Search

The use of digital technologies such as Internet of Things and advanced data analytics are central in digitally transforming manufacturing companies towards Industry 4.0. Success cases are frequently reported, and there is clear evidence of technology interventions conducted by industry. However, measuring the impact and effect of such interventions on digital maturity and on the organizational adoption can be challenging. Therefore, the research aim of this paper is to explore how the combination of the different methods of Industrial Internet Playground (IIP) pilots, Shadow Infrastructure (SI) and digital maturity assessment can assist in conducting and documenting the technical, as well as organisational, impact of digital interventions. Through an elaborate literature review of existing digital maturity assessment tools and key dimensions in digital transformation, we have developed a digital maturity assessment tool (DMAT), which is presented and applied in the paper to identify digital development areas and to evaluate and document the effects of digital interventions. Thus, the paper contributes with new knowledge of how the IIP pilot and SI combined with digital maturity assessment can support effective, transparent and documented digital transformation throughout an organisation, as explored through theory and a practice case.

Digital Transformation is currently at the core of companies’ strategies for companies to leverage the business potentials of applying digital technologies, like mobile, social networks, IoT, big data and artificial intelligence and machine learning. This is especially true in retail, which is being pressed to adopt the same metrics and practices existent in ecommerce. IoT is a crucial technology for this, since it allows collecting real time information from the physical world. This paper presents a case study of Digital Transformation in a Brazilian wholesaler, which used IoT aiming to improve inventory control and ended up with an information platform that allowed wide improvements of operations, improvements in customer experience and innovation in the business model.

A growing number of researchers and practitioners stress the potentials of creating value through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and collaborations with non-governmental organizations (NGOs). However, little attention has been paid as to how value and value creation is defined in the context of CSR and NGO collaborations and integrated across key functional areas within the company. This research gap is explored empirically through a cross-industry case study of five companies’ application and approaches to CSR and NGO collaborations to facilitate value creation. The findings reveal different scenarios of how companies approach CSR and NGO collaborations in their value propositions and in value creation through collaborative activities across core business functions. The findings reveal that the type of value creation originate from the way the business-NGO collaborations are applied across the companies’ collaborative activities in communication, HRM and sustainable innovation/R&D.

This study extends the knowledge of the human resource management (HRM)–innovation relationship and examines how innovation-facilitating bundles of HRM practices are applied to facilitate radical pharmaceutical front-end innovation (FEI). The empirical investigation is an explorative case study of science-driven FEI and HRM practices across one in-depth case study and seven validation studies among international pharmaceutical and biotech companies. The findings provide a theoretical overview of key HRM practices in support of radical pharmaceutical FEI as well as an empirical mapping of how innovation-facilitating bundles of HRM practices are applied to actively develop radical, science-driven pharmaceutical FEI, including the identification of the key innovation challenges and opportunities involving innovation-facilitating HRM practices in pharmaceutical FEI. The article contributes to the existing innovation literature in terms of identifying how radical FEI may be facilitated through the application of innovation-facilitating bundles of HRM practices. The empirical contribution and managerial implications provide nine specific suggestions for how pharmaceutical management groups can better support radical pharmaceutical FEI through targeted HRM practices. The derived results of the study also underline inherent challenges of the pharmaceutical industry and regulations (FDA) that may not stimulate radical innovation, which cannot be resolved by HRM, but require the attention of policy makers. The value added lies in the specificity of the empirical, pharmaceutical context in which the issue of supporting radical, science-driven FEI is investigated.

The overall aim of this chapter is to identify the concept of digital business models (DBMs). The literature review explores extant literature in mapping the DBM concept and identifying established and new frameworks for DBMs, thereby providing a platform for understanding, discussing and developing them in established companies as well as in digital start-ups. The objective of this chapter is to provide answers to the following questions: (1) How do we define the DBM concept and the key drivers and challenges of DBMs? (2) Which business model frameworks and tools can be applied in exploring and leveraging DBMs? (3) What are the benefits and challenges of the frameworks in mapping DBMs?

This chapter aims to explore and explain the use of collaborative innovation and partnerships in leveraging the development of different types of sustainable business models (SBMs). Through open source innovation and collaborations with other types of partners/stakeholders companies get access to new knowledge, capabilities, resources and networks/partners, which is a prerequisite to SBM. Thus the emphasis of this chapter is to explore the concept of businesses and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) collaborating in designing new SBMs. Through a literature review and case examples, a typology of SBM archetypes through business-NGO collaborations is identified and presented. Each of the identified four SBM archetypes through business-NGO collaborations are explained through a mapping of the unique characteristics of the archetype, a case example and a discussion of the specific drivers and potential challenges to be considered by businesses and managers in engaging in these collaborations.

The aim of this chapter is to identify the concept of sustainable business models (SBMs) bridging from traditional business models (BMs) to sustainable business models (SBMs) while using value creation in exploring the characteristics of SBMs. The literature review of the chapter provides the platform to assess and to map, discuss, and develop the SBM pyramid framework. The SBM pyramid provides a framework and tool for how to identify, understand, develop and evaluate the level of sustainability of BMs and the BM dimensions—theoretically and empirically. A case example is offered to provide an illustration of the concept empirically and to explore the use of the framework in exploration and assessment of the levels of sustainability of the overall BM, the individual BM dimensions and the value proposition, delivery, creation and value capture of a company/business in practice. The three-dimensional framework can be applied by theorists and practitioners in identifying, developing and evaluating the level of sustainability in the value creation, value delivery, and value capture of any existing (sustainable) BM and it's BM dimensions and in designing new SBM innovations.

The use of digital technologies such as Internet of Things is central in building new business models. With an increasing amount of real-time and historical data being available across ecosystems, new patterns and algorithms can be identified to create business models of tomorrow. However, existing business model frameworks do not incorporate digital technologies nor take into account how these technologies can be used to generate new business value. Thus, the research aim of this paper is therefore to use existing business model frameworks to build a new business model tool, suitable for designing and mapping Internet of Things business model innovations. Through a literature review and a case example the Business Model Tool for Internet of Things Business Model Innovations is presented and explored in theory and practice.