Lecture 1a - New Ways of Networking

Question 1

What is a smart network?

Answer 1

A network that wins (outperforms other competing networks)

• Operates value chain activities simultaneously (across multiple firms) –> e.g. gathering data, service provisioning, payment are done by different firms at the same time
• Organizes data flows (instead of information flows
• Has ‘higher’ network horizon (firms in the network ‘can see more’)
• Can quickly connect and disconnect to actors in the network
• Offers pick, plug & play (networkability)
• Uses decision rules embedded business logic (= specific capabilities per firm embedded), ‘each participant becomes a smart insect in an intelligent swarm’
• Select & execute business processes from the network firms

Question 2

What is a smart organization?

Answer 2

An organization that participates in multiple networks

Question 3

What is connecting?

Answer 3

Investing in becoming part of a network. By implementing/creating resources/capabilities (software, people etc.) that enable plug & play. Only if required by a customer request and if allocated by a network orchestrator (based on business logic in the NBOS)

Question 4

What is disconnecting?

Answer 4

Removing resources, connections, processes, activities (only those that are no longer useful)

Question 5

What is smart business networking?

Answer 5

Set of interorganizational relationships between

• Focal actor (central node/orchestrator/coordinator)
• Independent external actors closely linked
• Working together to create value for the customer

Question 6

What 3 pillars decide on the degree of smartness?

Answer 6

• Automatic responses to customers (e.g. chatbot) (‘assimilation’ (Piaget)) (standard + business reaction as usual)
• Accommodation (Piaget) (incremental innovation for different situations)
• Environmental enactment (create new conditions or new domains of action)

Question 7

What are the 3 types of networks? (van Heck & Vervest, 2007)

Answer 7

Traditional network
- All firms have limited horizons, meaning that it is a homegenous network

Developing network

• Some (smart) firms have large horizons
• Others (still) have limited horizons, so this is a heterogenous network

Smart network
- All firms have (similar) large horizons (they see what is happening everywhere), so again a homogenous network

Question 8

What are the trade-offs and questions regarding smart business networks?

Answer 8

See 6th page of this lecture

Question 9

What is a Smart Service? (Boukhris & Fritzsche, 2019)

Answer 9

• Rich in data
• Knowledge intensive decision engines: Based on lots of knowledge in the domain/network and clients
• Sophisticated outcome for users (every party in the network)
• Architecture for stakeholders
• Automation level of processes
  See last page of the lecture for more detail