1. Developing Coordination of
Inter-organizational Business Processes
Coping with Digitalization
Rita Lavikka, Lic.Sc. (Tech.)
rita.lavikka@aalto.fi
+358 50 384 1662
CV: procol.bdb.fi/~rlavikka/cv.html
RQ1: How to coordinate from structural separation towards a common service process?
Paper I (2008)
Corporate
Communications
Paper II (2009)
Production Planning
and Control
Paper III (2014)
Business Process
Management Journal
Paper IV (2015)
Supply Chain Management:
An International Journal
Purpose
and
context
Coordinate the
customer processes
of two business
units of a media
company.
Coordinate the
customer processes
of two business
units of a media
company.
Co-develop
business and IT
systems in service
processes of an
IT service
company and its
customer
network.
Compare the
coordination of
collaborative work in
two contractually
different
construction
projects in the
USA.
Method
Constructive
action research
and a multiple
case study.
Constructive
action research
and a case study.
A longitudinal
action research
project.
A comparative
case study of
two projects.
Data
17 interviews,
2 process
simulation projects,
archival data.
40 interviews,
3 process
simulation projects,
3 questionnaires,
archival data.
15 interviews,
3 process
simulation
projects, archival
data.
72 interviews,
observation for 6
weeks on the
construction sites,
archival data.
Research designs in the international papers
RQ2: How to build inter-organizational ambidexterity into IT-enabled service processes?
Result 5: Compared to a multi-party contract, dyadic
contracts are complemented during the design phase
with additional co-created coordination mechanisms.
Shows when the coordination mechanism was in effect.
Points to the main differences between the projects.
Joint financial incentive
Contract Design Construction Contract Design Construction
’Dyadic contracts project’
Co-location
Organizational design
’Multi-party contract project’
Collaborative working processes
Shared project goals
Common definitions
ICE sessions
Collaborative decision making
A liaison role
BIM and PM software
Common rules of condut
Visual metrics
Lean construction practices
Project and its phase
Coordination mechanism
Understanding
customer needs
• Definition of the
goals for cooperation
• Definition of
good service
• Common messages
to customers
• Common ways
of operating in
customer service
Shared
service idea
• Common product
and service training
• Common marketing
planning meeting
and action plan
• Shared intranet
• Definition of a
common service
process
Shared
product/service
and CRM systems
• Shared customer
service center
• Integration of the
electronic sales
and delivery
channels
Media
company
Product
unit
Online
service
unit
Result 2: Development of the coordination
mechanisms for a common service process.
Result 1: Inter-organizational coordination as a
process of recreating common understanding.
Result 4: Steps for building inter-organizational
ambidexterity into the service processes.
Customers’
business
knowledge
IT provider’s
technical
knowledge
Knowledge
boundaries
Shared domain
knowledge
of each other’s key
processes and the ability
to participate in
them.
IT provider’s
technical
knowledge
Customer’s
business
knowledge
Developmental interventions of facilitated
business process modeling and simulation workshops
RQ3: How does contract type affect the
development of procedural coordination?
Cross knowledge
boundaries by
sharing IT and
business knowledge
between the
organizations.This
will lead to the creation
of shared domain
knowledge.
Co-create
common
understanding
about the future
IT and business
requirements of the
collaborative service
processes.
Co-develop
inter-
organizational
coordination
mechanisms to
enable the serving of
both today’s and
future customers’
needs.
Result 3: Crossing knowledge boundaries
through developmental interventions.
A common
service
process
Recreating
common
understanding
• Common goals
• Common environment
• Common business model
• Common ways of thinking
• Common operational model
• Common competences
and resources
• Common knowledge