Understanding solutions as technology-driven business innovations

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a better understanding of the innovation challenges firms face when developing and commercialising solutions in the capital goods sector; challenges related to the interdependencies between the supplier/innovator and the customers, as well as the solution’s impact on their competencies and activities. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws upon the emerging body of literature on solutions and established frameworks within innovation management literature. It explores a real-time longitudinal case study of “Alpha” (an international specialist in centrifugal separation, heat exchange and fluid handling), including an R&D project, the project’s transformation into an internal corporate venture and the years of the venture up until its integration into the corporate. Findings – This paper characterises solutions as involving product and business innovation. By clarifying the differences between how the solution affects the customers and the suppliers, the use of the proposed framework develops a deeper understanding of the obstacles and difficulties involved in solution innovation. Research limitations/implications – Although some customers were interviewed in this study, a more in-depth study of the customers and the actors within the business network would provide further insight into solution innovations. Merging the two discussions on co-creation and role of users in innovation could provide an avenue for fruitful research within this area. Practical implications – This paper provides a framework for deconstructing solution innovation, enabling detailed comparison between the innovation’s impact on both suppliers’ and customer’s competencies. Such a tool is helpful for increased understanding of how to facilitate internal and external acceptance for a disruptive and radical business innovation. Originality/value – This paper links the development and commercialisation of solutions with established innovation frameworks. Understanding solutions as technology-driven business innovations provides a multifaceted and complex perspective on solutions and contributes to better understanding of radical business innovations.

Servitization and digitalization in manufacturing: the influence on firm performance

“…New technology that facilitates automation and optimization is a driver and an enabler for many firms to move toward solutions (Windahl, 2015). The evolution of digital technologies has thus been truly transformational across industries and has created new opportunities for revenue generation (Iansiti and Lakhani, 2014).…”

Structural equations model to analyze the incidence of variables related to innovation management in organizations

“…Training; selection; motivation Alexander et al, 33 Azizi et al, 34 Guetat and Dakhli, 35 Banerjee, 36 and Karlsson 37 Production management Evaluation of technological capabilities; availability of information for decision making; product design; supply chain Giniunienea and Jurksieneb, 38 Jaca et al, 19 Armellini et al, 39 Orlov, 40 Park and Kim, 41 Artsiomchyk and Zhivitskaya, 42 Huang et al, 43 and Windahl. 44…”

“…Evaluation of technological capabilities; availability of information for decision making; product design; supply chain Giniunienea and Jurksieneb, 38 Jaca et al, 19 Armellini et al, 39 Orlov, 40 Park and Kim, 41 Artsiomchyk and Zhivitskaya, 42 Huang et al, 43 and Windahl. 44…”

Mapping Value Co-creation Literature in the Technology and Innovation Management Field: A Bibliographic Coupling Analysis

“…We have named the yellow cluster "Servitization" because all the documents this group contains deal with this topic. We have found several conceptual papers (Huikkola and Kohtamäki, 2017;Palo et al, 2019;Raddats et al, 2019;Ruiz-Alba et al, 2019) and some case studies (Windahl, 2015;Windler et al, 2017) that contribute to set the fundamentals of this literature. This cluster has a high density, which implies that papers comprising it have a strong connection.…”