Solution (business administration)

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In business administration , a solution is understood to be a specific form of sales for a company service. A company that offers solutions is called a solution provider.

definition

A solution is defined as an integrated and individualized service of a company, which is aligned to the specific requirements of a customer in the context of a complex problem . The service consists of a combination of services and products, or a combination of services. The term “ hybrid product ” is therefore often used synonymously for this .

Constitutive traits

The following are considered constitutive features of solutions:

  • Combination: A customer solution consists of several, different and related services and products , or services and services. With this combination, a solution has a high degree of problem-solving potential, i. that is, it can solve a complex customer problem. A single product or service is not a solution because these isolated services cannot solve a complex problem.
  • Integration: In a solution, the products and services are coordinated so that they fit together technically and functionally into a whole. This is known as internal operational integration. In addition, a solution is tailored to the circumstances and requirements in the customer's company. This fact is known as external integration.
  • Individualization: A solution is adapted to the requirements of an individual customer. The individualization primarily relates to the creation or selection and the composition of the service components, but z. B. also the pricing.

A solution provider can take certain measures before providing the solution in order to take into account the basic requirements of certain customer groups for a solution and still enable individualization for an individual customer. Certain products and services can be integrated into a standard solution, which can then be modified for an individual customer. (Standard) solutions that are created by the solution provider for defined industries are called vertical solutions or industrial solutions.

Examples

Solutions occur primarily in industrial markets, but also occur in consumer markets. Examples of solutions in industrial markets are logistics solutions from transport companies and packaging solutions from chemical / plastics companies. Private financial solutions from banks (private wealth management) are an example of a solution in the consumer market.

The business understanding of solutions is much narrower than the understanding of solutions in the IT industry. In order to avoid defining IT services on either hardware or software, the term solution is often used here.

literature

  • Davies, Andrew, Tim Brady and Michael Hobday (2006): Charting a path toward integrated solutions , Sloan Management Review, 47, pp. 39-48
  • Foote, Nathaniel, Jay Galbraith, Quentin Hope and Danny Miller (2001): Making Solutions the Answer , McKinsey Quarterly, 3, pp. 84-93
  • Mack, Oliver, and Udo Mildenberger (2003): Customer Solutions: Characteristics and manifestations of customer solutions . In Horst Wildemann, Ed .: Modern Production Concepts, Munich, pp. 101–119
  • Sawhney, Mohanbir (2006): Going Beyond the Product: Defining, Designing and Delivering Customer Solutions . In Robert F. Lusch and Stephen L. Vargo, eds .: Toward a Service-Dominant Logic of Marketing: Dialog, Debate, and Directions . Armonk / NY: ME Sharpe, pp. 365-380
  • Tuli, Kapil R., Ajay K. Kohli, and Sundar G. Bharadwaj (2007): Rethinking Customer Solutions: From Product Bundles to Relational Processes , Journal of Marketing, 71 (July), pp. 1-17