Implementation of Key Account Management: Who, why, and how?: An exploratory study on the current implementation of Key Account Management programs

Key Account Management, as currently described in relationship marketing literature, is an important approach to creating value, by implementing specific processes targeting most important customers. This exploratory study contributes to the understanding of Key Account Management by focusing on factors influencing the decision for implementing Key Account Management and the implementation-process. The findings suggest that the intensity of competition as well as the intensity of coordination are factors driving companies towards the adoption of Key Account Management programs, and that companies still pay too little attention to the selection of key accounts. The study also reveals the phenomenon of ‘hidden key accounts’: More than 80% of the investigated companies without Key Account Management offer their key customers special treatment without aligning their own internal organizational structures.