To servitize is to (re)position : utilizing a Porterian view to understand servitization and value systems

Drawing on the case of a global servitizing company in the ship power industry, we use a Porterian toolkit for analyzing the implications of industry power and its consequences on firm vertical (re)positioning within the value system. Whereas repositioning has been seen as a way of moving closer to customers and obtaining new competencies, strategic moves aimed at increasing companies’ sphere of influence were neglected. This chapter illustrates how the power approach to repositioning, through different alternative mechanisms, complements the widespread capability view and contributes to value system analysis in servitization.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Delivering better outcomes through customer-led project management: the case of the major project BT 21st Century Network in the UK

Traditional approaches of major project management take the strategy of selecting a supplier-led prime/systems integrator. Although this strategy pushes a significant amount of risk to the supplier, project performance may suffer due to lower engagement of the customer in the anticipation of potential issues involving a major project. Thus, this research investigates the implications of the customer, as opposed to a selected external supplier, assuming the role of systems/prime integrator, as a Problem Structuring Method (PSM) to better deal with the soft side and uncertainties of the project. A case study approach is conducted on the major project BT 21st Century Network (BT21CN) to demonstrate that customer-led systems integration projects may provide more balance in the relationship and distribution of risks between supplier and customer, having a positive impact on project performance, accelerating the development of BT’s organisational capabilities, and producing better project outcomes in the long term

Tools for technology management: an academic perspective

The value of management tools is occasionally brought into question. They are sometimes seen as some form of crutch which managers deploy instead of thinking creatively. This paper attempts to clarify the nature of management tools and argues a case for their appropriate use. The paper distinguishes between tools and company procedures or systems and explores some new categorisations. Focusing specifically on technology management tools, the paper looks at where different tools have come from, and provides examples from industry, government and consultancy companies. The role academics can play in their development is explored, with the paper arguing that they are in a rare position to impartially scrutinise and evaluate existing tools as well as contribute to the development of new tools to solve unusual and complex problems

Delivering innovation in hospital construction: Contracts and collaboration in the UK’s Private Finance Initiative hospitals program

Accepted versio

Contributions of Design Thinking to Project Management in an Innovation Context

International audienceResearchers have long recognized that standard approaches to project management are ill-suited to address changes in the environment or business needs, particularly in innovative contexts characterized by uncertainty and complexity. Instead of being concerned with the efficient implementation of a deliberate strategy, a project in such a context becomes a process for strategy formulation. Three imperatives for project management arise as a result: managing the explorative phase, managing the involvement of stakeholders in the project, and managing the project in relation to the strategizing process of the firm. We propose that design thinking, a recent evolution in the field of design, can make some important contributions to these imperatives. Design thinking has been highlighted by practitioners as well as academia as a novel methodology that is potentially valuable for improving innovative outcomes, whether they are products, services, or strategies. We examine and articulate these possible contributions through 10 propositions that could form an agenda for future experimentation and empirical research on innovation project management.<br/