Understanding the Additional Value Created by Customer Solutions and How it is Contingent upon Solution Complexity
Abstract
Faced with intense global competition, many suppliers in business markets are turning towards customer solutions in an attempt to better differentiate their offers. A considerable shortcoming of the presently published research on solutions lies in its lack of customer focus. This study uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to (1) derive the dimensions of the additional value provided by a solution from the customer's perspective, (2) test how these dimensions impact overall solution evaluations, and (3) test for moderating effects of solution complexity.