Creation of a Co-Innovation framework for a Software as a Service-Provider and its Customers using a Case-study approach

Sammanfattning: Innovation is an integral part of every product development and therefore also important for ”Software as a Service” (SaaS) companies. However, as these companies do not develop for one customer in particular, it may be difficult to understand what features are to be developed in the future. Co-Innovation can be a solution. Co-Innovation proposes a collaboration between two companies for the benefit of both. In the case of SaaS, the other company can be a customer company. The cooperation between the two gives the SaaS company the opportunity to understand what features are wished for by the customer and the customer company gets a more customised software, that fulfills their requirements. This poses the research question: How could a framework for a Co-Innovation project between a SaaS provider and its customers look like? This study aims to answer this question by means of a case-study and by proposing a comprehensive framework for a Co-Innovation project. The proposed framework offers valuable insights and comprises four essential parts. Part one are the Roles involved in the Co-Innovation project. Part two is a Checklist used to evaluate possible Co-Innovation partners. Part three is an EPC process model outlines the step-by-step implementation of the aforementioned Checklist. Part four is a Gantt process that provides a detailed timeline of daily activities during the Co-Innovation project. By presenting this framework, the study answers the research question by offering a comprehensive description of how a Co-Innovation project can be executed, which can be readily adopted by diverse B2B-SaaS providers. Future research exploring the adaptation of this framework to other industries and types of companies holds promise for further advancements in the field.