faculty Guide Prof. Dr. Praveen Kumar for his continuous support at
each and every step of my internship.
I would also like to thank Mr. Monil Kumar and Miss. Jenifer Dsouza my colleague at Konica
Minolta Healthcare India, for their efforts, opinion and understanding.
In the end I would like to thank Konica Minolta Healthcare India for providing me with an
opportunity to work on a project that gave me valuable exposure to the Marketing & Sales world.
The experience is certainly going to help me in my professional career.
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 6
Table of Content:
S.No. Topic Page No.
1. Introduction 7
- Konica Minolta, Inc. 7
- Sonoscape Company Profile 8
- DNP 9
- Products consider for study 10
2. Objectives 12
- Limitation of study 12
3. Research Methodology 13
- Prospecting through cold calling 14
4. Analysis & Interpretation 15
- Sales promotion schemes 16
- Comparison of products 17
- Analysis of New Delhi Market 18
- Analysis of Kanpur Market 20
- Analysis of Lucknow & Allahabad Market 23
5. Conclusion 25
6. Suggestion 28
7. Turnitin Report 29
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 7
Chapter 1
Introduction
Industry Overview:
The Indian medical device market is valued at USD3,226.0 mn in 2013. Despite strong
market growth rates, the market remains small with per capita spending of less than
USD3.0 which is a sign of huge potential in the market. The market is forecast to grow at
a 2013-2018 CAGR of 14.9% in local currency terms, equal to a US dollar CAGR of
15.0%, making India one of the fastest growing markets in the world.
Medical device imports supply around 77% of the market. Between 2009 and 2014,
imports grew at a CAGR of 11.5% in US dollar terms. It is believed that medical device
import performance will remain same as last year during 2015.
Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Healthcare India Pvt. Ltd. (KMHI) is a sister concerned company of Konica
Minolta, Inc. which is a Japanese technology company headquartered
in Marunouchi,Chiyoda, Tokyo, with 49 offices around the globe. The company is into the
manufacturing of business and industrial imaging products, including copiers, laser printers,
multi-functional peripherals (MFPs) and digital print systems for the production printing market.
The company also makes medical and graphic imaging products, such as X-ray image processing
systems, color proofing systems, and X-ray film; photometers, 3-D digitizers, and other sensing
products used in healthcare business around the world and most of them are FDA approved: A
Third party medical equipment certifying agency from USA.
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 8
Business Domains of M/s. Konica Minolta, Inc.
Konica Minolta Vision
To be acknowledged by our customers as a leader, utilizing innovative technology, quality
services and unique solutions, to add unmatched value to the global society always focused on
protecting the environment for a prosperous future generation.
We can understand from the vision statement of the company about their values and key focus
areas to achieve it which are Innovation, Quality, value and environment protection.
Konica Minolta Healthcare India Pvt. Ltd.
KMHI is a joint venture company between M/s. Konica Minolta Inc, and Mumbai based
healthcare company headed by Mr. Nikunj Gada & Mr. Jigar Gada who are also heading the
KMHI business in India. The major shareholder in the JV is M/s. Konica Minolta, Inc. hence the
marketing activity in India is all approved by the higher management at corporate office in
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 9
Japan. To monitor and oversee all the marketing activity in India they have designated one Sr.
Marketing manager from corporate office, who sits at Mumbai office in India.
KMHI imports X-ray imaging equipment’s and peripheral devices from Konica Minolta, Inc. and
sells all over India. The company has two offices in India i.e. one in Delhi and the other in
Mumbai. Company caters the pan India demand through dealer network.
The Company also promotes other brands product in the Ultrasound (Sonography) & printer
category in India and is the authorized importer of SONOSCAPE and DNP.
SonoScape has specialized itself in ultrasound diagnostic systems and probes. In 2004
SonoScape released the world’s first 15 inch LCD portable color Doppler Ultrasound System.
Shortly afterwards SonoScape’s product received FDA approval and CE certification and started
to be catering other markets all over the world.
Vision
The company has a vision of “caring for life through Innovation” and in working towards that
has developed and manufactured high quality medical equipment which has benefited the
society.
Mission
Inspired by the medical needs of the world the company wishes to dedicate itself in delivering
meaningful and accessible medical solutions to change lives for the better.
Awards and Recognitions:
1. Received "European Entrepreneurial Company 2008" award from FROST & SULLIVAN
2. Received "Flagship Company" award in the Medical Equipment Industry in China’2008
3. Received "Product Quality Leadership Award 2009" from FROST & SULLIVAN
4. Received the Reddot 2011 Product Design Award for S20 in Essen, Germany
5. Received "Ultrasound Market Growth Leadership Award, 2013" from FROST &
SULLIVAN
6. Received the iF product design award 2014 for S9 in Munich, Germany
7. Received "Company Of The Year In Ultrasound Market 2014" from FROST & SULLIVAN
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 10
DNP is a Japanese printing company established in 1876. The company caters to printing needs
in three areas which are as follows:
Information Communications
Lifestyle
Industrial Supplies
Electronics
Products Offered by KMHI in India
KMHI offers products from all the three above mentioned brands in the medical imaging,
printing, and sonography applications to software solutions for centralized medical image
database systems.
Some of the key products which were studied thoroughly for meeting the objective of the project
are mentioned below with their key differentiating features.
CR systems:
- Regius 110: This is an X-ray scanning systems which removes the process of developing
an x-ray with conventional manual method. The key differentiating feature of the product
is its rigid plate technology which reduced the no. of moving parts in the system which in
turn increases the durability of the product. The customer enjoys the benefit of low after
sales service cost. The product comes up with 2 years of warranty.
- Regius 110 HQ: This system has almost all the features of Regius110 plus has the
capability of scanning mammography based X-ray with highest resolution in the
category.
Printer:
- DRY PRO 873: This is an X-ray printing device capable of printing 180 plates per hour
at the resolution of 580 dpi (dots per inch) which is highest in the industry. The printer is
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 11
available to the customers in the two & three tray options. The trays are dedicated to the
customized size of the plates as per customer’s requirement.
Scanner & Printer Packages
- Regius-Sigma 25/60 : This system comes with the combo package of scanner, printer
and communication software. The nos. indicate the speed of scanning per hour. The
winning feature of the product is reduced moving parts and openable case which reduces
the after sales service cost to customer.
DR Systems:
- AERO DR ADVANTAGES
a. Both Wireless and Wired Possible
b. Light Weight – 2.9 kgs including battery
c. Easy Roaming due to wireless technology
d. Retrofit with existing X-ray system without modification
e. Low Power consumption
f. Improved Workflow – Image preview –less than 2 sec
Ultra Sound Equipment’s:
- Sonoscape A5: Company’s affordable budget ultrasound machine for basic gynecology
application. The equipment has one probe connectivity.
- Sonoscape SSI 4000: This is company’s mid-range ultrasound equipment with 3 probe
connectivity.
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 12
Chapter 2
Objectives
Objectives of the Project
To understand the Sales and Marketing process in the Business to Business segment.
To understand the different markets in UP-east and Delhi in terms of Brand awareness
and Product knowledge.
To find out the key order qualifying features which customers take into account while
selecting a medical equipment.
To find prospects in the respective markets and lead generation.
Limitation of the study:
This study is limited to the area (markets) of Delhi-East, Kanpur, Lucknow & Allahabad Only.
The products considered in the study are limited to the medical Imaging and printing category.
The study has also the limitation of time period as the study was conducted only for 2 months i.e
April & May of 2015.
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 13
Chapter 3
Research Methodology
Methodology: The RM technique used for the study is the Descriptive research.
Explanation: In the descriptive research methodology the method used for the study is survey
based where the researcher has to interview respondents personally and ask them questions to
come to a finding. As the medical equipment category is less explored area in the B2B segment,
the above method serves the purpose by taking primary data for the research. To meet the other
objectives of the study cold calling and focus group discussions were used as one the method to
meet the objectives of the study.
The survey was conducted in the month of April & May of 2015. The respondents interviewed
were all decision makers in top- or middle-management positions, typically marketing Managers,
Medical directors, Radiology Head or the promoters of their Business typically Doctors.
Sampling Plan
The sampling plan used for the study is selecting a small area in the city and contacting most of
the suspects in the area and then qualifying them as prospects. This method suits the research
best as you can cover all kind of hospitals, Diagnostic centers in a particular area and a better
picture of the situation can be chalked out.
Type of data used for research: Primary data
The objective of the study is such that to reach to certain findings and lead generation ultimately
it was the best suited method as per organizations marketing plan to address specific markets.
Data Bifurcation as per Industry type for the completion of project collected is as follows:
Type of Prospects No. beds in
Hospital/Center
No. of Respondents
Interviewed
Orthopedic Surgeons -NA- 37
Hospitals >=100 32
Hospitals <100 54
Diagnostic centers -NA- 14
Dealers -NA- 4
Tools used: the tools used for analyzing the data are basic analytical skills and MS- Excel
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 14
Prospecting through Cold calling
To find the suspect in a particular market internet search plays important role in getting their
contact nos. Some of the websites/App which were very useful in getting contact nos. was
www.Justdial.com, www.Sulekha.com & https://www.practo.com.
Once the contact no. of the suspect is searched then call the suspect as per below script.
INTRO:
Hello Mr./Mrs. [Name] if the name is known otherwise Sir/mam, This is Shashank Tripathi
from KMHI with emphasis on Konica.
Give slight pause and wait for their acknowledgement, continue after intro
I had called to understand about the current X-ray/Ultrasound equipment you are using and then
ask for the concerned person if he/ she is free for 2 minutes just want to inform them about the
various schemes KMHI is offering in the market for limited period.
1. If the response is a no or if he's not looking for X-ray equipment
It was great speaking with you. Would you know anyone who would be looking for affordable
X-ray equipment?
Can you share their details with me? And last question if they could help Konica Minolta on
understanding the deciding factors of purchase decision in a medical equipment purchase like
- After Sales service
- Cost
- Ease of Use
- Brand Name
- Film Cost
- Product Features
2. If the response is a yes:
Then ask for the suitable time when they will able to give some time for meeting to explain them
about the schemes and qualifying them as prospects.
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 15
Chapter 4
Analysis & Interpretation
Product Training:
To do the research properly company provided me Product training in Mumbai and made me
understand how important it is to understand the features of the product and how to solve
customers’ problem by suggesting them the right product (Solution) as per their needs.
Importance of Product Training in B2B products
The first and the foremost important thing in the B2B segment is honing oneself with product
knowledge, its uses and how your product can solve customers’ problem. In B2B segment the
biggest advantage and disadvantage is that the customer knows about the products available in
the market to solve His/Her problem or at least He/She knows about the exact requirement of the
business. So to convince the customer you have to be very much through with the product
knowledge of your products and the competitor’s offerings in the same category.
What Product to be offered to whom matrix
Large
Hospitals
Middle
Hospitals
Small Hospitals
Imaging Centre
Orthopedic Centers
Suitable Products
Regius 210, Sonoscape A5 /
SSI-4000
Regius 110HQ, Sonoscape A5
Regius 110
Sigma 60 and Aero DR
Sigma 25
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 16
The above mentioned matrix was developed as a tool to pitch product to different types of
customers based on type of prospect.
Sales Promotion Schemes promoted for the Brand Awareness
- Regius Sigma with DRYPRO Sigma + 4 cassettes + 1 PC + Image pilot S/W
- Regius Sigma with 2 nos. DRYPRO Sigma + 4 cassettes + 1 PC + Image pilot S/W.
- Regius Sigma II with DRYPRO 873 and other peripheral devices
- Regius 110 with DRYPRO 873 and other peripheral devices
- Regius 110 with 2 nos. DRYPRO Sigma
- DRYPRO 873 free of cost with a commitment of using certain fixed amount of films per
year ( three year agreement with the customer)
- Exchange of current equipment with the new one from Konica (buy back offer)
Understanding:
KMHI understands the use of their products and hence promotes product through product
bundling and offers discount on the package. When surveying the market it was observed most
of the customers asked for the turn key solution for their imaging needs and in these scenarios
these customized packages come handy in convincing the customers.
The last promotion scheme gives a classical example of business revenue generated by the
company using the revenue from the consumable items used with the standard machine. The
printer was offered to the customer free of cost but with the commitment of using Konica’s film
for printing X-ray for the next 2-3 years based on the variant they wish to use.
Competitors of KMHI in India
In the product training we were made aware of various competitors which are operating in the
same category, some of which are KODAK also known as Carestream, Agfa, Fujifilm, Philips,
Cannon Inc, Samsung, KM, Perkin Elmer, Mindray etc.
Some of the key differential advantages of KMHI over the other brands are as follows:
- Highest resolution in the product category
- Best quality film and hence better X-ray images.
- Rigid Plate technology which ensures low maintenance cost.
- Original manufacturer of Scintillator technology used in digital radiography (DR).
- Mammography based X-ray technology available in the budget category CR.
- Oldest manufacturer of X-ray film and camera lens (scanner) which gives it edge over the
others.
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 17
Comparison of products by different manufacturers
Manufacturer Model Scanning speed
per hour First view time
No. of
cassettes
loaded at
once
Agfa CR25 72 75 1
Agfa CR75 100-116 75 10
Kodak-
Carestream
Directview CR
850 91 90 1
Kodak-
Carestream
Directview CR
950 76 75 8
Konica Regius 110 80 45 2
Konica Regius 210 110 45 4
Fujifilm Smart CR 56-90 60 1
Fujifilm XG5000 103-165 60 4
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 18
New Delhi
Since the market size of Delhi is huge and has lot of potential which we can see from the fact
that the number of hospital beds in Delhi increased from 23,000 in 1995 to over 40,000 in 2005
with the private sector accounting for almost 40% of the total healthcare industry .The
methodology used for the research is direct marketing and identification of prospects. In the
process of research more than 30 respondents were interviewed in the month of April’15 and
were asked about the feedback on the current system they are using for the X-ray imaging and
what are their future requirements. To understand the market from the dealer point of view 2
dealers were also interviewed.
Details of 30 respondents
Type of Prospects No. beds in
Hospital/Center
No. of Respondents
Interviewed
Orthopedic Surgeons -NA- 10
Hospitals >=100 6
Hospitals <100 10
Diagnostic centers -NA- 4
Dealers -NA- 2
- In response to the question about the current system they are using following data was
observed.
Manually 13%
Carestream 34%
Fujifilm 13%
Agfa 20%
Konica 7%
Outsource 13%
Different brands equipment %age- Delhi
Manually Carestream Fujifilm Agfa Konica Outsource
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 19
It was observed that the market was equally favorable to all the brands with Carestream leading
the share in Delhi east and Konica was having 7% of the share. The reason behind low market
share of Konica is actually the late entry in the market whereas Carestream (Kodak) is present in
the market from 2002.
- On asking about the future requirements of the hospitals/diagnostic centers, following
response were observed.
Most of the customers were satisfied with the current equipment.
Some of the customers who were having more than 4 year old equipment were
looking for change.
On informing about the various sales promotion schemes from Konica Minolta,
some of them showed interest and even two prospects actually asked for quotation
because they were looking for X-ray equipment.
It was also observed while talking to X-ray technicians that they find it very easy
to use Fujifilm equipment’s.
- When asked about the Key features they take into account while selecting an equipment
following response were observed
It was observed that product features, after sales service and film cost were few deciding factors
while selecting a medical equipment. Though most of them were little apprehensive about the
cost as one of the deciding factor but when asked specifically about the cost then most of them
said they consider cost as a deciding factor once they are satisfied with the other factors. So if
two brands are at par on the above mentioned factors then the cost plays a role in deciding the
purchase.
8
7
6
2
3
4
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
AFTER SALES SERVICE
PRODUCT FEATURES
COST
EASE OF USE
BRAND NAME
FILM COST
Deciding factors in purchase decision- Delhi
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 20
Kanpur
Kanpur is a business hub of U.P. and the Healthcare industry of Kanpur is in the growth stage.
There are lot of Pvt. Hospitals coming up in the city which are getting approvals from Govt. The
city is also home to various private practitioners in the field of Orthopedics and Gynecology. The
city attracts patients from the nearby small cities like Unnao and Fatehpur because of the
presence of latest technology with various Hospitals. Since the no. of Hospitals in the city are
larger in nos. the method of prospecting was done by cold calling, direct marketing & references
from the other prospects. In the process of meeting the objectives of the project 70 respondents
and one dealer were interviewed and were informed about the KMHI’s product offerings and the
sales promotion schemes.
Detail of 70 respondents
Type of Prospects No. beds in
Hospital/Center
No. of Respondents
Interviewed
Orthopedic Surgeons -NA- 21
Hospitals >=100 15
Hospitals <100 28
Diagnostic centers -NA- 6
Dealers -NA- 1
- In response to the question about the current system they are using following data was
observed.
manually 46%
Fujifilm 31%
Agfa 3%
Carestream 17%
Konica 3%
Different Brand equipment %age- Kanpur
Kanpur
manually
Fujifilm
Agfa
Carestream
Konica
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 21
It was observed from the data that the Fujifilm was leading the market with the highest market
share and then 46 % of the respondents were doing X-ray manually. On observing the data in
details it was observed that most of the small hospitals/ orthopedic surgeons were doing the X-
ray manually as they were not having enough per day requirement i.e 3 to 12 X-rays per day.
Konica Minolta’s equipment were less known in the market and there were only two users who
were using our equipment. We can see from the data that Agfa has a very small market share in
the pie. We can deduce that as Agfa gives the thermal printing films which are not very good for
future reference and that is main cause of losing out on business.
- On asking about the future requirements of the hospitals/diagnostic centers, following
response were observed.
Most of the customers were satisfied with the after sales service of Fujifilm and
hence were not looking for change. One of the respondent was even brand
advocate of Fujifilm but showed interest in the schemes promoted by KMHI.
Some of the customers who were having more than 4 year old equipment were
looking for change and showed interest in the scheme of buy back offer from
KMHI.
Some of the prospects who were doing manual X-ray said they will change to CR
system in one or two years and hence asked for the product specs and price.
On surveying the city and promotion of schemes, total of 3 leads were generated and key
prospects were listed which can be converted to customers in the future.
- Diagnostic centers
1. Vishal Diagnostic centers
2. Paliwal Diagnostic centers
3. Vikas Diagnostic centers
4. Ratan Diagnostic centers
5. Gyan Diagnostic centers
- Nursing homes
1. Priya Nursing home
2. Anjali Nursing Home
3. Bhargava Hospital
4. Santosh Hospital
- Hospitals
1. Vandana Raj hospital
2. Krishana Hospital
3. North Star Hospital
4. Vedanta Hospital
5. Prakhar Hospital
6. Madhuraj Hospital
7. Madhulok Hospitals
8. Gasto liver
9. Regency Hospital
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 22
- When asked about the key deciding factor while selecting medical equipment the
following response was observed as the most critical features ranked as no. 1.
In Kanpur it was observed that after sales service, Film cost and product features were ranked as
no. 1 by various respondents. The film cost is actually the cost of the film which gets used for
printing X-rays. As the patients in Kanpur come from various small cities it was compulsory for
the hospitals to give them the printed report of their X-rays for future reference.
22
18
11
5
5
9
0 5 10 15 20 25
AFTER SALES SERVICE
PRODUCT FEATURES
COST
EASE OF USE
BRAND NAME
FILM COST
Deciding Factors in purcahse decision- Kanpur
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 23
Manually 36%
Fujifilm 46%
Carestream 5%
GE 3%
Konica 10%
Different Brand Equipment % age - Lucknow & Allahabad
Manually
Fujifilm
Carestream
GE
Konica
Lucknow & Allahabad
Lucknow is the capital city of UP and the health sector in Lucknow is in the mature phase on the
other hand Allahabad is relatively a small city with lesser no. of hospitals and clinic. The purpose
of considering these cities for the study is to understand the difference in the market
requirements and how the customers decide while buying a medical equipment. Based on the
research a marketing campaign can be conducted to increase the sales. In the process of research
for the project 39 respondents and one dealer were interviewed and were informed about the
KMHI’s product offerings and the sales promotion schemes.
Details of 39 Respondents
Type of Prospects No. beds in
Hospital/Center
No. of Respondents
Interviewed
Orthopedic Surgeons -NA- 6
Hospitals >=100 11
Hospitals <100 18
Diagnostic centers -NA- 4
Dealers -NA- 1
- In response to the question about the current system they are using following data was
observed.
Here also the same pattern was observed Fujifilm was the market leader with 46% of the share in
the selected sample and Agfa was having very low presence in this market. Most of the prospects
who were doing manual x-ray were tapped and given product knowledge about Konica’s Brand.
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 24
- On asking about the future requirements of the hospitals/diagnostic centers, following
response were observed.
Most of the customers were unaware of the brand Konica and their knowledge
was limited to Konica as a Film manufacturer.
Some of the prospects were aware of the quality of manual films manufactured by
Konica in the past and the general perception was good about the brand.
Few customers were unhappy with the after sales service from the organizations
and hence others were little skeptical about the same.
Some of the customers who were having more than 4 year old equipment were
looking for change and showed interest in the buy back and free of cost printer
schemes.
Some of the prospects who were doing manual X-ray said they will change to CR
system as soon they will be able to arrange for the funds or were waiting for the
business to increase.
In the process of Brand awareness 2 leads were also generated.
- When asked about the key deciding factor while selecting medical equipment the
following response was observed as the most critical features ranked as no. 1.
It was observed that after sales service and Film cost were again the main deciding factor by the
customers in purchase of medical equipment. It was also seen that some of the customers were
taking Brand name also a deciding factor.
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
After sales Service
Product features
Cost
Ease of use
Brand Name
Film cost
Deciding Factor in Purchase decision- Lucknow & Allahabad
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 25
Chapter 5
Conclusion
Understanding of B2B marketing process in UP-east and Delhi
From the study it was understood how B2B buying situation is different from B2C buying
situation where in B2C buying scenario you easily woo a customer through branding, features
and other marketing tactics to sell the product. Whereas on the other hand in B2B segment the
decision maker is different from the user of the product, the no. of people involved in the
decision process are more or equal to one. The decision of buying a particular product depends
on lot of things and it is utmost important to for the supplier/Seller to understand the intended
use of the product and the value which it will offer to the customer.
Following things were noted while working on the project in the B2B marketing scenario
- Apart from Brand name, other factors like after sales service and consumable items cost
also plays an important role in the purchase decision.
- The no. of people involved in the purchase decision are greater in no. & sometimes it is
very hard to directly meet with the decision maker.
- It is very important to target the end user of the product in medical equipment category
which is the X-ray technician. They also play a very important role in influencing the
decision maker. They also help you in climbing the ladder up to decision maker.
- Dealers also play a very important role in B2B segment as they interact with customers
directly and the involvement of customer is also high, so it is very important to maintain
strict rules in appointing dealers with some pre-requisites.
- In medical equipment sales one need to know that product demonstration plays a very
important role and once you convince the customer for product demonstration that it
means half the battle is won.
Ongoing through various markets of UP-east and Delhi a clear differentiation was observed in
the market and the point of common preferences were also noted. Based on the understanding of
the different markets, sales promotion schemes and marketing campaign can be planned.
Differences in the markets
The clear differentiation which was observed in the buying approach of prospects from Delhi
compared to the buying approach of a prospects in Up-east. The prospects in Delhi area are least
bothered about the funds or are too much worried about the after sales service, there biggest area
of concerned is how much value this equipment will add to their business, on the other hand the
deciding factor in UP-east is “whether this equipment is required for the business?” Because
customers in UP are concerned about their customers and the possibility of growth in the near
future. As Delhi is one of the mature market in terms of CR systems so most of the medical
imaging centers are already using CR systems provided by different-different vendors. In case of
UP-east market there are two kind of prospects i.e. one who are already using CR system and
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 26
looking for a change and the one who are either doing it manually or are coming up with new
facility and want to purchase a new one. The flow of money in UP-east market is slow and the
daily imaging needs are also low that is why some of them are happy doing it manually or
outsourcing it. The end-user or the end customers also have low awareness in comparison to
Delhi which is the biggest hindrance in the sub-urban market and people don’t understand the
quality difference b/w manual and digital X-ray.
Similarity in the markets
Some of the similarity which were noted in both the markets are as follows:
- Both the customers/prospects give importance to after sales service while selecting a
particular brand.
- Promotional schemes interests both the customers but it is very important to launch them
at the right time because the demand in this category is seasonal.
- One the factor which customers in every market have considered while selecting an
equipment was film cost, so it is very important to keep competitive pricing strategy
while deciding on the film cost as the customers generally tell you a reason for going
with other brand because of film prices. It’s like your maintenance cost for the equipment
and most of the customers want it to be as low as possible.
Key features which decides the purchase of an equipment
It was observed that after sales service was the biggest concern or the deciding factor in the
purchase of a medical equipment and that is why vendors who available locally have likely hood
of getting more orders than those who are not present in the city. On completion of study it was
concluded that all the parameters which were considered for the study were all important but in
this case the dealer network plays a critical role for in providing customers with best in class
46
28
20
9
12
24
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
AFTER SALES SERVICE
PRODUCT FEATURES
COST
EASE OF USE
BRAND NAME
FILM COST
Deciding Factor in Purchase decision
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 27
after sales service. Film cost also came into picture while talking to various customers. The
hospitals which are having separate purchase & marketing department consider film cost as one
the deciding factors in the purchase of medical equipment’s.
In the process of working on the project total of 7 leads were generated. Following learning were
also noted:
- Cyclicity of business in medical imaging equipment in the respective markets. It was
observed that business picks up in the month April, May & June for which the purchases
are planned in the month of December to April.
- A lot of persuasion is needed to convert a customer into prospect.
- To generate more leads new markets should be covered because metro cities have already
adapted this technology.
- The demand of CR equipment’s will again rise in the market (market under study) after
2-3 years.
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 28
Chapter 6
Suggestions
Following suggestions were given to the company after the completion of project:
- Company should concentrate on after sales service in the cities like Kanpur & Lucknow
because if they will make the existing customers happy then the possibility of reference
sales increases. As the customers are doctors and they have their own community it is
very important to have positive WOM (word of mouth) from the existing customers.
- Company should try to have competitive pricing of films as it is the recurring cost which
the customers have to pay once they buy the equipment and they keep that in back of
their mind while purchasing the equipment.
- Company should appoint a dealer in Allahabad on urgent basis to cater to the market of
Varanasi & Kanpur
- Social media engagement of existing customers to make a brand community, this will
create brand awareness and product knowledge among select consumer group.
Campaign
Suggested a marketing campaign for select city.
Campaign Info:
Problem identified
- Low brand awareness in the city.
- X-ray technicians have not used Konica’s equipment and find other brands easy to use.
- Lot of X-ray technicians in these markets were not certified.
- No proof of quality to the customers.
Solution Recommended:
A three day marketing campaign in the respective cities in the month of May when people suffer
from lot chest and bone problems.
The campaign shall be conducted on the weekends and information will flow through local
newspaper advertisement.
In the campaign company will organize a free of cost X-ray to local people. The X-ray will be
done by X-ray technicians in the city which will be called through advertisement and personal
invite.
X-ray technicians will in turn get the certificate from Konica certifying them as certified Konica
X-ray equipment users. This will help in increasing the brand awareness and preference in the
mind of consumers.
Symbiosis Institute Of Management Studies 2015
SHASHANK TRIPATHI 29
top related