Achieving Customer Satisfaction through Integrated Products and Services: An Exploratory Study

Much of the research on satisfying customer needs is strongly influenced by the product or service dichotomy. Customer solutions however represent a type of offering that integrates products and services. Thus, solutions provide a special context that requires research attention. In this paper, we conducted an exploratory study of four customer organisations using solutions. Using the repertory grid technique we conducted 33 interviews with participants and identified 29 attributes. The data was analyzed using the Honey technique to identify which attributes are important for users and buyers of customer solutions. The findings identify relational dynamic between customers and the solution provider to be a complex and multifaceted set of dependencies that involves a number of key attributes identified. These closely related attributes included: knowledge, innovation, control, access and contract in satisfying the needs of users and buyers. The lesson that providers need to be aware of in designing NPD/NSD for solutions is that in the customer organization buyer and user attributes may vary as the two groups may have different needs. Therefore, providers of solutions need to cater for both groups when designing offerings. Importantly, the solutions context entails both product (good) and service elements that require closer attention.