On the road to digital servitization – The (dis)continuous interplay between business model and digital technology

Yihua Chen*, I. Visnjic, Vinit Parida, Zhengang Zhang

*Autor correspondiente de este trabajo

Producción científica: Artículo en revista indizadaArtículorevisión exhaustiva

123 Citas (Scopus)

Resumen

Purpose: The authors seek to understand the process of digital servitization as a shift of manufacturing companies from the provision of standard products and services to smart solutions. Specifically, the authors focus on changes in the business model (i.e. the value proposition, the value delivery system and the value capture mechanism) for digital servitization. Design/methodology/approach: The authors examine a Chinese air conditioner manufacturer, Gree, who became the global leader with their smart solutions. These solutions included performance-based contracts underpinned by artificial intelligence (AI)-powered air conditioners that automatically adjust to environmental changes and are capable of remote monitoring and servicing thanks to its Internet of things (IoT) technology. Findings: To successfully offer smart solution value propositions, a manufacturer needs an ecosystem value delivery system composed of suppliers, distributors, partners and customers. Once the ecosystem relationships are well aligned, the manufacturer gains value with multiple value capture mechanisms (i.e. efficiency, accountability, shared customer value and novelty). To arrive at this point, a manufacturer has to pass through different stages that are characterized by both discontinuous and continuous interplay between business models and digital technologies. At the beginning of each stage, new value propositions and value delivery systems are first discontinuously created and then enabled with digital technology. As a result, new value capture mechanisms are activated. Meanwhile, the elements of the existing business model are continuously improved. Research limitations/implications: By combining process-perspective and business-model lenses, the authors offer nuanced insights into how digital servitization unfolds. Practical implications: Executives can obtain insights into the business model elements, they need to change over the course of digital servitization and how to manage the process. Originality/value: A longitudinal case study of a traditional manufacturer that has achieved stellar success through digital servitization business models development.

Idioma originalInglés
Páginas (desde-hasta)694-722
Número de páginas29
PublicaciónInternational Journal of Operations and Production Management
Volumen41
N.º5
DOI
EstadoPublicada - 2021
Publicado de forma externa

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