Resource integration through digitalisation: a service ecosystem perspective

Abstract

As digitalisation increasingly encompasses entire service ecosystems, it modifies resource integration patterns that connect ecosystem actors through strong and weak ties. To clarify how technological development contributes to this change, and how resource integration transforms the service ecosystem, this qualitative case study explores the digitalisation strategy of a marketleading systems integrator in the maritime industry. Based on 40 depth interviews with managers, the findings show how technology increasingly serves as a key operant resource in the transformation of resource integration patterns. The study contributes to ecosystem dynamics research by identifying major differences between the pre-digitalised and digitalised states of a service ecosystem, and demonstrates the dual role of technology in both increasing pattern complexity and facilitating coordination of that complexity.

It Takes More than Two to Tango: Identifying Roles and Patterns in Multi-Actor Smart Service Innovation

“…Digital technologies provide multifaceted potentials for service innovation because operant resources such as information, skills, and knowledge can be combined and exchanged in novel ways that create value for the actors involved (Edvardsson and Tronvoll 2013;Nambisan 2013;Barrett et al 2015;Sklyar et al 2019a;Wolf 2020). Digital technologies "liquefy and distribute resources" through the A2Anetwork of a service system and also allow actors to "increase resource density to quickly access and utilize resources needed for service exchange" (Barrett et al 2015, p. 143).…”

Collaborative Networks: A Pillar of Digital Transformation

“…(5) "Digitalization of products and services" not only relates to creating digital models of products but also to moving toward "smart products", through the addition of sensing, computing, and communication capabilities to these products. This also comprises (1) availability of product data along the product's lifecycle (facilitating tracking and tracing), (2) introduction of new "digital products", and (3) adding "business services" to the physical products [17,25]. The idea of "service-enhanced products" or "product-service-systems" is now well-known in the market, where even several products are living a new commercial life thanks to integrated and embedded services.…”

“…The idea of "service-enhanced products" or "product-service-systems" is now well-known in the market, where even several products are living a new commercial life thanks to integrated and embedded services. In some sectors, the value offered to the customer is not any more focused on the physical product but rather on the associated business services that provide value to the customer (servitization trend) [25,26]. (6) "New business models and customer involvement", focusing on innovative business models that take advantage of the digitalization process, networking along the value chain, and data-rich contexts.…”

An Agile Approach to Service Innovation: Creating Valuable Service Innovation with Agile Resource Integration

“…The companies, both service and manufacturing companies that have undergone servitization, differ in size and service focus, ranging in number of employees (10–540) and turnover (€1–100 million per year). Questions were adapted to each informant according to their position (e.g., CEOs, executive board members, production managers, R&D managers, and programmers), knowledge and experience (Sklyar et al, 2019).…”