Consumer‐driven innovation networks and e‐business management systems

Abstract

This paper examines the use of consumer-driven innovation networks within the UK foodretailing industry using qualitative interview-based research analysed within an economic framework. This perspective revealed that by exploiting information gathered directly from their customers at point-of-sale and data mining, supermarkets are able to identify consumer preferences and co-ordinate new product development via innovation networks. This has been made possible through their information control of the supply-chain established through the use of transparent inventory management systems. As a result, supermarkets' e-business systems have established new competitive processes in the UK food-processing and retailing industry and are an example of consumer-driven innovation networks. The informant-based qualitative approach also revealed that trust-based transacting relationships operated differently from those previously described in the literature.

Value in business markets: What do we know? Where are we going?

“…For example, not only do Internet-driven electronic marketplaces benable firms to trade and collaborate more efficientlyQ (Skjbtt-Larsen, Kotzab & Grieger, 2003: 199) but firms can actually use the Internet to bstrengthen or change the relationships within their business networkQ (Huizingh, 2002: 729). In a similar way, Cox and Mowatt (2004) see grocery retailers creating a web of interfirm alliances and networks that transform relationships within the sector's value system. There are different avenues for examining how value is delivered through relationships.…”

Collaborative Networks in Support of Service-Enhanced Products

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Innovation and organisation in the UK magazine print publishing industry: a survey

“…The development of these networks was first analysed in a comparative historical framework (Cox et al, 2002) and then in a later study we presented a detailed examination of the operation of these networks . The role of ICTs in the management of these systems was examined in detail (Cox and Mowatt, 2004).…”