Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

The project thesis discussed here aims to evaluate the potential of the market linked to wastewater treatment plants targeting pharmaceuticals.
Indeed, questions around the effects of pharmaceuticals on the environment have been raised in the recent years. With this idea in mind, CMI decided to develop a wastewater treatment plant dedicated to hospitals, who are responsible for 20% of this drug pollution. A special attention has been dedicated to hospitals from Belgium, Luxemburg, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Denmark.
In order to know better hospitals, some research and analysis have been conducted. It turned out that there were a huge disparity, regarding hospitals’ organization, within the different countries studied. We could find some differences regarding the size of the markets, with Germany the biggest and Luxemburg the smallest, but also regarding the organization of the hospitals systems. These analysis have always showed that purchase motivations are regulations related and that at the moment the market is completely unregulated regarding pharmaceuticals in wastewater.
Regarding the competition, this innovative project is well positioned. Its process and its main characteristics are not yet present on the market. Indeed, the technological aspects of the products guarantee smaller prices and less maintenance requirements than the competition.
When taking into considerations all the characteristics of the market, two different elements stand out. First, CMI must confirm the efficiency of its product. Without this credibility, CMI will have strong difficulties to establish itself on different markets. Second, it seems that without a strong legislative canvas, potential of markets remains very limited. In order to tackle this problem, lobbying strategies at a regional level have been imagined. It is a combination of technology efficiency and strong lobbying that could lead CMI to success on this particular market.

market study --- wastewater --- Pharmaceuticals --- Hospitals --- Environment --- Europe --- attractiveness --- competitiveness --- Cockerill Maintenance & Ingiénerie --- Sciences économiques & de gestion > Marketing

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Nowadays, the war for talent is omnipresent and plays in favor of young graduates. In this context, the success of large international Big Four-type firms largely depends on the recruitment of young university graduates and the retention of qualified professionals. The first objective of this thesis is to analyze the attractiveness of the Big Four to young university graduates. The second objective of this work is to understand the Big Four's up-or-out management system, in order to define the criteria that determine the success of the auditors within them. 

First, a review of the existing literature on the attractiveness and the management system of the Big Four is carried out. This literature review establishes the theoretical framework of this thesis. Following this, a qualitative study is conducted on three different targets using, on the one hand, the questionnaire survey technique and, on the other hand, the semi-directive interview technique. Our sample of interviewees is composed of Master 2 students enrolled in the "Financial Analysis and Audit" Master's degree at HEC-Liège, Junior auditors with one to two years' experience and professionals who have an insight into the recruitment process of some of these large firms. The results obtained are analyzed and compared to the theoretical framework. They lead to the conclusion and recommendations to be drawn from the concepts studied.

Based on the qualitative analysis that is carried out, it appears that the Big Four are attractive in the eyes of young university graduates – the most frequently cited assertion being that they are mainly interested in using this first professional experience as an asset for their future career. Then, in terms of the criteria that determine the success of the auditors, it appears that in the first two to three years, technical skills are quite important but that they are considered to be acquired from the Senior 2 grade upwards. Therefore, processes such as socialization and successful integration, which are set out as soon as the auditor joins the firm, reveal to be important for the auditor's success within the firm. Finally, three recommendations are made and addressed to large international firms regarding the maintenance of their attractiveness and one recommendation is addressed to young university graduates to ensure their success from the very beginning of their career with the Big Four.

Big Four --- Attractiveness --- University graduates --- Up-or-out management system --- Success criteria --- Sciences économiques & de gestion > Comptabilité & audit

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

This thesis is a resulting work of a seven-month internship period at Epic Agency in Liege, Belgium under the Project Thesis framework of HEC Management School – University of Liège. This thesis is a compulsory part of the master’s degree in Management Sciences. During the internship, the thesis topic was assigned by Sir Benoit Rondeux, Epic’s managing partner and then necessary qualitative data was gathered via in-depth interviews to complete this thesis.
This thesis’s topic is to explore the market opportunities of Auxilium, a time-tracking, invoicing and reporting software, which was created by Epic agency for its internal usage since 2014. Perceiving Auxilium’s efficient performance, managers at Epic have wondered themselves a question “What are the market opportunities of Auxilium?”. This student was then assigned to the student as the thesis topic, which was then deduced into three main research questions: (1) Which market opportunities exist for Auxilium? (2) What are the most attractive market opportunities for Auxilium? (3) What market opportunities should Auxilium focus on? The Market Opportunity Navigator tool designed by Marc Gruber and Sharon Tai is used as a framework to meticulously answer these three questions. The first question’s answer is a set of two most interesting market opportunity set for Auxilium, which are “A PSA solution for freelancer/1-person company offering professional service” opportunity and “A PSA solution for micro- & small-sized PSOs”. The second question’s answer is an Attractiveness Map portraying the attractiveness level of Auxilium’s market opportunity in two dimensions – Value Creation Potential and Value Capturing Challenge. While the first opportunity is located in the Quick Win quarter, inferring low turn at low risk, the second opportunity is located between Quick Win and Questionable quarter with higher return at higher risk. The third question’s answer is an optimal focus strategy that helps Auxilium wisely navigate in the landscape of market opportunity with the most efficient allocation and leverage of Auxilium’s resource and capacities. The student believes that these results are structured and practical enough for Epic’s managers to use as an objective reference for their decision-making process on whether they should start a business venture with Auxilium.

Invoicing, Time-tracking, Reporting, Market opportunity, Professional service automation solution, Professional service organization, Market opportunity set, Attractiveness map, Freelancers --- Sciences économiques & de gestion > Marketing

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Many elements affect today the electricity and gas market (liberalization, numerous competitors, important environmental issues, etc.). If a supplier wants to stand out from the competition, it can no longer sell only these two products.
This project-thesis was realized inside the company Lampiris, recently bought by the French group Total. The study is about the diversification of new products and services for the B2B segment. 
The company targets the second place in the energy supply market. To reach this goal, the new products and services must fulfill four objectives: acquisition of new customers, retention of existing customers, new added-value per customer and new revenue for the B2B department. 
First, an attractiveness analysis has been made to identify the opportunity and threats of the sector (PESTEL analysis, Porter 5 forces, a benchmark and a market study through interviews with sales). 
Secondly, a competitiveness analysis has been realized to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the company with among others a review of its strategy and current products and services situation.
These two analyses helped to define recommendations for Lampiris regarding its diversification policy and especially the adaptation of its boiler service for the B2B segment. These recommendations were made in line with the strategic framework and the points previously highlighted.

attractiveness and competitiveness analysis --- B2B --- diversification --- energy market --- Lampiris --- Total --- sustainable products and services --- Analyse de l'attractivité et de la compétitivité --- B2B --- diversification --- marché de l'énergie --- Lampiris --- Total --- produits et services durables --- Sciences économiques & de gestion > Stratégie & innovation

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Cette recherche est un instantané sur le musée de La Boverie, situé à Liège dans un parc, un écrin de verdure et de biodiversité au cœur de la Cité ardente. Ce musée naissant ou renaissant, selon les points de vue, construit sur le site historique de l’Exposition universelle de 1905 et de l’Exposition internationale de 1930, accueille désormais les collections permanentes des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Liège, l’Espace jeunes Artistes et des expositions temporaires d’envergure internationale. 

La Boverie, forte de son partenariat avec Le Louvre, s’inscrit dans le plan stratégique de redéploiement et de positionnement de Liège et participe à son offre territoriale, culturelle et touristique. Suite notamment à la fermeture de la phase à chaud d’Arcelor, Liège a mis en place des outils et des stratégies pour construire et communiquer son positionnement. Après avoir largement développé son offre touristique et culturelle, redéployé des infrastructures autour des grands projets, métropolitains et urbains, Liège est une ville « ouverte sur le monde, créative et connectée ». 

Cette étude vise à questionner le concept polymorphe d’attractivité, interne ou externe, globale ou sectorielle(s), objectivable ou ressentie, d’un territoire pour ses populations et les touristes. L’objectif est de déterminer dans quelle mesure le musée de La Boverie participe à cette attractivité dans ses différentes acceptions. Afin de nourrir la réflexion, différentes conceptions du marketing sont mobilisées, des apports classiques par une matrice SWOT, des apports spécifiques au marketing du tourisme, des services, des arts et de la culture et les concepts de « destination », de « shift urbain », de « flagship » et de « city branding ».

L’analyse de ces dimensions et l’interrogation de l’attractivité du territoire liégeois repose sur une revue de littérature, une recherche documentaire et deux séries d’entretiens qualitatifs semi-directifs. Ces quatorze entretiens ont été réalisés entre avril à mai 2017. L’échantillon est constitué de dix parties prenantes, internes et externes, au projet de La Boverie et de quatre visiteurs du musée. This research is a snapshot on the museum of La Boverie, located in a park, a green box rich in biodiversity, in the heart of the Fiery City. This museum, nascent or renascent depending on the perspectives, built on the historic site of the Universal Exhibition of 1905 and of the International Exhibition of 1930, now hosts the permanent collections of Fine Arts of the City of Liège, the Young Artists Space, and temporary exhibitions with an international scope.

La Boverie, with her strong partnership with Le Louvre, fits in the strategic plan of deployment and positioning of Liège and contributes to the territorial, cultural, and touristic offer of the city. Following the closure of the hot phase of Arcelor, Liège has implemented tools and strategies aimed at building and communicating its positioning. After having largely developed its touristic and cultural offer, deployed its infrastructures around major metropolitan and urban projects, Liège is a city “open to the world, creative, and connected”. 

This study aims at questioning the polymorphic concept of attractiveness, whether internal or external, global or by sector, objectified or felt, of a territory for its inhabitants or for its visitors. The objective is to determine to which extent the museum of La Boverie contributes to this attractiveness, in its various meanings. To support the analysis, several marketing concepts are mobilised: classical inputs by a SWOT analysis, specific inputs to the tourism marketing, services, arts and culture, and finally the concepts of destination, urban shift, flagship, and city branding.

The analysis of these dimensions and the question of attractiveness of the Liège territory are based on a literature search, a documentary research and two series of qualitative and semi-directive interviews. These fourteen interviews were conducted in April and May 2017. The sample is made of ten internal and external stakeholders of the project of La Boverie and of four visitors of the museum.

marketing --- marketing de ville --- Louvre --- Le Louvre --- Lens --- Metz --- Le Louvre Lens --- Centre Pompidou-Metz --- Pompidou --- destination --- tourisme --- marketing culturel --- marketing du tourisme --- attractivité --- attractivité interne --- attractivité externe --- qualité de vie --- offre touristique en Wallonie --- positionnement --- Boverie --- parc de la Boverie --- ouverte --- créative --- connectée --- Liege Together --- LiègeTogether --- shift --- Wallonie --- offre culturelle --- offre touristique --- SWOT --- flaghsip --- projet-phare --- projets urbains --- projets métropolitains --- grands projets --- FEDER --- Ricciotti --- MAMAC --- CIAC --- citybranding --- territoire --- marketing territorial --- parties prenantes --- utilisateurs --- visiteurs --- ambassadeurs --- culture --- Beaux-Arts --- Art contemporain --- Art --- Metropole --- Metropole culture --- Liège Expo 2017 --- Exposition universelle --- Exposition Internationale --- 1905 --- 1930 --- plan stratégic --- shift urbain --- plan stratégique --- TGV --- Arcelor --- Cité ardente --- instantané --- marketing --- city --- city branding --- Louvre --- Le Louvre --- Lens --- Metz --- Le Louvre Lens --- Centre Pompidou-Metz --- Pompidou --- destination --- tourism --- cultural marketing --- tourism marketing --- attractiveness --- internal attractiveness --- external attractiveness --- SWOT --- tourism offer in Wallonia --- tourism offer --- Wallonia --- Boverie --- museum --- La Boverie --- park --- open --- creativ --- connected --- LiegeTogether --- Liège Togheter --- shift --- urbain shift --- metropolitan projects --- urban projects --- FEDER --- Ricciotti --- MAMAC --- CIAC --- territory --- stakeholders --- Fine Arts --- Contemporary Arts --- Art --- Metropolitan --- Liege Expo 2017 --- International Exhibition --- Universal Exhibition --- 1905 --- 1930 --- strategic plan --- TGV --- Arcelor --- Fiery City --- snapshot --- Sciences économiques & de gestion > Marketing