Impact of digital technology on velocity of B2B buyer-supplier relationship development

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine how the widespread adoption of digital technology (DT) in business-to-business (B2B) markets affects and, in particular, increases the velocity of relationship development over time. Design/methodology/approach A literature search was conducted to develop propositions concerning DT’s effect on the various stages of an existing B2B buyer-seller relationship development model. A group of 55 experienced practitioners was used to obtain reactions to the propositions. Findings DT affects buyer-seller relationship development by reducing the time needed to initiate and advance through sequential relationship stages. Agility in the decision-making process fosters stronger inter-firm relationships and influences other important attributes of B2B relationships, such as organizational commitment, organizational embeddedness, trust and value creation. Research limitations/implications A broader, more diverse sample of commercial buyers and sellers is required to permit testing the generalizability of the study’s findings. Practical implications DT affects the speed and agility of B2B relationship formation regardless of stage. As DT evolves in the age of Industry 4.0, an understanding of the effects of DT will aid managers in assessing ways to leverage its potential and apply appropriate DT strategies throughout the B2B relationship process to capitalize on current and future business opportunities. Firms need to explore the positive and negative effects of the digital revolution on managers within their supply chain networks. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that specifically addresses DT’s impact during the specific stages of the relationship development process.

Proceedings of the 17th International Research Symposium on Service Excellence in Management - QUIS17

“…Nevertheless, for B2B customers, physical surroundings were found more relevant than digital touchpoints in determining the evaluation of the moment of truth. It is true that digital touchpoints have become ever more prevalent for business customers as well (Kauffman and Pointer, 2021), yet our findings indicate that the physical environment is still more important. Yet, it remains to be seen if this will still be the case in the near future.…”

“…They present both challenges and opportunities for customer relationship management . Companies usually try to develop digital relationships with their customers, as these touchpoints are highly interactive and generate engagement (Vieira et al, 2019;Kauffman and Pointer, 2021). For that matter, customers depend on digital forms of contacting during their service encounter (Bacile, 2020).…”

The emergence of B2B omni-channel marketing in the digital era: a systematic literature review

“…However, despite growing interest in this phenomena within B2B customer behaviour literature (Alonso-Garcia et al , 2021a, 2021b; Aichner and Gruber, 2017; Pawlowski and Patuszak, 2016), OCM research is still in its infancy (Palmatier et al , 2019; Berman and Thelen, 2018; Cummins et al , 2016; Juaneda Ayensa et al , 2016) and the B2B customer perspective has rarely been studied (Alonso-Garcia et al , 2021a, 2021b; Forrester, 2015). Emerging OCM literature which adopts a B2B perspective reveals an under-examined strategic capability in areas such as logistics and distribution (Wieczerniak and Milczarek, 2019), the infiltration of technology (Fujimura and Ishino, 2020), the advancement of B2B omni-channel (OC) management (Alonso-Garcia et al , 2021a, 2021b) and the impact of digital technology on B2B buyer-supplier relationship development (Kauffman and Pointer, 2021; Gavin et al , 2020), reinforcing the need to systematically review what has been found to date.…”

“…This research provides much-needed conceptualisation of strategies for business-to-business industry customer (B2B customer) marketing campaign development across the omni-channel in the digital era. This era is characterised by technology encompassing a myriad of e-business tools that can be beneficially used by B2B marketers to enhance commercial buyer-seller relationships (Kauffman and Pointer, 2021) as electronic means of trade between companies continue to grow in strength and dynamics (Pawlowski and Patuszak, 2016). Omni-channel marketing (OCM) is an emerging strategic phenomena, driven in part by the integration of digital into all aspects of business life (Spencer and Sutton-Brady, 2021), as business buyers are increasingly adopting digital touchpoints (Pawlowski and Patuszak, 2016; Forrester, 2015).…”

“…Omni-channel marketing (OCM) is an emerging strategic phenomena, driven in part by the integration of digital into all aspects of business life (Spencer and Sutton-Brady, 2021), as business buyers are increasingly adopting digital touchpoints (Pawlowski and Patuszak, 2016; Forrester, 2015). Since it was first referred to in the early 2000s, OCM has come to be used in a wide variety of fields including retail, logistics and distribution and management, where its strategic purpose is to reach B2B customers across the ever-expanding pool of virtual and physical channels and touchpoints (Kauffman and Pointer, 2021; Aichner and Gruber, 2017; Forrester, 2015). As B2B customers expect a consistent and personalised experience in every stage of their purchasing journey across the omni-channel (Forrester, 2015), B2B sellers are expected to provide omni-channel strategies that can meet individual needs (Forrester, 2015).…”