:SugarwareZ-045:Vizio is a privately-held producer of consumer electronics, based in Irvine, California, USA. It was founded in October 2002 as V Inc.[2] Vizio's major partner in the consumer electronics arena is AmTran Technology, a Taiwan-based OEM/ODM that manufactures more than half of the televisions sold by Vizio[3] and owns a 23% stake in the company.

On Thursday 11 September, research professionals from across the private sector gathered for ORC International’s annual customer satisfaction conference at the London Transport Museum. Papers covered a range of methods for creating an exceptional customer experience.

Customer service: a holistic approach

Philip Stanley, general manager of the Institute of Hospitality, understands that sustaining a customer service culture is an integral part of any successful business strategy. Philip outlined the Institute’s Hospitality Assured scheme, and explained the key factors that impact on how well a company is likely to do at “delighting” its customers.

The art of engaging the customer:
taking proactive steps to deliver a differentiated experience

Delivering a product that sets you apart from the rest is the ultimate goal for any company. Linda Shea, global director of customer strategies at Opinion Research Corporation, delivered her thoughts on why market differentiation is more important than ever before, how public rating systems can help drive sales, and how your employees are a crucial part of customer service delivery.

Making first impressions count

Making a good first impression is key to your overall success. Paul Chong, global director of technology for NWC Research, outlined how Hewlett-Packard has utilised customer feedback from its Out of Box programme to generate new product ideas, solve problems and refine
Market Data
From 2002 to 2006, the total output of China’s construction industry increased from $245 billion to $542 billion, a 120% annual growth rate. The construction industry ranks fifth in China’s economy2. Presently, China’s construction industry includes 40,000,000 employees, 15,545 design institutes, 104,297 engineering enterprises, and 6,665 construction supervision firms.

From the data on China’s construction industry provided above, it is clearly evident that China has a large, growing, and competitive construction industry. During this period of rapid expansion in China’s construction market, foreign firms did not have the opportunity to fully compete in this market. The reason for this is China’s ACE market was essentially closed to foreign firms from April 1, 2004 to January 5, 2007. On April 1, 2004, the Chinese government repealed Decree 32, the predecessor regulation to Decree 113 and 114, which allowed foreign construction design firms to work in China on a project-byproject basis. On January 5, 2007, the Ministry of Construction issued implementing regulations for foreign-invested design enterprises (FIDEs) to apply for architecture, engineering and design licenses in China under Decree 114. With the issuance of implementing rules for Decree 114, American ACE firms can now apply for engineering and design licenses in China and pursue ACE-related opportunities.

Best Prospects
Domestic design institutes dominate the middle and low-end market. Their strengths are understanding the needs of the local market and knowledge of government policies. However, they lack quality control, exposure to international standards, and professional management experience. Foreign building products and foreign ACE services are perceived as superior to local substitutes.

Most of the clients of foreign engineering firms active in China are foreign investors. These projects are mainly infrastructure projects, factories, hotels, luxury housing, offices, and malls as the requirements for these projects are more sophisticated and clients usually demand premium engineering services and consulting work.

More and more domestic real estate developers are looking for high-quality architectural services. This niche market offers foreign ACE firms good opportunities in the long term. While Chinese architects have rich experience in small and medium-sized buildings, they often lack experience with large-scale projects such as integrated projects. Other weak points include intelligent architecture and the integration of new technology and building materials.

Due to the regulatory obstacles in establishing a FIDE, foreign ACE firms have entered the market by cooperating with local design institutes. Local design institutes can assist their foreign partners in understanding and complying with the complex and opaque planning and building approval processes. At the same time, foreign architects can provide expertise on advanced building design concepts and technology to their local partner design institutes.
 
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