Suppliers Developing Customer Knowledge for Data-enabled Service Innovations

Abstract

Multiple companies may be involved in the development and <br/>delivery of data-enabled industrial services, so the flow of knowledge between <br/>companies is necessary and, yet, potentially problematic. The purpose of this <br/>paper is to increase understanding of customer knowledge development for <br/>data-enabled service innovations in the context of industrial services. We <br/>investigate manufacturer’s and technology supplier’s approaches to customer <br/>knowledge development on service innovations using a qualitative comparative <br/>case study. Our findings reveal six categories of drivers and barriers to <br/>developing customer knowledge: development priorities, customer service <br/>experience, customer knowledge diffusion, customer knowledge creation <br/>issues, organizational issues and inter-organizational issues. Two different <br/>approaches are identified for customer knowledge development, relationship-led approach and value-led approach, depending on the actor’s position in the <br/>supply chain. As managerial contribution our study suggests manufacturers to <br/>utilize technology supplier’s complementary approach for customer knowledge <br/>development to improve their service innovation processes.