Managing the Risk of Customer Integration

The necessity and the advantages of integrating customers into the innovation process are widely recognized. There are, however, inherent risks to customer integration that can be reduced by comprehensive risk management methods. Based on intensive desk research and in-depth workshops with nine companies, this article provides a detailed description of the various risks and offers advice on how to minimize them. Diverse risk management methods theoretical backgrounds are introduced, while examples from companies that have had vast experience with all aspects of customer integration illustrate their practical applicability.