Service network integration - a case study in manufacturing maintenance services

Abstract

Network companies, both business-to-business (B2B) customers and suppliers, focus on their core competences and acquire further resources and expertise from their network partners. In this paper, we combine service-dominant logic (S-D logic) and inter-organisational relationship (IOR) theories in order to extend our understanding of the service network (resource) integration between a manufacturing company, a service provider and other network members. Furthermore, the services outsourcing literature is revisited in order to explore factors affecting resource integration needs. The research process followed in this study comprised two phases, the empirical research (survey) and case study as the main phase. The main research question is "How are the resources of the manufacturing company and the service providers integrated into the networked value-creation process?"