The ongoing digitalization in the automotive industry is transforming the every day automobile into an Internet-of-Things (IoT) device that increases the amount of data generated in the automotive context. Because of the expanding use of digital technologies, companies must digitalize their business models in the form of, for example, data-driven business models (DDBMs)). As a physical product, a car cannot be completely digitalized, so DDBMs are additive business models in this context. Taking into account the expected changes in user behavior in relation to individual mobility, as expressed, for example, in the form of increasing shared mobility, car manufacturers are using additive business models to generate additional revenue with the vehicle even after it has been sold. These framework conditions are bringing DDBMs into focus in the automotive context. Generally characterized by the use of data as a key component, DDBMs generate and capture customer value based on data. In the automotive context, any of the many sensors located in and connected to the vehicle (e.g., through wearables like smartwatches) can serve as data sources. Although data has been available theoretically, DDBMs have played a subordinate role in the automotive industry to date. Against this backdrop, this doctoral thesis uses design-oriented research to develop a method for strengthening and establishing DDBMs in the European automotive industry. The individual steps of the method are determined through case studies. The research’s being limited to the European automotive industry is due to the continent’s legal uniformity with regard to data and the thesis’s having been developed at an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) based in Europe. The work begins with a status analysis of the fundamentals of DDBMs in the automotive industry that is developed through case studies conducted at automobile manufacturers and in their value-creation environments. Based on DDBMs’ key components derived from the literature, existing business models are analyzed and key components specific to the automotive industry are derived. In addition, central challenges in the development of these business models are identified to derive structural barriers and possible explanations for DDBMs’ subordinate role in the industry to date. In addition, the interaction of the players in the value creation network is analyzed, as DDBMs are characterized by complex, inter-organizational relationships that are central to their successful implementation. The analysis is used to develop strategies from the perspective of an automotive OEM as a basis for the development of DDBMs. These strategies, also developed as part of a case study, address key challenges and create a framework for successful implementation of DDBMs. As no systematic approaches for generating ideas for developing DDBMs in the automotive industry exist, two artifacts for generating ideas for DDBMs and, thus, for solving this problem are developed as part of a design-oriented research approach: a method for the systematic derivation of DDBMs and the prototypical implementation of this method in the form of a digital tool in the corporate context of an automotive OEM. The research project finishes with a design-oriented creation of a maturity model for DDBMs in the automotive industry. The entire research process is summarized in the G-StrIde-X method, which describes DDBMs from the development of basic concepts to expansion. The research in this dissertation focuses on the automotive industry. Its insights may be applicable to similar industries, but further studies in other sectors, such as consumer electronics, are needed to establish their generalizability. The same applies to the G-StrIde-X method, which was developed for the automotive sector and has been shown to be effective but needs to be validated in other domains. In addition, as this thesis focuses on the European automotive industry, the results may not fully reflect the legal and operational realities of other regions, such as the US and China. Therefore, future research should examine these legislative areas to either confirm or iteratively adapt the results of this work. Part A of this dissertation summarizes the research findings of the articles that are contained in Part B. Part B consists of eight research articles, six of which have been published in recognized academic conferences and encyclopedias.
Norbert Michael Homner (Wed,) studied this question.