Service innovation methodologies I : what can we learn from service innovation and new service development research? : report no 1 from the TIPVIS-project

Abstract

This report presents a review of service innovation and service development literature. The main purpose of the review is to identify normative implications for service innovation methodologies. Three separate reviews are conducted and reported; an open search review based on specific search terms of relevance to service innovation methodologies, a review of articles in four of the most influential journals on service innovation/service development, and a review focusing contributions applying normative approaches and/or principles. Some of the main conclusions from the review support previous findings that the service innovation process is less formal and that it is more difficult to identify stage gate models than for product development processes. Human resources are revealed to be a particularly important innovation condition, but the importance of technology (and information technology in particular) seems to be increasing. Several types of service innovations are discussed. Also, the importance of innovation types as an influential factor moderating the effects of innovation conditions on innovation process and outcome is discussed. Finally, many measures of innovation outcomes are discussed. Very few contributions conclude with explicit implications for service innovation methodology. Much of the literature is based on industry specific case studies lacking in external validity. While the literature reviewed documents that service innovation differs from product innovation, little is said on how this could guide prescriptive service innovation methodology literature. Thus, further research transforming the descriptive findings on successful service innovation into prescriptive recommendations for service innovation methodology is required.