A matrix for selecting appropriate customer integration methods

Integrating customers into innovation processes is gaining popularity to develop new products and services. While customer integration can be beneficial, firms lack a clear understanding on how to actually integrate customers. Based on a systematic literature review, we analyze different customer integration methods and provide a decision matrix considering innovation phases and organizational constraints. The proposed decision matrix supports practitioners in selecting customer integration methods that are suitable to generate required customer input for the innovation process. Further, this study contributes to theory by identifying and classifying customer integration methods, allowing researchers to design an IT-based decision tool.     «

Integrating customers into innovation processes is gaining popularity to develop new products and services. While customer integration can be beneficial, firms lack a clear understanding on how to actually integrate customers. Based on a systematic literature review, we analyze different customer integration methods and provide a decision matrix considering innovation phases and organizational constraints. The proposed decision matrix supports practitioners in selecting customer integration meth...     »