Housing management and the creation of customer value

Creating customer value is the greatest challenge facing profit and non- profit landlords nowadays. By offering valuable products landlords can distinguish themselves from competitors in the housing market. In marketing literature two meanings exist for the phrase "customer value": value of a customer and value for the customer. As a matter of fact, this distinction refers to the traditional contrast between exchange value and the utility value of housing. One meaning is the value of a customer for the landlord. The customer as tenant is seen as an asset; as a potential source of income representing a certain value. The second meaning is value for the customer, created by the landlord by offering a bundle or package of qualities. Both forms of customer value are connected to each other. This paper deals with creating customer value in the second meaning. One of the ways to create superior value for a tenant is by extending the traditional product 'housing' with additional services. For this reason landlords in the Netherlands are developing all kinds of additional services, such as health care services, comfort services, safety and security services etc. The value adding potential of additional services must however not be overestimated. This article focuses on the possibilities and limitations of additional services to provide additional value to the traditional product of landlords: 'housing' (DOGGE, 2003)

How to align the organization of the CREM-Department to strategy during a recession

Purpose – In a time of economic downfall a lot of companies choose to reduce corporate real estate (CRE) costs instead of aiming at more user-oriented CRE strategies. This also affects the budgets that are available for CRE. Therefore it is important that the organization of the CRE management (CREM)-department is optimally aligned with the CRE-strategy. This study provides CRE-managers with a tool for evaluating the organization of the CREM-department when applying the CRE-strategy of cost reduction. Design/methodology/approach – The formulated evaluation tool for the alignment of the organization of the CREM-department is a result of an explorative study. First a literature study was conducted which led to a theoretical model of factors that influence the organization of the CREM-department, with regard to five components: Organizational structure, Sourcing, Centralization, Process management and Company culture. Then empirical data was collected through interviews with two groups of respondents, namely CREM-departments who served as cases and CRE-consultants to hear their expert opinions. Cross-case analysis of the eight CREM-departments and a comparison of these results with the expert opinion of the consultants were used to look for links between the CREM department components and each CRE strategy. Findings – It was not possible to formulate links between every possible CRE strategy and the CREM-organization as most of the cases had implemented the same strategy, namely cost reduction. This did provide the opportunity to construct a clear evaluation model for this particular strategy. Not all the themes were aligned with the chosen CRE-strategy identically by all the CREM-departments with a cost reduction strategy, but many similarities came forward and were backed by the CREM experts. This was worked into an evaluation model on the alignment of the organization of the CREM-department with a cost reduction strategy. Research limitations/implications – The model developed is especially relevant for CREM-departments who have similar characteristics as the CREM-departments who served as cases: large companies with a division macro-organizational structure that apply the CRE-strategy of cost reduction. The evaluation model does not spell out exactly how the CREM organization should be managed and formed, but does provide insight in a number of main choices that can influence the organization of CREM. The purpose of the evaluation model is that the CREM department becomes aware of the consequences for the organization of CREM when implementing a cost reduction aimed CRE-strategy

Duurzaam betaalbaar : een explorerend onderzoek naar het samenspel van levensduren bij woningen

Voor u ligt de rapportage van het woonkostenonderzoek Veldhoven en Waalre. Voor de snelle lezers verwijzen we naar hoofdstuk 5 waarin het onderzoek wordt samengevat en de conclusies en aanbevelingen worden beschreven. Het onderzoek is uitgevoerd in 2012 en geeft inzicht in de kosten die huishoudens in Veldhoven en Waalre maken voor het wonen in brede zin. Het gaat hierbij om het geheel van woongerelateerde kosten van huurders en kopers. Het onderzoek is uitgevoerd in opdracht van woningcorporatie Aert Swaens en liep parallel met een soortgelijk onderzoek in Eindhoven

Woonkosten nu en in de toekomst : een onderzoek naar de huidige en toekomstige woongerelateerde kosten van huishoudens in Veldhoven en Waalre

Voor u ligt de rapportage van het woonkostenonderzoek Veldhoven en Waalre. Voor de snelle lezers verwijzen we naar hoofdstuk 5 waarin het onderzoek wordt samengevat en de conclusies en aanbevelingen worden beschreven. Het onderzoek is uitgevoerd in 2012 en geeft inzicht in de kosten die huishoudens in Veldhoven en Waalre maken voor het wonen in brede zin. Het gaat hierbij om het geheel van woongerelateerde kosten van huurders en kopers. Het onderzoek is uitgevoerd in opdracht van woningcorporatie Aert Swaens en liep parallel met een soortgelijk onderzoek in Eindhoven