The impact of digital technology on network value co-creation

Abstract

In recent years, the discussion about how companies integrate new technologies into their value creation and how this affects their business has intensified. The trend towards digitalization is particularly challenging for smaller, value co-creating (VCC) companies in networks, yet little research has been done in this context. In response, this paper identifies four key technologies for promoting network VCC: (1) a service configuration system, (2) a centralized knowledge base, (3) an analytics system, and (4) a shared IT platform. We conducted a single embedded case study in a company network introducing these key technologies and thereby digitally transforming its VCC. Our results show how the companies in the network are approaching their transformation and what the impact and role of the technologies in their network VCC are.