Exploring success factors for the development of incremental and innovative new IT services

Increased complexity of needs and higher cost sensibility of customers force IT service providers to improve the way on how they develop IT services. The existing tools and methodologies for developing IT services are not sufficient to deal with the required improvements. Specifically, the methodologies and tools lack on recommendations on describing success factors for the development of different kinds of IT services. Based on a review of existing success factors for service development, the findings indicate that the success factors apply differently for the development of innovative versus incremental new IT services. The success factors for developing incremental new IT services include: standardized service and service quality evidence and defined market/need-fit. Other factors were found to play a more distinctive role in the development of innovative IT services. These require front line expertise, market/need-fit, attractive market potential, formal research and design process, formal testing and new product launch.