Towards a Human Processual Approach of Business-IT Alignment

This study answers the question whether human processual interventions are used to improve business-ICT relationships and if not, what the reasons might be for this. Human processual interventions are about improving human relations and match the problem of troubling relationships between IS and business with its associated miscommunication, unclear responsibilities, leadership issues or perceived cultural differences better than techno-structural interventions (pertaining organizational structures, business processes, alignment models, infrastructures, etc.) that are mainly put forward in the literature. Our explorative qualitative research shows that consultants recognize the human relations nature of alignment but that they have different reasons for being inclined towards techno-structural interventions. These reasons provide a mirror to the academic community. We argue that these reasons reinforce the social structure in which many IS people work and that academics are an important group to break with that structure. To this purpose, an adoption of human processual approaches is recommended

Smart Home: Aligning Business Models and Providers Processes; A case survey

Smart Home projects require product, service and business model innovation by organizations from multiple sectors. A considerable number of Smart Home projects, however, fail to live up to expectations and to commercialize their services. Business models that enable these projects have to be viable and feasible for the project as a whole as well as for individual involved providers. Moreover, the processes of involved providers have to be aligned, and exchange of information and value has to be well defined. In this paper, we propose three alignment domains that address the operational interactions between the involved providers. Based on a case survey it can be concluded that insufficient attention is paid to the alignment of Business Model as well as to Business Processes between involved providers, who are an essential to service innovation in a value network

Workplace primary prevention programmes enabled by information and communication technology

As the workforce is ageing across the globe, employers are implementing primary prevention programmes to encourage their employees to live healthier lives. Information and communication technology (ICT) can support these programmes by collecting, storing and processing data, and by visualizing health progress. However, there is a lack of knowledge of how ICT is utilized in primary prevention programmes at workplaces and how its utilization affects social issues. This paper fills that gap by presenting an illustrative case of a primary prevention programme in Finland. We find that offering employees the opportunity to use ICT for data collection, storage and sharing, contributes to their acceptance of the programme. Moreover, our findings show that while visualizing the effects of the programme through ICT contributes to lifestyle change, such soft factors as the involvement of doctors are just as important.</span

Business Model Implementation within Networked Enterprises: A Case Study on a Finnish Pharmaceutical Project

In many entrepreneurial projects, the concept of the business model (BM) is used to describe a business idea at a high-level and in a holistic way. However, existing literature pays less attention to implementation (or execution) of BM. Implementation becomes more complex when a BM is proposed by or requires a network of collaborating enterprises. The aim of this paper is to provide an approach based on empirical research that supports BM transition from design to implementation. The empirical data used in this paper is based on a case study involving an innovative project in the pharmaceutical sector in Finland. The case analysis demonstrates how a high-level BM needs careful consideration of its operational components from a network perspective to secure both value creation and capture. Drawing on the analysis, six concluding propositions on BM implementation in networked settings are put forward.</p

Business model metrics: an open repository

Development of successful business models has become a necessity in turbulent business environments, but compared to research on business modeling tools, attention to the role of metrics in designing business models in literature is limited. Building on existing approaches to business models and performance measurement literature, we develop a generic open repository of metrics related to core business model concepts. We validate and assess the practical value of the repository based on four e-Business model cases. The repository can be utilized in designing business models, specifically for networked enterprises. It is neither complete nor universally applicable, but needs adjustment with each design. Ultimately, with this paper, we hope measurement will become an integral part of the business model innovation discussion.</p

Performance Estimation of Networked Business Models: Case Study on a Finnish eHealth Service Project

Purpose: The objective of this paper is to propose and demonstrate a framework for estimating performance in a networked business model. Design/methodology/approach: Our approach is design science, utilising action research in studying a case of four independent firms in Health &amp; Wellbeing sector aiming to jointly provide a new service for business and private customers. The duration of the research study is 3 years. Findings: We propose that a balanced set of performance indicators can be defined by paying attention to all main components of the business model, enriched with of network collaboration. The results highlight the importance of measuring all main components of the business model and also the business network partners’ view on trust, contracts and fairness. Research implications: This article contributes to the business model literature by combining business modelling with performance evaluation. The article points out that it is essential to create metrics that can be applied to evaluate and improve the business model blueprints, but it is also important to measure business collaboration aspects. Practical implications: Companies have already adopted Business model canvas or similar business model tools to innovate new business models. We suggest that companies continue their business model innovation work by agreeing on a set of performance metrics, building on the business model components model enriched with measures of network collaboration. Originality/value: This article contributes to the business model literature and praxis by combining business modelling with performance evaluation

A Holistic View on Sustainability in Additive and Subtractive Manufacturing: A Comparative Empirical Study of Eyewear Production Systems

To achieve sustainability across the product life cycle, attention to the production process is a prerequisite. As a result of technological advancements, innovation and inventions in production methods are in full swing. Production methods that enable mass customisation (MC) are one of the recent developments in the production domain. This study aims to empirically explore the sustainability impact of two MC-oriented production methods, namely, additive manufacturing (i.e., Selective Laser Sintering) and subtractive manufacturing (Computer Numerical Control Milling) within two complete production lines (i.e., from raw material to assembly) for a wearable product. In the context of the triple bottom line framework, the production lines are analysed from an economic, environmental, and social standpoint. A Discrete-Event Simulation (DES) is used to quantify and compare both production systems with their inherent variability in a dynamic setting of fluctuating order volume and diversity. The findings of the simulation are qualitatively evaluated using expert interviews. This study provides a detailed insight into several sustainability trade-offs in production systems where additive and subtractive manufacturing are involved

Stakeholder Analysis enriched with the Analysis of Inter- Organizational Interactions and Interdependencies: Case- study on innovative Smart Living projects

To become more innovative, increasingly companies in Smart Living domain initiate and participate in trans-sector collaborations. Trans-sector collaboration is marked by involvement of various actors from distinct sectors with sometimes, if not often, conflicting strategic interests and incoherent operational business processes and procedures. To gain an in-depth insight into the actors’ relationships and interactions, ‘stakeholder analysis’ is suggested and adopted by many scholars and practitioners. However, the literature on stakeholder analysis is too concerned with abstract strategic analysis, often limited to conceptual and static understanding of stakeholders. This paper argues that a “true” understanding of stakeholders can only be achieved by analyzing the stakeholders’ interactions and interdependencies. This study borrows a conceptual framework from service innovation domain, i.e. the VIP framework, to extend stakeholder analysis by a systematic analysis of stakeholders’ dynamic requirements and interactions. The qualitative evaluation of the frameworks application shows that this extension is needed to gain in-depth understanding of stakeholders, and the potential operational conflicts and critical dependencies between them, that otherwise would be overlooked

Toward a holistic view on lean sustainable construction: A literature review

The need for sustainable built environment is pressing; an urgency that spans environmental, economic and social values of sustainability. Since late 1980s, the Lean philosophy has been adopted in the construction sector, with a focus on efficiency, predominantly as a function of economic competence. More recently, however, the Lean principles and practices have been revisited and increasingly used to create and preserve social and environmental values as well. The result was a growing, but dispersed, body of knowledge on sustainability and Lean construction, and hence, equivocal about how Lean contributes to sustainability. By means of a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) based on 118 journal articles from 1998 to 2017, this article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of “how Lean helps achieve and maintain sustainability in construction sector”. The findings are structured into a holistic framework, which underlines a multidimensional approach toward sustainability, i.e., focus on stakeholders, across various construction phases, while simultaneously being heedful of concerns regarding people, planet, and profit. It became clear that the current body of knowledge is mainly skewed toward economic values, which calls for more research in the social and environmental aspects of construction. This study assembles a palette of existing best practices, based on which scholars’ and practitioners’ can balance their efforts across three dimensions of sustainability. Moreover, it identifies several under-researched areas of Lean sustainable construction that have the potential to be expanded in by future researchers.Housing Institutions & GovernanceForm, Space & Typ