Innovating for and with your service customers: An assessment of the current practice of collaborative service innovation in Germany

Methods for managing innovation have been described in academia in many contexts. Service innovation processes pose particular challenges compared to those of product innovation – one of the core reasons being the lack of dedicated R&D structures in service firms or units. Collaborative innovation both with employees and with customers can be an effective means to drive innovation in services. Based on empirical evidence of a study of German innovation managers, this paper discusses findings of service innovation in organizational practice. We review the current extent and future potential of the involvement of employees and customers in the innovation process, as well implications for companies and academia.