Improving information processing capacities in service value chains: design concept, prototype and evaluation

The emerging service-dominant logic requires cooperation between several partners in a value-added network or value chain. Information asymmetry and information gaps may lead to uncovered and unused knowledge. This paper addresses how this problem can be solved by suggesting an approach based on contingency theory. The core idea consists of supporting and improving value-added partnerships by enhancing information processing capacities of all partner organisations and information flows within the whole service network. We introduce a solution that consists of a mobile, Internet-based application system. The system allows partners in the value chain to access the most current service information at any time and at any place. The feasibility of the approach is demonstrated in a first application scenario and evaluated using laboratory experiments with domain experts. The results show that service processes are being executed with significantly more success if they are supported by the application system.