Creating value with integrated B2B solutions: an empirical study of network maintenance services

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to analyse the structure of a network maintenance service solution and the role of intertwined service functions in creating value for customers. This study presents an empirical case analysis in the field of network maintenance services to enhance the understanding of value creation logic regarding integrated solutions. Social network analysis (SNA) and statistical methods will be applied to analyse a survey sample of the network service provider's customer companies. The SNA approach serves to describe service function structure from a customer perspective. Regression analysis will be applied to connect the expected value of the service solutions to the expected quality attributes. The findings indicate that systemic service functions commonly relate to routine processes and are bound by a usage context in customer problem-solving domains. This research opens up the structural role of systemic service functions in service solutions and supply chain integration.