1. Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) handles payroll and
tax-filing processing for more than 300,000 customers. In other
words, firms outsource these functions to ADP. Suggest possible
segmentation bases that ADP might employ in this ser- vice market.
What criteria would be important to organizational buyers in mak-
ing the decision to turn payroll processing over to an outside
firm?
2. Sara Lee Corporation derives more than $1.5 billion of sales
each year from the institutional market (for example, hospitals,
schools, and restaurants). Explain how a firm such as Sara Lee or
General Mills might apply the concept of market segmentation to the
institutional market.
3. CompareandcontrastthesalesforcecompositeandtheDelphimethodsofdevel- oping a sales forecast.
4. As alternative methods for demand forecasting, what is the underlying logic of (1) time series and (2) regression or causal methods?
5. What features of the business market support the use of
qualitative forecasting approaches? What benefits does the business
market analyst gain by combining these qualitative approaches with
quantitative forecasting methods?
Following is the answer to question 1
1. Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) handles payroll and tax-filing processing for more than 300,000 customers....