Project - User-driven service innovation in trade firms

Service renewal in practice - service innovation in smaller trade firms

Project start January 2008. Expected completion June 2010.

The project is completed.

Project Objectives

• Identify the customer’s neglected service needs in three fields; carpentry / joinery, plumbing firms and bakers/confectioners.
• Develop tools that enable employees and management within the three fields to systematically identify and work with information on customers needs for service concepts as a part of a continual business development tool.
• Develop and test new strategies for the spread information to firms in the three fields and related trades.

Participants

• Rathjes Bageri
• Gerners Konditori, www.gernerskonditori.dk
• Den Helt Rigtige Bager, www.denheltrigtigebager.dk
• Holm Tømrer og Snedkerfirma A/S, www.holm-as.dk
• PR Byg A/S
• Bjørnskov Tag- og Tømrerfirma  ApS, www.t-b.dk
• VVS Steen T. Hansen ApS, www.steenthansen.dk
• Total VVS
• Varmesmeden i Asserbo
• Håndværksrådet, www.hvr.dk
• Copenhagen Living Lab, www.copenhagenlivinglab.com

Activities
The trade-based fields are known for the exuberant pride in their trade and are often very busy on a daily basis. It will therefore require considerable effort to change trade culture towards a more customer-orientated culture within these fields. Experienced consultants and branch organisations support this motion.

The project has found, through interviews with customers in the three fields, neglected service needs in connection with purchase and service.

The project also develops in 2010, scenarios for the three fields, the purpose of which is to give a robust base to develop ideas for user friendly service concepts, The identified needs and ideas will then become part of a innovation process where service concepts, service and central product service can be developed into a worthy and commercially sustainable business model for firms.

The project is a part of the programme for user-driven innovation.