Student guide Faculty of Economics A.Y. 2007/08

On/Off Line Pricing and Costing
Lesson timetable, Notice board, Additional material
Aim of the course
The course illustrates the processes for defining and managing customer value pricing, within the context of both traditional and on-line activities. Students will therefore learn the methods for determining the value perceived by the customer, and measuring the target costs capable of delivering this value.
The course imparts a solid interdisciplinary grounding across the fields of marketing and cost management.
The specific learning objectives are:
1. To acquire the conceptual and methodological tools for defining pricing policies.
2. To gain an understanding the relationships between the value perceived by the client and the cost of the product.
3. To examine the differences between on-line and off-line pricing strategies.
Syllabus
Pricing strategies and objectives.
Traditional methods (cost plus pricing) and innovative methods (target costing) of determining the cost for implementing cost-oriented pricing.
Pricing methods based on value to the client (value based pricing).
Customer preferences and perceived value: analysis and measurement (conjoint analysis, sensory analysis, functional analysis, economic value to the customer).
Models for evaluating performance from a perspective of customer value management (accounting for marketing and customer satisfaction).
Pricing models in the digital economy.
Yield Management and dynamic pricing.
Methods for coordinating on-line and off-line pricing policies.
Controlling the price and performance of the product.
 
The course will include lessons on the theory, and discussions of business case studies.
Examinations
Students who attend lectures will be assessed by a final written test covering the course syllabus, including any case studies (and real-world examples) presented in class.
The final result, for students who attend lectures, will depend on both the outcome of the written test and the result of a group project that students will be required to complete during the course.
 
Reading list
 
H. Simon, D. Zatta, Strategie di Pricing, Hoepli, 2006
F. Ancarani, B. Busacca, M. Costabile, Prezzo e valore, Egea, 2004
F. Ancarani, Il prezzo in rete, Egea, 2004
C.T. Horngren, G. Foster, S.M. Datar, Contabilità per la Direzione, ISEDI, 1998