Service Innovation Myopia? A New Recipe for Client-Provider Value Creation

Traditional management thinking addresses either the service provider's or the client's individual competences and competitive advantage in service innovation. This is myopic in the extreme; value creation should be based on the simultaneous recognition of the interests and competencies of both parties. This article examines the service innovation strategies in the ICT field from the perspective of the resource-based view of the firm and the management competencies involved. First, the characteristics of three main types of service innovations (established service, incremental service innovation, and radical service innovation) are outlined, as these can be shown to require different value creation approaches. Second, a service strategy matrix is constructed illustrating the client-driven, provider-driven, and collaborative service innovation strategies. The article provides a recipe for managing the service co-creation modes, with guidelines given on how to succeed through collaborative capabilities and culture, as well as appropriate business models.