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A marketing management method and a system to manage interactions, develop base line for the current performance, analyzing various marketing strategies and selecting a desirable marketing strategy for implementation are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, the method helps clients prepare product and service brands to mitigate risks and maximize profits. The method utilizes a web-based system including a server system coupled to a centralized interactive database and at least one client system. The method further includes the steps of documenting benefits and leading indicator metrics to evaluate an impact of the new marketing strategy and then making iterative improvements after strategy implementation to the new marketing strategy to refine the marketing strategy further to reduce risks and increase profits.
1. A method for managing marketing using a network-based marketing business system including a server coupled to a centralized interactive database and at least one client system in order to measure and manage a development of a relationship between a business and a contact, said method comprising:
creating, using the server, a unifying framework to manage contact Acquisition, Closing, and Retention as a continuum;
creating using the server, consistent contact relationship metrics across the unifying framework to measure progress in relationship development;
establishing, using the server, a deliberate, systematic process using the unifying framework and metrics to develop relationships and execute strategy, wherein the framework, metrics and process are stored in the database on the server; creating and storing, using the server, a plurality of contact relationship levels representative of a customer lifecycle for the framework within the database, wherein each contact relationship level is assigned to at least one of a plurality of marketing phases including Acquisition, Closing and Retention;
anticipating in advance and populating, using the server, the database with a plurality of potential interactions between the business and the contact necessary within each contact relationship level to execute a predetermined strategy to develop the relationship between the business and the contact;
predefining, using the server, and storing in the database at least one trigger interaction within the plurality of potential interactions that enables movement of the contact from a first contact relationship level of the plurality of contact relationship levels to a second relationship level of the plurality of relationship levels and from a first marketing phase to a second marketing phase;
assigning, using the server, and storing in the database a predetermined relative interaction value based on an anticipated relative impact and relationship enhancement capabilities of each of the plurality of potential interactions between the business and the contact, the relative interaction value serving as a basis of measuring interaction effectiveness and progress in developing the relationship between the business and the contact;
assigning, using the server, and storing in the database a predetermined variable cost to each of the plurality of potential interactions between the business and the contact;
measuring, using the server, progress in relationship development for the contact within each contact relationship level by receiving over a network and recording the consistent contact relationship metrics of interactions, relative interaction value, and interaction variable cost associated with each actual interaction between the business and the contact in an ongoing interaction record stored in the database on the server, wherein each actual interaction has an associated relative interaction value and variable cost;
continually assigning, using the server, the contact to a contact relationship level of the plurality of contact relationship levels as each actual interaction is recorded in the database on the server such that the assigned contact relationship level remains the same until the predefined definition of the at least one trigger interaction required for movement of the contact between contact relationship levels occurs;
continually updating in the database on the server a cumulative relative interaction value and cumulative variable interaction cost for the contact as each actual interaction occurs within the assigned contact relationship level based on the relative interaction value and variable cost associated with each actual interaction;
developing, using the server, an operational data stream in the database on the server for the contact, wherein the data stream tracks a cause and effect relationship between the recorded actual interactions and the corresponding relative interaction value of each recorded actual interaction and tracks the variable cost of each recorded actual interaction;
running, using the server, a computer-generated summary report for the contact, the summary report based on the data stream for the contact and transmitted by the server for display on said at least one client system, wherein the report includes operational interaction flow summaries and patterns;
based on the report, making real-time day-to-day decisions and process improvements regarding the profitability and effectiveness of the chosen strategy and analyzing and producing long-term planning of the profitability and effectiveness of alternative marketing strategies by aggregating and correlating the operational interaction flow summaries and patterns with data acquired from other decision support systems and transaction processing systems.
2. A method in accordance with
anticipating, using the server, potential interactions, fixed costs associated with each potential interaction, and variable costs associated with each potential interaction, the potential interactions being necessary to carry out the alternative strategies through each of the plurality of marketing phases;
running reports, using the server, for each alternative strategy based on status quo, best case scenario, and worst case scenario;
selecting, using the server, a best new planned strategy;
configuring, using the server, an operational relationship tracking system by populating the database with the anticipated potential interactions necessary to carry out an implementation of the selected best new planned strategy as a continuum through the plurality of marketing phases and through the plurality of contact relationship levels within each marketing phase such that all potential interactions and the associated relative interaction values and variable costs of each interaction are available to be selected by the operator of the system for the interaction record when the system is operational;
linking planning to operational execution, using the server, by systematically tracking actual results in executing the selected best new planned strategy by receiving over the network and recording in the database on the server consistent contact relationship metrics within the framework in an ongoing interaction record, wherein each actual interaction has an associated relative interaction value and variable cost and wherein the interactions, the relative interaction values, and the variable costs each constitute a data stream of contact relationship metrics; and
updating strategy decision models, using the server, with actual operational variable cost data from a computer-generated summary report to replace estimates.
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determining a computer-generated aggregate relative interaction value for the plurality of contacts; and
correlating the aggregate relative interaction value with at least one of business profits, customer satisfaction, and other key performance indicators of the business, wherein the aggregate relative interaction value is a leading indicator of business profits, customer satisfaction and other key performance indicators of the business.
13. A method in accordance with
using a computer-generated aggregated data stream to facilitate iterative improvement of business performance; and
adjusting predetermined relative interaction values to reflect new values suggested from results obtained from a relationship tracking system.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/265,019 filed Jan. 30, 2001, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
This invention relates generally to a Marketing Business System (MBS), and more particularly, to network-based systems and methods to improve business intelligence, mitigate risks and maximize profit flows by tracking transactions and daily interactions.
A company typically conducts many levels of reviews when determining whether to engage in a specific marketing strategy. Most of these reviews and selection of the marketing strategy are based on general experiences of individuals involved but, often are not quantified in terms of financial returns. Decisions regarding what metrics should be used are typically based on individual tactics in either Marketing, Sales or Customer Care and are not derived from an overall strategy implementation across the entire Front Office or from relationships.
Known marketing management methods and systems, particularly related to the front office, have several disadvantages. For example, current management methods and systems are largely paper-based and time consuming. Often the information accumulated by various individuals is lost because the information is not organized, stored or cross-referenced for future purposes. Additionally, the information is not summarized or quantified to allow management to make meaningful decisions. The problem is more acute in large organizations having multiple divisions, and especially organizations with globally distributed divisions where managing marketing function requires immediate attention, review, and decision making at various levels across the globe.
In an exemplary embodiment, a searchable web-based system sets up the relationship in the database to build profiles, track results and generate reports. The system also establishes leading indicator metrics baselines to determine the current condition of the business. After the initial set up is completed, the system collects relevant data for the front office of the business against a unique identifier for easy retrieval and update, stores the data in the centralized database and cross-references against unique identifiers. The system retrieves the data from the centralized database in response to an inquiry and generates reports to facilitate the front office management to improve business productivity, reduce risks and maximize profits.
In another exemplary embodiment, a method for implementing a strategic marketing business process is disclosed. The method helps clients prepare product and service brands to mitigate risks and maximize profits. The method utilizes a web-based system including a server system coupled to a centralized interactive database and at least one client system. The method includes the steps of analyzing new marketing opportunities, identifying a new marketing strategy after alternative new marketing strategies are quantified and prioritized, refining the new marketing strategy, and implementing the new marketing strategy. The method further includes documenting benefits and leading indicator metrics to evaluate the impact of the new marketing strategy. Based on the information obtained, modifications are made to the new marketing strategy to refine it further to reduce risks and maximize profits.
In yet another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the method for providing information to a client regarding the current condition of the client's business as reflected in leading indicator metrics baselines including (a) a baseline for scoring the business's relative market position and (b) a baseline for quantifying Front Office strategy and relationship performance. The method for scoring the business's relative market position includes selecting categories from predefined categories, selecting a choice of description from available choices for the selected category that appropriately describes the business, and generating a Strategic Brand Readiness Factor to reflect the current condition of the business after analyzing selected choices of the description based on a pre-determined methodology. The method for quantifying Front Office strategy and relationship performance configures the RT System as an Analytical Framework and includes comparing past performance with anticipated future performance of strategy implementation in a Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model supplemented by an Interaction ROI Model. These models encompass the customers' entire life cycle and then track success in implementation against assumptions. The Analytical Framework also includes the ability to capture patterns of customer behavior precipitating an analysis of the cause and effect of relationships on profitability.
The MBS in yet another exemplary embodiment, includes a web-enabled interactive database to store and process data corresponding to contacts, businesses, users, and various interactions and cross referencing the accumulated data against unique identifiers for easy retrieval and update. The database further stores specific data corresponding to Voice Mail Scripts, and Telemarketing Scripts to be used during an Acquisition Phase, a List of Profiling Questions Script to be used during a Closing Phase, a List of Profiling Questions Script to be used during a Retention Phase and Knowledge Screens. Based on the data stored, the MBS produces a variety of reports for the management.
Exemplary embodiments of systems and processes that facilitate integrated network-based electronic reporting and workflow process management related to a Marketing Business System (MBS) are described below in detail.
MBS Overview:
The MBS implements a strategic marketing business process, also known as business intelligence consulting, to help clients prepare product and service brands to mitigate risks and increase profit flows. Business processes are formalized in the MBS. The MBS provides a framework for a business to increase profit flows by organizing around its customers, placing a value on all its relationships and testing strategies in advance of investment. The resulting proprietary metrics provide a competitive edge which is differentiation based on exclusive customer relationships.
The MBS captures interaction and transaction details and provides on-line, up-to-date information upon request. The MBS tracks details regarding a specific transaction from inception to completion, quantifying the Interactions, and provides a status of these details to users. In the exemplary embodiment, the system utilizes at least one of a Relational Database and a Multidimensional Database with a client user interface front-end for administration and a web interface for standard user input and reports. Information is accessed in the database through Structured Query Language (SQL), OLAP (On-Line Analytical Processing) software and other analytical software tools.
The MBS supports various levels of management hierarchy and provides access to individuals based on the position held by the individual within the business entity. The MBS has capability to download data extracted to populate commercialized database programs or spread sheet software, which provides the enduser with additional flexibility. Similarly, the data extracted can be uploaded to the MBS from commercialized database programs or spreadsheet software.
The business process implemented by the MBS follows corporate strategic planning to organize a Front Office to meet overall business objectives using a promising marketing strategy. The Front Office of a business entity refers to Marketing, Sales, and Customer Care of the business entity. The business process not only completes the next level of strategic marketing planning, but it tracks the actual results accomplished during implementation of a promising marketing strategy throughout the Front Office, creating the metrics that allow success to be replicated. The business process is a Knowledge Management application for Business Intelligence. The tracking mode of the business process is an enhancement to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and integrates data from ERP and CRM essentially making the CRM tool more intelligent and tying customer relationship management process to business objectives, marketing strategy and transactions. The knowledge gained from the use of the business process in planning and tracking modes may be stored in an existing Knowledge Management tool for easy access by the Front Office personnel. Businesses more likely to find the business process attractive are the businesses that value their relationships with customers and want to have customers for life, operate in the business-to-business arena, businesses that are mid-sized and established firms with a high value offering and work with large numbers of customer base either as prospects or customers or both.
More specifically, the Strategic Marketing Business Process, or Business Intelligence Business Process mitigates risk by giving management a framework to understand and analyze business by resolving the following issues:
1) Why the customers buy from and stay with the business,
2) How to strengthen customer relationships,
3) What patterns of behavior lead to more profitable results for the business, i.e. the cause and effect in their relationships,
4) Where in the customer life cycle are specific events such as increasing purchases, giving referrals or becoming unhappy more likely to happen,
5) How to balance value given to customers with value received from customers, so that the businesses and their customers profit but not at the expense of the other,
6) Where the brand recognition stands in relation to others in the marketplace,
7) What efforts will be required to reach the business objectives,
8) What are the realistic expectations of the business, in addition to identification of problem areas, opportunities for growth, etc.
9) How to run a sustainable business,
10) Who are the most profitable customers, what are their relationships worth,
11) What is the key source of revenue, and
12) How to optimize the key source of revenue to maximize profit flows.
In one embodiment, to increase Profit Flows, management understands how their relationships as well as strategic marketing works so they can integrate strategic marketing concepts across the Front Office and define the metrics that measure the performance of the business. To determine the root causes that hinder the profitability of the business, management evaluates and understands with specificity the functional responsibility of the Front Office (i.e. Marketing, Sales and Customer Care), and potential actions that can improve the inter-working relationships of functional organizations to improve profitability and reduce risks. Management also understands how these groups are integrated in the Front Office, how the inter-working relationships of functional organizations affect their prospects and customers, and how to use the resources of people, time and money to their best advantage. Additionally, it is beneficial for management to share the strategy and results with everyone in the Front Office, ensure that the Front Office is integrated, further ensure that the outputs of their efforts are accessible and easily understandable, and that the output is organized to quantify, categorize and analyze it to help the performance of the business. The process helps to quickly capitalize on the strength of the business by not only making informed adjustments to the marketing program, but by making strategic, long-term investments.
To begin to solve the problems, the Front Office organizes around the customer by dividing the major process steps into detailed steps that can be implemented and measured, assigning a value to the detailed steps (or Interactions) and thereby the relationships, modeling strategies in advance of investment, anticipating the metrics, implementing a most promising strategy out of all possible strategies and options, tracking the results, analyzing the results, and developing leading indicator metrics.
The Difficulty of Optimizing the Front Office with Current Approaches
Without the necessary Business Intelligence, management doesn't use marketing resources effectively and efficiently, doesn't know where to allocate marketing budgets and neglects of the source of profit flow, their customers. It's common for executives to think of marketing as a black hole or for them to moan that they know that only half of their marketing is working, but that they don't know which half. It is also common for executives to spend much more on acquiring customers than keeping them.
Management has been stymied in evaluating performance of Front Office marketing strategies for three reasons:
A Customer-Centric Solution Needed
How marketing works is not readily understood for three reasons.
Business Intelligence is needed on the cause and effects of customer interactions and on relationship-driven strategy determination and implementation. Quantifying and monetizing the customer relationship are key to maximizing profit flows.
Description of the Solution
This Marketing Business System (MBS) is designed to deliver the Business Intelligence management needs to build relationships and thereby profit flows.
The MBS configures a Relationship Tracking System as an Analytical Framework to develop leading indicator metrics baselines including scoring the relative market position of the business and quantifying Front Office strategy and relationship performance.
The efficacy of a high level Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model for Status Quo and a new marketing strategy developed during the planning process is checked during implementation with lower level Interaction data collected in the Relationship Tracking System. This foundation of lower level data helps to make high level assumptions more reliable in future iterations.
The datastream from the Relationship Tracking System also makes it possible to capture customer behavior patterns, showing the cause and effect of customer relationships, Interaction by Interaction as well as the pattern punctuated by the major events or milestones in the customer life cycle and finally appending these behavior patterns with Awareness/Satisfaction Research findings to correlate movements.
How customer relationships work is key to how marketing works. When management knows how it works for their company, they can use their marketing resources more wisely to acquire new customers and strengthen their relationships with their existing customers. Over time, as the marketing formula is refined, management can maximize profit, mitigate risk and hone their business model.
The primary benefits of the business process to management is guidance in mitigating risk and maximizing profit flows. Higher profitability leads to greater value in the marketplace. Greater value in the marketplace translates to more shareholders, increased stock value, higher sale value. Higher profitability can be used to build a long-term viable business, give dividends, make acquisitions, pay down debt and do public good. Information from the business process can balance short-term and long-term goals or be stronger in either direction. The information gives management options.
Secondary benefits are knowing where to focus, setting realistic expectations and attaining an integrated Front Office. The integrated Front Office comes with its own set of ancillary benefits�Marketing, Sales and Customer Care working together, aligned behind a common Marketing Strategy, with everyone owning the customer�and management knowing what everyone does at what cost.
Long-term benefit is deep knowledge of customers and customers' value that enables a business to differentiate based on exclusive customer relationships.
From the 19 reports the business process creates there is a plethora of information. Each business has a unique set of circumstances and unique needs for leading indicator metrics to guide management. Evaluating which metrics will really be helpful is done up front. As circumstances change, different metrics are highlighted. The Report Grid summarizes the purpose of the reports and how they contribute to the benefits to be derived from the MBS. The Report Grid also indicates at what stage they are used in the MBS, for establishing the status quo baseline, planning an alternative strategy or evaluating results of strategy implementation. The Report Grid is in Appendix E, E-44 to E-47.
With this proprietary information, management can hone the business model to mitigate risks and increase profit flows and repeat the business process steps as necessary to improve on the leading indicator metrics to build a database of more proprietary information for future reference.
The MBS utilizes a network-enabled (e.g., Web-enabled) interactive database to automate a Marketing Business System. System 10 captures pertinent information and provides on-line, up-to-date information to the user, whether corporate or individuals, after authentication, upon request. In one exemplary embodiment, system 10 utilizes a database with a client user interface front-end for administration and a network interface for standard user input and reports. Information is accessed in the database through a variety of analytical tools. The MBS is a marketing tool to facilitate Strategic Marketing and Business Intelligence Consulting. The MBS can also be used as a stand alone tool for internal users. System 10 supports various levels of management hierarchy and provides access to individuals based on the position held by the individual within the business entity.
In an exemplary embodiment MBS 10 utilizes a database services 80 to collect and store information on individuals important to the success of the business entity. MBS 10 tracks contact information as well as an ongoing Interaction Record of various ways individuals interact with the business, and how each interaction affects the profitability by quantifying the effort in various ways. The information is sorted into several user interfaces from preliminary to a formal analysis for profiling purposes. The Interaction Record itself is kept in tabular form (instead of the usual running dialogue of contact management systems) so that the record can be quickly read or analyzed. Database services 80 are divided into several sections, which are further divided into a variety of sub-sections to organize and store the data relevant in the analysis and reporting. Various sections within database services 80 are interconnected to update and retrieve the information as required.
In the embodiment in
Database services 80 are coupled to several layers within the N-Tier Architecture, which perform specific tasks. All the layers are integrated to provide comprehensive information. Updating information within one section also automatically updates the relevant information in other sections of the database to maintain integrity.
The first layer that a user 33 or 36 encounters is an authentication layer 40 which determines whether the user is to be granted access and what level of access to database services 80. Users 33 also go through a web services layer 50 which is a necessary interface for those seeking to access database services 80 through a browser. A components layer 60 houses the business rules for specific tasks including, but not limited to the business rules for access. An application services layer 70 does the process of the business rules, doing the tasks necessary to provide the MBS 10 System and the user with the data formatted or requested. The database services layer collects and houses the data in a variety of analytical formats including, but not limited to lists, spreadsheets, cubes, etc. An administrative services layer 90 provides the utilities and oversight to make the layers work together to provide the data and reports MBS 10 and the user require in pre-determined formats. System 10 is flexible to provide alternative reports and is not constrained to the options set forth above.
The systems and processes are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. In addition, components of each system and each process can be practiced independent and separate from other components and processes described herein. Each component and process also can be used in combination with other components and processes.
Overview of Terminology:
For the purposes of explanation, a brief overview of terminology is provided hereunder:
1) Strategic Brand Readiness (SBR) Factor
The SBR factor is a method to more accurately portray value and mitigate risk posed by external and internal brand readiness issues. The SBR factor allows the business to reflect relative market position as a planning tool.
Typically Net Present Value (NPV) assigns a risk factor at a flat percentage, usually the same figure as the current interest rate, so if the interest is 10%, then risk is 10% and the NPV factor is 20% for the first year. The SBR factor goes beyond NPV and adjusts anticipated profit upwards for brands that are ready and have a favorable market situation and adjusts anticipated profit below the value of the flat percentage for brands that aren't ready and that are facing a more uncertain market situation. The SBR factor range is + or −10%. Typically the NPV risk flat percentages are 10%. The SBR factor fluctuates to show aftereffects of programs put into place in year one.
The overall SBR factor includes two parts. One part includes six categories and evaluates the external market situation. The other part includes an additional six categories and evaluates what can be done or is being done to affect it. There are 100 possible points spread among the categories that matter in an Acquisition phase, a different set of 100 in a Closing phase and still a different set of 100 in a Retention phase. The SBR factor value is portioned 20% to the Acquisition phase, 30% to the Closing phase and 50% to the Retention phase to reflect a typical breakout of new to repeat business and to arrive at a final SBR factor in the range of + or −10%. Included within the 12 possible categories are 70 individual items in total. The value can be different in each phase and a full value is preset. Each item has 5 possible choices for scoring and a relative value: 1, 0.5, 0, 0.5, and −1. The score is figured by multiplying 1, 0.5, 0, −0.5, and −1 times the full value of the item. The sum of the relative value of all the items in a category as scored determines the value that category contributes to the SBR factor for each of the phases. The objective of undertaking SBR analysis is to arrive at a factor unique to the specific business situation that the business can utilize to make future forecasts.
The full value preset for the items and the categories can be changed for every industry or product service offering. Even different categories and items can be created and have different full values preset. For example, in some industries, innovation may have more impact than in others and therefore be assigned a higher value. The process requires the user to be consistent once the values are assigned and use the same values in comparing strategies from year to year. The SBR factor scoring potential averages the opinions of a panel of subject matter experts as a starting point for preset values.
Remedies can be directed to the category overall or to an item within the category. (Example: �Must Haves� is a category. Quality is an item under that. Excellent quality is worth a 1; good, −0.5; poor, no value; questionable, 0.5; and unknown, −1. There are 7 items under the �Must Haves� category and each will be rated and counted in the category value.) The business may make investments to increase the value. Investments may include, for example, changing manufacturing processes to improve quality, adding human resources to improve the track record in an area, lowering prices to increase market share or customer share, investing in technology to make the product more integral to the customer's business adding more financial resources to Travel & Entertainment budget for aggressive, networking, investing in a privacy program to increase the trust factor, or initiating a long-term public relations program to change the reputation.
2) Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model
The Customer Lifecycle Profitability Model takes a snapshot of a customers' entire life cycle to give a comprehensive view of their value, given a particular set of circumstances and assumptions. The model is used for each of a variety of strategies and best and worse case scenarios, starting with the status quo, to compare the value of one strategy to another in advance of investment and to maximize profit flows.
The Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model supplemented by an Interaction ROI Model is used to help quantify Front Office strategy and relationship performance to compare past performance with assumptions about anticipated future performance and actual future performance.
To provide information for the model, management completes a Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model Template (Shown in Appendix E, pages E-5 through E-7) for Status Quo best and worst case scenarios and two alternative Marketing Strategies with best and worst case scenarios. The information includes Front Office and financial data as well as the appropriate SBR Factor and management's assumptions for performance given the various strategies.
The Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model presents the results for comparison in the Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model Alternative Strategies Scenario Comparison, organized by Status Quo Best and Worst Case, then Alternative #1 Best and Worst Case, followed by Alternative #2 Best and Worst Case. Once management commits to a particular strategy and before implementation of that strategy, the Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model is double checked by looking at tactical requirements and assumptions in more detail in a Planning Mode Interaction ROI (I ROI) model that mirrors the format of the data that will come from the tracking system. Adjustments are made in the new marketing strategy Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model as needed. The combination of the anticipated metrics in the Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model and the I ROI Models form the baseline for future analysis of success in implementation.
Upon implementation, data from the tracking system feeds a Tracking Mode I ROI model which is the basis for a series of management reports yielding leading indicator metrics that allow for informed, focused adjustments to maximize profit and to be more effective in building relationships.
One of the management reports is a Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model Summary Report. The I ROI Model provides data to the Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model which runs this report. The report is used to evaluate the actual success of the chosen strategy compared to plan and status quo. It summarizes key assumptions leading to forecast. It compares anticipated long-term profitability of an individual customer and the business overall, adjusted to reflect the risk and the value of future dollars, and the cost in up front financial commitment.
The Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model value is derived by (1) looking at all the ways revenue comes in�from existing customers, new customers without referral, referred customers, and repeat business multiplied by the average yearly sale; (2) accounting for all the costs in detail for the Back Office and Front Office including direct costs (incremental and fixed), investments in infrastructure and Brand Readiness; and (3) using the SBR factor to more accurately portray value and risk than can be done using Net Present Value (NPV) discounts alone. The cumulative NPV profit shows the profit anticipated for the entire customer base. Customer Lifetime Value profit reduces it to the individual customer to show the net present value of future profits to be received from the average customer gained in year one over a period of several years. Customer Lifetime Value is typically used to justify discrete investments or separate Marketing, Sales, or Customer Care programs, and not to justify an Integrated Market Action Program (IMAP) that serves the entire Front Office as does this process.
In fact, business can develop an even more comprehensive Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model by accounting for multiple Sales Channels, products/services and pricing structures, marketing programs for alternative Acquisition and Retention strategies operating simultaneously or primary as well as secondary relationships. For example, the business can anticipate how investments in programs with non-customer groups, such as partners, analysts, employees, referral sources, and internal and external influencers, could change results with customer groups. Similarly, the business can develop a less comprehensive Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model by evaluating the effect of only one element compared to the status quo, for example, the effect of adding technology to change infrastructure.
The Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model can also be developed by evaluating the impact of segregating the business into various smaller business divisions, brands, and geographic contingencies. The Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model can be further segmented into customers by product family, industries, sources, various rating schemes, and more. The Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model is adaptable to any accounting system. The model can use net profit or gross profit or use overhead costs to get to average profit instead of marginal profit with all related investment costs added. The usefulness of the model is dependent, at least in part, on consistency.
3) Customer Segmentation
In one embodiment, to meet business objectives while increasing profit flows, a business focuses on customers that are already profitable customers or are otherwise priority customers. In an alternative embodiment, a business focuses on customers that are already the business' most profitable customers or are otherwise top priority customers. The business also focuses on prospective customers who have similar profiles to top priority customers. The prospective customers are referred to as prospects. Because profit is more likely to flow from satisfied customers, the business process encourages businesses to focus on creating customers for life. For example, extremely satisfied customers are more likely to be repeat customers, increase the amount they purchase or purchase new offerings more easily, eliminating the cost of Acquisition and lowering the cost of Closing. Extremely satisfied customers are also more likely to refer new customers, lowering Acquisition costs.
The priority customers for each business will be defined differently. Several factors that are considered by businesses in identifying and focusing on priority customers include, but are not limited to, profit, large purchase volume, good cash flow, promptness in paying, prestigious customers, or key customers in a new industry or geographic location.
The businesses take advantage of currently available cross tab analysis, Recency/Frequency/Monetary (RFM) transactional analysis, neural networks and other techniques to segment the most profitable (or otherwise priority) customers and to find other potentially profitable (or otherwise priority) customers within their customer base and in the marketplace in general.
4) Targeting Research
Targeting Research is customer-centric research that goes beyond product- or company-centric research to drill down deep enough to know why people do what they do, or what they are likely to do. Targeting Research uncovers nuances used to differentiate products or services in the marketplace and increase the likelihood that the customer will respond to the Integrated Market Action Program (IMAP).
The main reasons for undertaking Targeting Research are to confirm the market situation, validate viability of business objectives and customer segmentation, and determine the offering's appeal to potential top priority customers. Its results can help redefine what is being sold, why anyone cares, and who cares the most. Positioned correctly, targeting research can develop initial prospects and influencers for the business.
There are a couple of approaches, depending upon the number of prospects and customers and the number of customer segments in the overall target market.
For less than 100 prospects and customers in the overall target market, the business has an outside resource that calls upon approximately 25 people for in-depth one-on-one thorough telephone interviews, transcribes the interviews and analyzes these interviews.
For more than 100 prospects and customers in the overall target market, the business has an outside resource that interviews approximately 12 people in-depth to obtain the issues, then conducts more extensive discussions to validate the issues and identify nuances. If there are a number of distinctly different customer segments, the outside resource will interview with more customers in-depth, up front. The process continues depending on the overall size of the target market and the number of segments, until approximately 100 to 500 people are surveyed in depth. The business utilizes an outside resource to analyze the survey data using cross-tabulations that look at how different segments of the prospects or customers answered the questions. For example, women versus men, more profitable customers versus less profitable customers, the people with one set of products versus another and so on. From these results, the businesses build a profile of their best prospects and best customers so that the businesses can appeal to them more directly.
5) Targeting Research Options
While cross-tabulation analysis is adequate for most Targeting Research assignments, there is an occasional need for conjoint analysis. Under conjoint analysis, prospects or customers are given a series of options to rank with the goal of determining the optimal offering. Results of this analysis form the basis of a market model that can be reused as the offering evolves. Similarly, decision analysis models can be built to help prioritize offerings and/or projects.
On occasion a focus group may be used to clarify an issue. If the product/service needs to be demonstrated, a series of focus groups can be invaluable. If the product/service can be self-demonstrated, a self-administered survey is another option.
6) Front Office Process including Acquisition, Closing & Retention
The Front Office Process refers to a process for managing a Front Office that works well for the customer and the business. Understanding how it works, or how it should work, is beneficial to understanding any problems that should be solved to market to priority customers to increase profitability.
To work for the customer, it is beneficial for the people in the Front Office to work together to provide a seamless experience for the customer, from what is promised to what is delivered. In this business process, the Front Office is integrated without destroying the separate tactical functions of Marketing, Sales and Customer Care. Instead the distinct and different skills of the people in Marketing, Sales and Customer Care are focused on what they do best with clear handoffs between the functions and appropriate collaboration to work with the customer.
In the business process, the Front Office is organized around customers (and prospective customers or prospects) and their experiences regarding the Acquisition/the Closing/and the Retention (A/C/R) Phases. Marketing is charged with the Acquisition and hands off to Sales once a prospect becomes promising. Sales is responsible for Closing and handing the prospect off to Customer Care once the prospect becomes a customer. The hand off to Customer Care is an extended period since the purchase is arranged, but the customer has not received the purchase. Sales stays intimately involved to make sure the customer gets what has been promised and that introductions to Customer Care go smoothly. The Sales and Customer Care Staff form a customer relationship team and are activated again for repurchases. During the period between purchase and repurchase, Customer Care handles Retention activities. In fact, in the Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model and in the Interaction ROI (I ROI) Model, the Closing is segregated as Closing (Initial) and Closing (Repeat) to explore both metrics. To help evaluate the Retention Value, the Customer Maintenance Level is scored for inclusion on the Knowledge Screen Relationship Value (
The A/C/R Phases are further divided into CELs (Contact Evolution Levels) and how the process works now is looked at from the CEL perspective using the CEL framework to see what changes would need to be made to integrate the functional areas. What it takes for a contact to be in or achieve a CEL Level is defined for the business at this point. If the Front Office process is working well, the business gains by having the Front Office aligned behind one Marketing Strategy and by having the proper level of awareness, leads and satisfaction to keep suspects (a phase before the potential customer is classified as a prospective customer), prospects and customers flowing through the A/C/R Phases and corresponding CELs. Looking at awareness, leads and satisfaction or the lack thereof, is another way of defining the problems to be solved. In fact, a SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis on all aspects of the Front Office process is performed to understand the process strengths and weaknesses. The key issues involved in SWOT analysis relates to the process itself, (i.e. what does it take to move people from one CEL to another), how customers are affected by the process (i.e. what the business promises, delivers and the business' reputation in the selling environment) and what the business gains from having conducted the process (i.e. awareness, leads, satisfaction).
7) Strategic Positioning
Strategic Positioning is the bridge between a business and its customers. Strategic Positioning ensures there is not a disconnect between the business' overall strategic plan and its customers' experience, including their expectations or acceptance of the business' place in a competitive marketplace.
Strategic Positioning is the foundation of Marketing Strategy. It is expressed as a Strategic Positioning Statement and as a Promotional Positioning Line. It is augmented by Key Messages and Supporting Facts. It does not necessarily include the Value Proposition, defined as the delivery of the major benefit.
Strategic Positioning analysis draws on the strategic plan of the business, the knowledge gained from Targeting Research and competitive research. The analysis determines what the marketing openings are, or are not, by overlaying on management's perspective of the business' Value Proposition and its Key Messages, the perspective of its customers and the competition. The Strategic Positioning analysis optimizes the marketing opening a business may have by showing where it is going to be easier to be heard, where a perception may need to be changed, and what is going to take a larger effort to achieve, if it can be done at all.
The Value Proposition is the reason that management thinks the customer should value its offering and is the most likely reason customers stay, but not necessarily the reason they become customers.
A Strategic Positioning Statement summarizes what the business is, what it stands for, what it has to offer, to whom and why they should care (the major appeal of the offering). The Strategic Positioning Statement further summarizes the differences between the business and its competitors.
A Promotional Positioning Line highlights what is most likely to appeal to the customer about the offering.
Key Messages build upon the Promotional Positioning Line and add other pertinent information including information that may lead the customer to understand the Value Proposition. Over time, the Value Proposition can become the reason customers become long time customers, if, in fact, it was not the reason to begin with. Supporting facts lend credibility and proof of performance.
8) Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy flows from Strategic Positioning to balance risk and profit with the market situation, the capability of the business, its resources, and its objectives. Strategic Positioning links a business to its customers. In fact, it is the customer relationship that drives Marketing Strategy in this business process. A relationship with a customer is built one interaction or experience at a time. Because the cause and effects of customer interactions are not well understood, marketing has been difficult to justify or hold accountable. Quantifying and monetizing the customer relationship are key to increasing profit flows. In identifying alternative marketing strategies, the business process places greater importance on the interactions with customers (and prospective customers) than other aspects of marketing.
While interactions with the customer drives Marketing Strategy in this business process, pricing, distribution, and the offer are not ignored. They are aligned with the relationship aspect and support the Strategic Positioning. Assumptions of the affects of alternative pricing, sales channel choices and product configurations (including customer service and technical support) on revenue and costs are summarized in the Customer LifeCyle Profitability Model and in the Interaction ROI Model.
Configuring the RT System as an Analytical Framework to Build Profiles, Track Results & Develop Leading Indicator Metrics Baselines:
For MBS 10 system to function effectively, MBS 10 is configured as an Analytical Framework by management personnel and a system administrator responsible for implementing the system. The configuration process includes configuring the relationship to build profiles and track results. The configuration process further includes establishing leading indicator metrics baselines.
a) Configuring the Relationships to Build Profiles
Building profiles starts with the definition of a targeted customer, such as a top priority customer. To build deep knowledge of the targeted customer, management attempts to obtain more than normal contact information. Screens to capture information about the contact's relationships and personal data as well as company data are created. Positions for potential answers to questions to be asked of contacts are organized in Knowledge screens. Information residing in the database is captured as initial information. The initial information flows into analysis formats, such as cross tabulation formats, multidimensional spreadsheets, or special database queries, and is used to generate reports useful for addressing management issues.
First, a level of complexity for contact profiles is determined 312. This determination includes determining information available in databases and what is expected over time from the contact personally. The collected information is organized into Company Data, Personal Data and Relationship screens. Scripts, questionnaires, and surveys are prepared 314 for use in each Acquisition/Closing/Retention (A/C/R) Phase to elicit the information to be derived from the contact and/or to be verified by the contact. Information from the databases, the scripts, questionnaires and surveys is organized 316 into Knowledge screens including Relationship Value, Products/Services, Company Information and Business Intelligence. Existing information is accommodated 318, additional information is anticipated and collected to set up business intelligence Knowledge screens. In addition, a segment is set-up within database services to store the information relating to the Business Intelligence Knowledge screen. A link to awareness and satisfaction research results is established, either to match the customer segment of the contact or to reflect the individual's opinion. Links to a Web site may be included, as well as scanning and club card data, for example, on a customer segment or individual basis.
b) Configuring the Relationships to Collect Data, Track Results & Generate Reports
Collecting Data includes collecting customer and prospective customer data as well as data pertaining to all contacts important to a business' success, such as partners, analysts, employees, referral sources, internal and external influences, and others.
Tracking Results includes tracking the entire customer relationship through Acquisition/Closing/Retention Phases, broken down into details of every Interaction with the contact and the responses recorded. In one embodiment, every Interaction is quantified by the relative value of the Interaction and by incremental cost and is added to the relationship profiles determined in
The first CEL is Out of Play 322 which is given a point value of 0.0. Contacts at this level cannot be reached, refused permission to be marketed to, and/or has declined to be a customer any longer. The next three CELs form the Acquisition Phase and contacts in these CELs are termed Suspects. The first Acquisition CEL is Cold 324 which is given a point value of 1.0. Cold 324 contacts represent the target market and they are typically unexposed to current offerings. The next Acquisition CEL is Cool 326 which is given a point value of 2.0. Cool 326 contacts receive promotional materials and are generally more receptive to the company's offerings. The last Acquisition CEL is Warm 328 which is given a point value of 3.0. Warm 328 contacts agree to be placed on an email list and/or provides influencer names. They have also given their permission to be marketed to.
The next three CELs form the Closing Phase and contacts in these CELs are termed Prospects until the sale is closed. The first Closing CEL is Hot 330 which is given a value of 4.0. Hot 330 contacts agree to appointments since they generally would think about using the company's offering. The next Closing CEL is Hotter 332 which is given a point value of 5.0. Hotter contacts want a contract and they would like to acquire the company's offering. The final Closing CEL is Closed Sale 334 which is given a point value of 6.0. Closed contact 334 signs a contract for the company's offering.
The next six CELs form the Retention Phase and contacts in these CELs are termed customers. The first Retention CEL is Expectant Customer 336 which is given a point value of 7.0. Expectant Customers 336 are ready to receive offerings and the time frame is after hand over from sales to customer retention. The next Retention CEL is Trial 338 which is given a point value of 8.0. Trial 338 receive status reports and they are generally waiting to see what happens. The next Retention CEL is Likes 340 which is given a point value of 9.0. Likes 340 contacts do not complain and they accept the company's offering as it is. Contacts in Likes 340 CEL will not send the company's offering back to the company although this option may not be at the choice of the contact since they may either be locked in or have no other alternative. The next Retention CEL is Loyal 342 which is given a point value of 10.0. Loyal 342 contacts renew contracts and does so repeatedly. The next Retention CEL is Prefer 344 which is given a point value of 11.0. Prefer 344 contacts give references to the company and refer potential customers to the company. Prefer 344 contacts want to stay customers of the company and it would take an extreme situation to change their opinions. The next Retention CEL is Partner 346, which is given a point value of 12.0. Partner 346 contacts actively refer business to the company and under current conditions will pay a premium to have the company's offerings. In some instances, Partner 346 contacts even evangelizes with others and is an advocate of the company.
The final CEL is unhappy 348 which is given a point value of 13.0. Unhappy 348 contacts bad mouths the company and complains about the company. Contacts in this CEL are waiting for an opportunity to leave the company.
The CELs provide a convenient and effective method of tracking a contact through its evolution with the company and provides guidance with respect to how to target customers in each level. How the CELS are defined can be different for each business and are defined during an analysis of the Front Office Process (
Another aspect of MBS 10 is a tactics plan overview 350 as illustrated in
As the interactions with a contact progresses, there can be numerous hand-offs between A/C/R Phases. Some tactics within an A/C/R Phase do not have a direct link to other tactics, but instead provide a baseline on Interactions with the contact, building the relationship and brand readiness.
The exemplary embodiment illustrated in
RIV Number Grid 370 builds on Tactics Grid 360 placing a maximum, common, numeric value on each Promotional/Relationship Enhancement (P/RE) and Personal Interaction (PI) Tactic category. Of all the Interactions the tactic category can be broken down into, no Interaction has a value higher than the maximum for the tactic category. Extraordinary events such as a customer referring someone else, offering a testimonial or expanding purchases are defined and valued uniquely for each company to arrive at a common RIV Number. The RIV number includes Relationship Enhancement (RE) and Importance (Impt.) characteristics in terms of the tactic category's probable effect on the contact.
RIV Number Grid 370 can be customized for a specific industry or company to reflect the different values their customers may place on Interactions or to add new Interactions. For example, in some industries a personal phone call is the only way to get a person's attention and in others only email will do. The process is most accurate if users are consistent once the values are assigned and use the same value in comparing Interactions from year to year. RIV Number Grid 370 utilizes averaging opinions of a panel of subject matter experts as a starting point for present values.
The flow from one Interaction to another is also valued by noting movement from one CEL to another when it occurs as defined in the first step. Anticipating 386 interactions helps confirm the profitability of the most desirable new Marketing Strategy and helps track the profitability in real time. In one embodiment, once the data is accumulated in database of MBS 10, every interaction and response with every contact throughout the entire relationship through A/C/R Phases is recorded in tabular form. By allowing the user to select from a list of preset Interactions and responses, MBS 10 transforms the business relationship and interactions into a quantifiable, standardized Interaction record that can be evaluated by the management.
In planning and anticipating 390 reports, management or a consultant designee anticipate the reports needed and label report formats in the RT System to match the detailed data to be collected in profiles including the Interaction Record.
Much effort is expended to anticipate the variety of ways that management will want to query the database to collect the appropriate data. The most likely ways that management will want to segment or aggregate data sets are included in a series of reports of formatted database queries, specifically Deposition of Contacts Summary Reports and Top Priority Customer Profile Reports (
c) Establishing Leading Indicator Metrics Baselines:
c1) A baseline for scoring the business's relative market position:
The Strategic Brand Readiness (SBR) Factor is used to score a business' relative market position and to quantify the risk created by external and internal brand readiness issues. The SBR Factor is then used in financial projections to modify the risk. In an exemplary embodiment, the SBR factor is computed for Status Quo, (
To arrive at the SBR Factor, management assigns a score to the present condition of the business after analyzing twelve categories. The twelve categories include six External categories and six Internal categories, broken out by a Year One, a Year Two and a Year Three. The risks or benefits that are likely to occur or materialize in the next two years are also taken into consideration when the scores are assigned. The SBR factor process is again computed later on to determine the SBR Factor for the plan. The SBR factor for the plan is based on the New Marketing Strategy over a three-year period. Once the new marketing strategy has been implemented, an actual SBR Factor is computed (
c2) A baseline for quantifying Front Office strategy and relationship
The RT System is configured as an Analytical Framework to quantify Front Office strategy and relationship performance. The Analytical Framework compares past performance with anticipated future performance of strategy implementation in a Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model supplemented by an Interaction ROI Model. These models encompass the customers' entire life cycle and then track success in implementation against assumptions. The Analytical Framework also includes the ability to capture patterns of customer behavior precipitating an analysis of the cause and effect of relationships on profitability.
A series of management reports derived from the Analytical Framework yield leading indicator metrics that allow management to make more informed, focused adjustments to maximize profit and to be more effective in building relationships. These reports can be focused on the segmented or aggregated data sets of most interest to management.
In an exemplary embodiment, a Status Quo Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model is run (
Later in the planning process, another series of models are run (
Upon implementation, data from the tracking system feeds a Tracking Mode I ROI model (
Appendix-D includes the status quo and alternative marketing strategies Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model for the XYZ Company example, summarized in a Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model Alternative Strategies Comparison. In the example, Alternative #2, worst case scenario, will become the Planned Marketing Strategy and that strategy implementation example is used to illustrate the RT Tracking System in
Data from Tracking Mode I ROI model (
User Interfaces of the Marketing Business System (MBS):
In yet another embodiment, once a user has been authenticated, the user is directed to a customer center user interface (not shown). From the customer center user interface, the user selects Tracking System as the service the user wishes to access, which connects the user to the Tracking System Priority Action user interface 400 which serves as a home page shown in
User interface 400 further displays �Go To� hypertext link. Selection of �Go To� hypertext link, takes the user directly to that specific interaction, wherein the user may enter or edit the data, as necessary. Additionally, Print, Help, List, Home, Back, Next, End and Top are some of the alternative buttons and hypertext links available to the user in using the system. In an exemplary embodiment, User interface 400 utilizes a side frame which utilizes seven different navigational buttons, tabs or hypertext links to guide the user through various sections. These sections include, but are not limited to, Interaction 410, Priority Action 412, Search Contact 414, Add Contact 416, Add Relationship 418, Reports 420, and Utility 422. These hypertext links or navigational buttons appear on every user interface allowing the user to access any specific user interface simply by selecting the specific navigational button from any given user interface.
Through user interface 560, the user enters the information relating to a Current Interaction. In this exemplary embodiment, the user identified as �NPatel� has followed up with Mr. Herbert Ficus, the CEO of Plants Unlimited and has signed the contract to manage Gizmos�a service that is being sold by the user's company. The user further enters a Next Interaction Date and a Type of the Interaction planned with Plants Unlimited. The next interaction event identified as C4-8 relates to handing off the Plants Unlimited account responsibility to the Customer Care department, per the instructions given by Mr. Ficus.
Through the Acquisition and Closing Phases, the movement to another CEL Level can be defined by what people (or contacts) do and that can be correlated to what they say in awareness and satisfaction research. In Retention, however, movement from one CEL Level to another is defined by customers in surveys with Front Office staff and corroborated by supplemental tracking research. It is where they say they are, correlated to what they do. This correlation is very important. Unless tracked, it is difficult to interpret what people say in satisfaction interviews into meaningful predictions of future behavior. By correlating what people do with what they say, awareness and satisfaction becomes much more powerful.
Input Templates:
Strategic Brand Readiness (SBR) Factor Template
Customer LifeCycle Profitability Model Template
Interaction ROI (I ROI) Template
Strategic Brand Readiness (SBR) Summary Report
Customer LifeCycle Profitability Alternative Strategies Comparison
Customer LifeCycle Profitability Summary Report
Interaction ROI (I ROI) Summary Reports
MBS 10 generates a wide variety of management reports. Exemplary embodiments of some of these reports with brief explanations on how the reports can be used by management in mitigating risk and maximizing profit flows are included in Appendix-E. In addition, a report grid that summarizes the use, purpose and benefit of the templates and reports is included in Appendix E. Further Appendix E includes an example that pertains to a company (XYZ Company) and its use of the MBS.
While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
Referenced by
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Le Méridien Bangkok
- 40/5 Surawong Road,
- Bangrak
- Bangkok,
- 10500
- Thailandia
- Mappa
- Telefono: (66)(2) 232 8888
- Contatti
- Opportunità di lavoro
- Annunci
- 88°ven / 31°C
- 22:37 hrs
Le Méridien Bangkok
Outdoor Lap Pool
Our indoor/outdoor lap pool, located on the sixth floor, is 8 metres by 20 metres in size and 1.5 metres in depth, the perfect length for a few laps during your workout. Food and beverages may be ordered poolside through our in-room dining service.
Stepping outside, the pool deck becomes another space for enjoyment and relaxation. Our sun lounge allows space for relaxing under an umbrella or tanning under the brilliant Bangkok sun. Guests can chill out with creative snacks and cocktails served at the Plunge bar or refresh in the salt-water pool overlooking Silom, complete with hydro-massage jets to ease tired muscles. A pool attendant is available for assistance.
Outdoor Lap Pool
|Profondità massima:
|4.26 metri/13.97 piedi
|Profondità minima:
|4.26 metri/13.97 piedi
|323.0 metri quadrati/3477.0 piedi quadrati
|Acqua salata:

subset: commoncrawl


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Select () or exclude () categories to narrow your recipe search.
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1/2 Photos of My Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting
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I found this on allrecipes.com and wanted to put it on here so I always know where it is and so its easy to access. And to share the goodness with others as well. I really like this frosting because you can really TASTE the cream cheese not like other frostings.
Serves: 24
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Serving Size: 1 (33 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 24
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I wrote this about a short domination session I did for a lovely woman in Florida. Enjoy! : Gay And Lesbian » Read
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sit the LME in hot water and when I start pouring I stab a hole in the back of the container to vent.
First thing, I heat a small pot of water to boil. Kill heat and set the cans in it. By the time I am ready for them they are just right. Then rinse with hot water. (Be sure and use a towel or wear an oven mitt. The can will get HOT.)
Sitting it in hot water for at least 15 mins before I need it is all I do for liquid. I just used all dry extract for the first time Sunday. Biggest tip i got is that it wants to all pour out and pour out quick so be careful because I almost dumped mine in all at once. I've been told that if you spill some it will immediately stick to the side of your pot.
I and a friend of mine pour out as much of the LME as we can easily, then carefully did it into the boiling wort. Put the cap back on and shake it really good. Careful is the word here, it is hot... But you get each last drop of goodness.
For the DME, I pour the bag as quickly as I can and if there is a bunch stuck, I again stick the bag down in the wort. I am not that worried about cleanliness at that point, heck I am going to boil it for an hour.


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Question: What book contains the first reference to Alexander Hamilton shooting the cannonball that crashes through Nassau Hall and destroys the portrait of King George?
According to a popular story told and retold over the years, during the Battle of Princeton young artillery commander Alexander Hamilton directed his cannons at the remaining redcoats who had holed up in Nassau Hall, and fired a shot straight through the window, neatly decapitating the portrait of King George II which hung in the room. The earliest available reference to Hamilton's being behind the cannonball I have found is in Sir George Otto Trevelyan's "The American Revolution" published in 1905. On page 137 of volume three he writes "Even in that quarter there was very little bloodshed, but some profanation; for young Alexander Hamilton, with the irreverence of a student fresh from a rival place of education, planted his guns on the sacred grass of the academical campus, and fired a six-pound shot which is said to have passed through the head of King George the Second's portrait in the Chapel." Trevelyan typically employs footnotes when drawing upon primary sources but there is none associated with this passage. When the story is referenced by later historians it almost always traces back to Trevelyan.


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There's nothing better than a good banana bread as the holiday season approaches. But this peanut butter banana bread is especially special because it comes equipped with candied bacon. And for the holiday enthusiasts, you can evolve this recipe if you decide to make turkey bacon after Thanksgiving. This is one scrumptious banana bread that will have people talking. Continue reading
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|Robert E. Witte
|Written by Staff Reporter
|Friday, 12 October 2012 16:17
Robert E. Witte
June 22, 1920 — Oct. 2, 2012
Robert E. Witte, 92, of Cottonwood, died Oct. 2.
He was born June 22, 1920 in Chicago.
Robert was preceded in death by his wife Hazel. He is survived by his sons Robert B. [Mary] Witte and Douglas N. Witte; sister Marion Jones; two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Oct. 13, at 10 a.m. with a reception to follow at Westcott Funeral Home in Cottonwood.
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George Washington & Jefferson National Forests
Contact Information
Forest Supervisor's Office
5162 Valleypointe Parkway
Roanoke, VA 24019
Open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Saturday, Sunday, and all federal holidays.
PLEASE NOTE: The Forest Supervisor's Office is an information and administrative office located in Roanoke, VA. This office is NOT located in the forest.
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Lee Ranger District
Running water and plumbed bathroom facilities are not available at Trout Pond Campground due to a major renovation of the campground's waste treatment system. We regret any inconvenience this may cause, but we are very excited about renewing our infrastructure and improving our services to the public. During the period of reduced service, the campground will remain open and camping rates will be half price. Trout Pond will close for the season on December 1, 2014.
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4.5' Pre-Lit LED Rope Light Palm Tree - Orange...Sale Price $139.99
descriptionCreate a tropical oasis of color with this lighted palm tree. It is a perfect addition to a beach Christmas display. Made for indoor use only, the bright lights add color to any corner or hallway.
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Public sex after a romantic picnic outdoors on a walk in the country
She surely like the picnic I prepared and wine we brought because she got very horny afterwards and wanted to fuck me right there in public
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The quarterly GDP data is being published here for the first time in accordance with the European System of National Accounts (ESA) 2010. New annual and quarterly data has been calculated by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office and the SECO since 19951. As a result, this gives rise to new GDP quarterly estimates for the recent past as well. Under the previous ESA 95 regime the data published on the 02.09 showed a stagnation in GDP for the 2nd quarter 2014 compared with the previous quarter (0.0%) as well as growth of 0.6%2 by comparison with the previous year. After the revision to ESA 2010, GDP for the 2nd quarter 2014 now shows growth of 0.2% compared with the previous quarter and respectively 1.4% compared with the same quarter in the previous year. The key factor in this context is the slightly higher positive impetus to growth from the revised trade balance in goods and services. The weakening of internal demand during the 2nd quarter, already published under the regime of ESA 95, remains unchanged after revision.
Next press release : 3rd quarter 2014, Wednesday December 03 2014, 07:45
Each quarter, the SECO estimates the GDP and its components. The main purpose of these estimations is to provide data that allow for an assessment of the cyclical development of the main macroeconomic aggregats in a timely adequate and credible manner.
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We're all for a fleet of robotic security guards, but we're not so sure about giving them weapons (like tasers) to deploy on people. When someone gets tasered for accidentally littering, that's gonna be a real problem. How do you reason with a robot guard?


text: Lego Batman: Visual Dictionary (Lego Dc Universe Super Heroes) by Dorling Kindersley buy used Used & Rare price $14.77 new from $18.23 shop with confidence SPECIAL SHIPPING CONSIDERATIONS FOR USED & RARE ITEMS. Please see the special considerations for shipping Used & Rare items, including extended delivery times, possible import duties & taxes. Delivered in 3-5 weeks Format: Hardcover Publisher: DK CHILDREN Condition: The following ISBNs are associated with this title: ISBN - 10: 0756697875 ISBN - 13: 9780756697877 Seller Comments: Batman minifigure is missing. Book is in pristine condition. nm All proceeds benefit local libraries. From the Publisher Includes an EXCLUSIVE minifigure Enter the world of your favorite LEGO(R) super hero in the first ever guide to LEGO(R) Batman(TM) "LEGO Batman: The Visual Dictionary" combines DK's famous "Visual Dictionary" format with the adventurous world of the LEGO Caped Crusader. Every set and minifigure from the LEGO Batman universe will now be at your fingertips. Explore each LEGO Batman set according to its location, key themes, events, and characters, including the cunning Catwoman, the daredevil Robin, and the villainous Joker. Other famous DC characters like Wonder Woman, Superman, and Green Lantern will also be featured in minifigure form alongside their corresponding sets that will be hitting stores in 2012. Go beyond the bricks to look at the wider world of LEGO Batman -- including video games, merchandise, and the intense fan community. As an extra bonus, the bottom corners of each page create two great flip-books LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick configuration and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. (c) 2012 The LEGO Group. Produced by DK Publishing under license from the LEGO Group. Copyright (c) 2012 DC Comics. All related characters and elements are trademarks of and (c) DC Comics. (s12)


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Aug 06, 2014 Vinu Varughese
Evan Blass – the man behind @evleaks is probably the most famous leaker of upcoming phones through his twitter account. Recently Evan Blass announced his retirement from posting phone scoops which will certainly be disappointing for tech enthusiasts but good news for the phone manufacturers that fear product leaks.
Evan Blass recently conducted an interview with TNW (The next web) explaining the main reason behind the retirement is because of financial issues. He didn't receive enough financial sources to handle his twitter account, and most of his tech-savvy audience were heavily ad-blocked users. To add up things to an unstable life, Blass was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and the disease is worsening progressively. He was also unsuccessful in getting sponsorship and donations to stabilize the issue. When asked if Evan Blass might reverse the decision, he said he certainly won't and plans to start a new career.
Blass mentioned that his favorite leak was the HTC M8 Prime and his proudest moment was being named one of Weird's 101 Signals last year, a list of internet's best reporters, writers and thinkers. He thanked Android Police for the smooth interview with him to bring out his true life identity and his experience in Engadget and Pocketnow has added to his credibility. Blass praised TK O'Connor of TK Tech news to be of the best when it comes to leaks and he will be doing personal feeds in his twitter for those who are concerned.
Vinu has been passionate about technology since his childhood and loves to explain the capabilities of any product launched. He is very curious about just how far any tech can perform, even if it's a low-end device. Apart from that, he loves to game with friends and some street photography- "You don't need to own them to be passionate about it".
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Nov 20, 2014 0Google's latest tablet, HTC Nexus 9 is positioned as their fastest and...
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Leave it to Comcast to be ahead of the curve on keeping up to date with new technology*. The Comcast subsidiary Xfinity has just updated its TV Player app to be compatible with Android 4.1, with special emphasis on supporting the Nexus 7. The app is technically compatible, though the release notes say that the next version of the app will include a UI designed specifically for the 7" form factor.
Well, would you look at that. The new Motorola Atrix HD "4G" officially went on sale just today, and Best Buy has already chopped off fully half of its reasonable asking price.
Each and every day we inch closer to a final release of CM9. While we're all excited for CM9 to hit the stable channel, we all know what that really means: we're one step closer to CM10 nightlies and Jelly Bean goodness across the board. In fact, a few devices have already gotten an early taste of what CM10 will be like.
As excited as we all are for CM10, though, those who are currently running CM9 will be glad to know that RC2 was released late last night.
With the level of anticipation surrounding Jelly Bean and CyanogenMod 10, pretty much any news of a working build is good news. Today, test/preview builds of CM10 have surfaced for Motorola's Xoom as well as the ASUS Transformer and Transformer Prime (tf101 and 201).
Of course, since these are preview builds, they aren't perfectly stable. It's also worth noting that unofficial builds carry no guarantee of support or update.
That being said, the Transformer builds are surprisingly functional with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, sound, camera, video acceleration, some dock functionality, and most sensors functional.
Google's new tablet, the Nexus 7 is already a pretty sweet deal. Only $200 for a Tegra 3 tablet with a quality screen and solid construction is almost more than we could ask for. The fact that Google is nice enough to throw in a $25 credit to Google Play is just the icing on the cake. It turns out that it might be even better, though. By logging into a different account, the Nexus 7 keeps handing out $25 credits like a sleek little cash machine.
If you've purchased a Nexus 7, you might already be well-aware of the fact that it is literally the perfect size for a touch gaming system. What you may not know is what games are actually worth your time and, more importantly, your money. That $25 Play Store credit is probably burning a hole in your pocket, and you're just itching to figure out how to spend it. I'm going to give you the rundown on which games you should definitely be looking at - old and new.
Well, that certainly didn't go the way Apple would've liked. A UK judge presiding over one of many lawsuits involving Apple products—specifically concerning the Galaxy Tab line's alleged infringement of the iPad's design—has ordered Apple to publicly post on the UK version of its website that Samsung did not copy the iPad. Said the internet, "Oh, snap!"
The UK judge presiding over the case was the same one who made headlines recently for saying the Galaxy Tab lineup was "not as cool" as the iPad, and thus unlikely to be confused for Apple's slates.
Users of Motorola's Atrix 2 who have been yearning for a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich on their devices have something to be excited about today – earlier this morning, an official ICS OTA update was leaked, or rather discovered using CheeseCake, a tool that essentially allows individuals to check specialized Moto servers for updates, meaning no company personnel need be involved in the leak. Here's a quick explanation from our contact Manoj:
Yesterday, Cyanogen himself stopped by XDA to drop some preview builds for CM10 for some of US variants of the Galaxy S III. Today, the rest of the world gets in on the action, as TeamHacksung member XpLoDWilD offers up a preview build for the international Galaxy S III (i9300). As with the previous release, this thing is packed to the brim with warnings, but when has that stopped you?
Update: Sony has announced pricing and availability. The F800 will be available starting in August (next month), and the 16GB version will start at $269.99, with 32GB costing $299.99. That's some seriously premium pricing, so let's hope these devices provide a real premium experience to go along with it.
Refusing the let the Walkman die, Sony just announced the newest iteration of the series: the F800. The newest member of the Walkman family runs Android 4.0, has a 3.5" multi-touch display, a Tegra 2 dual-core processor (why?), Bluetooth, S-Master MX digital amplifier, Clear Audio technology, and xLoud speaker system.


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Town Square
Council approves new plan for McKelvey Park flood basin
Original post made on May 15, 2013
Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 5:17 PM
Comments (7)
a resident of Shoreline West
on May 15, 2013 at 5:48 pm
It would have been better if the city or water distrcit bought those houses next to the park before they were occupied. There would have been more room for all those uses and there would have been no neighbors adjacent to it.
a resident of North Whisman
on May 16, 2013 at 9:26 am
In regards to the parking comments in the article, it is also kind of St. Joseph School to allow their parking lot to be used for events at Mc Kelvey on the weekends. Without those spaces, even more cars would be forced onto the streets. The school could just as easily close off their parking lot on weekends, unless they are holding events of their own. I think they deserve some recognition for being a good neighbor to Little League baseball for many years.
a resident of Blossom Valley
on May 16, 2013 at 2:23 pm
YES YES! Flood it all! Hu Jin Tao will be proud! I love you all! America!!!!!!!!
a resident of Sylvan Park
on May 16, 2013 at 2:44 pm
"all of will be paid for by the water district"
WRONG! All of it (and more!) will be paid for by taxpayers, meaning you and me. Government funding doesn't just magically appear, those dollars are extorted from us all.
How ironic: the water district flushes them down the toilet.
a resident of Martens-Carmelita
on May 16, 2013 at 4:30 pm
The Water District has spent $20 million of taxpayer's money redesigning this project because of their inflated costs - and their own incompetence. What does Mike Kasperzak expect? That we should actually trust SCVWD - an agency that doesn't use its own historical data but makes it up as they go along? Jac Siegel is right on this one. Again.
a resident of Rex Manor
on May 16, 2013 at 4:31 pm
Hardly extortion, given the passage rates of Water District Bond Programs. Could it run better, Absolutely, so feel free to run for the seat next time. Money for Flood Insurance does not magically appear either.
By using local bonds for local construction, many local residents will in the future avoid sending local money away in the form of Flood Insurance Premiums (required for many mortgages).
a resident of Blossom Valley
on May 18, 2013 at 11:57 am
I discovered while trying to get "permission" to add a couple of hundred square feet to my kitchen that the Water District already has modern data that would remove a great many houses from "flood insurance" requirements that are based on data (and computer programs) more than 40 years old. They just need to submit it to FEMA, but they aren't willing to do that until they finish all their big projects. Hmmm. Wonder why? Is it really a cost savings measure, or do they get more political leverage by having a lot of people feeling the pain of flood insurance?
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