The role of users and customers in digital innovation: Insights from B2B manufacturing firms

Thomas Abrell; Matti Pihlajamaa; Laura Kanto; Jan vom Brocke; Falk Uebernickel

doi:10.1016/j.im.2015.12.005

The role of users and customers in digital innovation: Insights from B2B manufacturing firms

Thomas Abrell^*, Matti Pihlajamaa, Laura Kanto, Jan vom Brocke, Falk Uebernickel

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Industrial Engineering and Management

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

164 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Diffusion of digital technologies into the manufacturing industry has created new opportunities for innovation that firms must address to remain competitive. We investigate the role of customer and user knowledge in the digital innovation processes of three global B2B manufacturing companies. We find that the B2B manufacturing industry's characteristics influence how users and customers may be leveraged. Customers making the purchasing decisions are considered for knowledge about short-term changes in market needs, while users working directly with the products provide long-term guidance for digital innovation. We identify practices for acquiring, distributing, and using customer and user knowledge for digital innovation. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	324-335
Number of pages	12
Journal	Information and Management
Volume	53
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2015.12.005
Publication status	Published - Apr 2016
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Keywords

Digital innovation
Customer knowledge
User knowledge
Innovation management
Knowledge-based view
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
TECHNOLOGICAL-CHANGE
INFORMATION-SYSTEMS
RADICAL INNOVATION
LEAD-USERS
DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES
MARKET ORIENTATION
STICKY INFORMATION
FUTURE-RESEARCH

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Cite this

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title = "The role of users and customers in digital innovation: Insights from B2B manufacturing firms",

abstract = "Diffusion of digital technologies into the manufacturing industry has created new opportunities for innovation that firms must address to remain competitive. We investigate the role of customer and user knowledge in the digital innovation processes of three global B2B manufacturing companies. We find that the B2B manufacturing industry's characteristics influence how users and customers may be leveraged. Customers making the purchasing decisions are considered for knowledge about short-term changes in market needs, while users working directly with the products provide long-term guidance for digital innovation. We identify practices for acquiring, distributing, and using customer and user knowledge for digital innovation. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",

keywords = "Digital innovation, Customer knowledge, User knowledge, Innovation management, Knowledge-based view, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT, TECHNOLOGICAL-CHANGE, INFORMATION-SYSTEMS, RADICAL INNOVATION, LEAD-USERS, DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES, MARKET ORIENTATION, STICKY INFORMATION, FUTURE-RESEARCH",

author = "Thomas Abrell and Matti Pihlajamaa and Laura Kanto and {vom Brocke}, Jan and Falk Uebernickel",

year = "2016",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1016/j.im.2015.12.005",

language = "English",

volume = "53",

pages = "324--335",

journal = "Information and Management",

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T2 - Insights from B2B manufacturing firms

AU - Abrell, Thomas

AU - Pihlajamaa, Matti

AU - Kanto, Laura

AU - vom Brocke, Jan

AU - Uebernickel, Falk

PY - 2016/4

Y1 - 2016/4

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AB - Diffusion of digital technologies into the manufacturing industry has created new opportunities for innovation that firms must address to remain competitive. We investigate the role of customer and user knowledge in the digital innovation processes of three global B2B manufacturing companies. We find that the B2B manufacturing industry's characteristics influence how users and customers may be leveraged. Customers making the purchasing decisions are considered for knowledge about short-term changes in market needs, while users working directly with the products provide long-term guidance for digital innovation. We identify practices for acquiring, distributing, and using customer and user knowledge for digital innovation. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

KW - Digital innovation

KW - Customer knowledge

KW - User knowledge

KW - Innovation management

KW - Knowledge-based view

KW - PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

KW - KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

KW - TECHNOLOGICAL-CHANGE

KW - INFORMATION-SYSTEMS

KW - RADICAL INNOVATION

KW - LEAD-USERS

KW - DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES

KW - MARKET ORIENTATION

KW - STICKY INFORMATION

KW - FUTURE-RESEARCH

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DO - 10.1016/j.im.2015.12.005

M3 - Article

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SP - 324

EP - 335

JO - Information and Management

JF - Information and Management

IS - 3

ER -

The role of users and customers in digital innovation: Insights from B2B manufacturing firms

Abstract

Keywords

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