Market analysis - customer segmentation

Several customers for KONE solutions

From KONE point of view, there are several different kind of customers that need to be involved in a construction project, ranging from architects, engineering and construction companies to facilitators of the building. It is important to be in contact with all of them, when marketing and planning an overall solution, in order to understand their different needs. Thus the market consists of three bigger segments: architects, engineering and construction companies and facilitators of the building. 

When starting the segmentation analysis, let's look at first the engineering and construction companies, since they provide valuable information on possible segments in the market. 

Engineering and Construction companies offer services to their clients across the complete life cycle of a project including feasibility studies, financial evaluations and front end engineering, to the execution phases of detailed engineering, procurement and construction activities, through to the operational phase by providing maintenance and upgrade services. There are a number of ways an engineering and construction company can be contracted into a project. (EPCengineer, 2013)

Analysis and segmentation of Engineering and Construction companies

The biggest engineering and construction companies in South Korea are Hyundai Engineering and Construction, Samsung Engineering and Construction, Gs Engineering and Construction, Daelim Industrial Co., Kumho Industrial, SK Construction and Engineering, Yojin Construction and Engineering, and Daewoo Engineering & Construction.

Hyundai is a big chaebol in South Korea containing also elevators as one of their own businesses, so we can leave Hyundai out from the possible customers. 

Samsung Engineering and Construction: Building, Civil Infrastructure, Plant, Housing Development. In building category: airport, hospital buildings, retail spaces, museums, hotels and other leisure facilities. In housing category: apartment buildings. (Samsung C&T, 2013).

Gs Engineering and Construction: Plant, Housing, Architecture, Civil, Development. In architecture category: office buildings, education, research, medical health care facilities, culture, leasure and sports facilities, clean rooms & manufacturing facilities. In housing category: apartment buildings. (GS E&C, 2013).

Daelim Industrial Co.: Plants, Civil works, Building and Housing. In building and housing category: museums, halls, athletic parks, apartment buildings. (Daelim, 2013).

Kumho Engineering and Construction:  Architectural construction, Civil Engineering, Housing Construction, Plants.  In Architectural construction category: public/commercial buildings, education/R&D facilities, military facilities, airport/sales/logistics facilities, culture/medical facilities. In housing construction category: apartment complex, residential and commercial complex. (Kumho E&C, 2013).

SK Construction and Engineering: Housing, Architecture, Infra, Plant. In Housing category: apartments, villas, freestanding houses. In Architecture category: business and commercial buildings, cultural and assembly facilities, accommodations, sports facilities, retail shops and malls, communication facilities, education and research facilities, mixed-use buildings, and office remodeling. (SK E&C, 2013).

Yojin Construction and Engineering: no information available in English at their website. (Yojin, 2013).

Daewoo Engineering & Construction:  Civil, Buildings, Housing, Plant. In buildings category: public and commercial buildings, hospitals and hotels. In housing category: new towns, apartment buildings. (Daewoo, 2013).

Suggested customer segmentation for our project

From the above list we conclude that the segments that are clearly distinct from each other are the business segments of these companies, focusing on: 

- Plants
- Civil infrastructure
- Housing
- Public buildings

This is since the needs of the solutions in all of these business segments are very different. Also the behavior of the end users is very different in each of these categories. When planning the solution, naturally the end user behavior needs to be also taken into account.

Naturally we need to apply similar segmentation also in the architecture and building facilitators side.

References

Daelim. (2013). http://eng.daelim.co.kr/main.do (access 26.11.13).

Daewoo. (2013). http://www.daewooenc.com/index.asp (access 26.11.13). 

EPCengineer. (2013). http://www.epcengineer.com/directory/engineering-and-construction (access 26.11.13).
GS E&C (2013). http://www.gsconst.co.kr/en/ (access 26.11.13).
Kumho E&C (2013). http://www.kumhoenc.com/eng/main/index.asp (access 26.11.13).
Samsung C&T. (2013). http://www.secc.co.kr/eng/html/index.asp (access 26.11.13).
SK E&C. (2013). http://www.skec.com/ (access 26.11.13).
Yojin. (2013). http://www.yojin.co.kr/web2/main/main.asp (access 26.11.13).