Digitalizing B2B Customer Journeys: The Impact of a Diverse Customer Base and Internal Capabilities – A Case Study
(2025) MIOM05 20251Department of Mechanical Engineering Sciences
Production Management
- Abstract
- This thesis explores how companies should manage their digital customer journey in a business-to-business context. In prior research, academic gaps related to diverse customers and internal capabilities’ influence on the digital customer journey have been identified. Thus, this thesis aims to explore how a case company should manage their digital customer journey and what internal capabilities, resources and strategies should be leveraged, considering a diverse customer base.
A qualitative and abductive case study methodology was assumed for the writing of the thesis. Data was collected through 17 interviews with employees from the case company and one external actor. As another source of evidence, documents provided by the case... (More) - This thesis explores how companies should manage their digital customer journey in a business-to-business context. In prior research, academic gaps related to diverse customers and internal capabilities’ influence on the digital customer journey have been identified. Thus, this thesis aims to explore how a case company should manage their digital customer journey and what internal capabilities, resources and strategies should be leveraged, considering a diverse customer base.
A qualitative and abductive case study methodology was assumed for the writing of the thesis. Data was collected through 17 interviews with employees from the case company and one external actor. As another source of evidence, documents provided by the case company were used. The authors followed a data analysis structure suggested by Denscombe (2010) but were also inspired by the structure of Gioia et al (2013). This meant raw data was coded and later grouped based on themes to identify patterns.
It was found that a diverse customer base tends to influence the customer journey depending on their digital maturity, preferences, roles in the stakeholder network and in what phases of the customer journey they are active. A wide global presence adds to the diversity of the customer base. This influences digitalization strategy based on what customer persona, local appetite for digitalization and business environment exists on the specific geographical market. Additionally, suitable resources, capabilities and strategies for managing a digitalized customer journey must be obtained. Resources include digital tools, integrated systems and internal channels for value sharing which set the foundation for digital interaction with customers. Companies need capabilities to sense shifts in customer behavior and satisfaction, and seize these opportunities by transforming the organization accordingly. Finally, companies must form strategies to address what to prioritize when digitalizing with a diverse customer base. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9196550
- author
- Granljung, Alva LU and Olsson, Alva LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MIOM05 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Keywords: B2B Customer Journey, Digitalizing the Customer Journey, Digital Maturity, Diverse Customer Base, Access and Security Solutions Industry
- other publication id
- 25/5310
- language
- English
- id
- 9196550
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-17 16:38:23
- date last changed
- 2025-06-17 16:38:23
@misc{9196550,
abstract = {{This thesis explores how companies should manage their digital customer journey in a business-to-business context. In prior research, academic gaps related to diverse customers and internal capabilities’ influence on the digital customer journey have been identified. Thus, this thesis aims to explore how a case company should manage their digital customer journey and what internal capabilities, resources and strategies should be leveraged, considering a diverse customer base.
A qualitative and abductive case study methodology was assumed for the writing of the thesis. Data was collected through 17 interviews with employees from the case company and one external actor. As another source of evidence, documents provided by the case company were used. The authors followed a data analysis structure suggested by Denscombe (2010) but were also inspired by the structure of Gioia et al (2013). This meant raw data was coded and later grouped based on themes to identify patterns.
It was found that a diverse customer base tends to influence the customer journey depending on their digital maturity, preferences, roles in the stakeholder network and in what phases of the customer journey they are active. A wide global presence adds to the diversity of the customer base. This influences digitalization strategy based on what customer persona, local appetite for digitalization and business environment exists on the specific geographical market. Additionally, suitable resources, capabilities and strategies for managing a digitalized customer journey must be obtained. Resources include digital tools, integrated systems and internal channels for value sharing which set the foundation for digital interaction with customers. Companies need capabilities to sense shifts in customer behavior and satisfaction, and seize these opportunities by transforming the organization accordingly. Finally, companies must form strategies to address what to prioritize when digitalizing with a diverse customer base.}},
author = {{Granljung, Alva and Olsson, Alva}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Digitalizing B2B Customer Journeys: The Impact of a Diverse Customer Base and Internal Capabilities – A Case Study}},
year = {{2025}},
}