Unveiling digital service readiness: exploring customer and manufacturer organizational perspectives in digital service innovation

Purpose This research aims to explore service readiness when offering new digital services (DS) in business-to-business (B2B) contexts, examining the dimensions and interdependencies between customer organizational readiness and manufacturer organizational readiness in digital service innovation (DSI). Design/methodology/approach A qualitative single-case approach is used, focusing on an illustrative example to develop comprehensive insights. Through this approach, the study explores the perspectives of manufacturers and their customers, offering an in-depth understanding of organizational readiness for digital services (DS). The interview data were collected from one manufacturer and two customers. Findings The study uncovers the multifaceted nature of DSI, introducing a novel concept termed “digital service readiness” (DSR). By examining the interdependencies between customer and manufacturer organizational readiness, the research identifies critical dimensions that influence digital service innovation strategies and collaboration in DSI. The insights gained from the study provide valuable knowledge for the effective implementation of digital services in B2B organizational contexts. Originality/value The relevance of this research is highlighted by the observation that B2B firms are advancing with the adoption of DSI, despite not being adequately prepared from an organizational perspective. This study contributes to the DSI literature by introducing the concept of “digital service readiness” (DSR) and exploring its organizational dimensions and interdependencies from the perspectives of both customers and manufacturers. Finally, a theoretical model accompanied by a set of propositions is introduced.