Digital Transformation in the Value Chain – Effects on Major Stakeholders

Abstract

The digital transformation is characterized by a changing process via digital technologies which affects the entire society and especially companies in a significant way. Distinctively not only individual enterprises themselves are involved, moreover the digital automation of various processes has a substantial influence in the complete value chain. Systems are intelligently interconnected with each other and transform into self-organized organizational networks. The horizontal integration, which is one of the main features in the digital transformation process, therefore concerns not just internal stakeholders, moreover all interested groups along the entire lifecycle of products and services are highly related to this change. In order to demonstrate the impact of the digital transformation in the value chain, an empirical study on Austrian industrial companies has been done. Therefore, this paper shows recent developments on suppliers, employees and consumers in research and practice. As a result, an assumption of potential influences of the digital transformation in the value chain is achieved.