Active customer roles during the innovation front-end: theoretical foundations and managerial implications
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2006-07-05
Author(s)
Abstract
The importance of customers as external innovation resource has been recognised in theory and practice for a long time. All the more in today's diverse and dynamic business environment companies engage in a lot of different activities to involve their customers during innovationprocesses. Unfortunately many customer integration efforts take a rather limited view on active customer roles during the front end of innovation - being confined to the well-known lead-user approach. This study focuses on the question of how actively integrating customers into the early phase of the innovation process can be accomplished efficiently and effectively. The initial analysis describes strategic fundamentals for early active customer integration and distinguishes it from other approaches to involve customers in the innovation process, such as market research, customised product configurations, and general customer orientation.
The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model of early active customer integration into the front-end of the innovation process. In our analysis a framework is developed and discussed leading to four new customer roles enhancing the lead-user approach - namely ‘opportunity sensor', ‘complementary specialist', ‘specifier', and ‘selector'. On this foundation respective characteristics and managerial challenges of these early customer roles are described leading to a
conceptual integration model.
The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model of early active customer integration into the front-end of the innovation process. In our analysis a framework is developed and discussed leading to four new customer roles enhancing the lead-user approach - namely ‘opportunity sensor', ‘complementary specialist', ‘specifier', and ‘selector'. On this foundation respective characteristics and managerial challenges of these early customer roles are described leading to a
conceptual integration model.
Language
English
HSG Classification
not classified
Refereed
No
Book title
Optimizing Product Architecture: Complexity Management in Products of the Manufacturing Industry
Publisher
-
Event Title
R&D Management Conference (RADMA) 2006
Event Location
Lake Windermere, UK
Event Date
05.-07.07.2006
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
226410
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
open.access
Name
Paper Wecht Customer Integration RADMA 2006, Lake Windermere.pdf
Size
231.96 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
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