Mindfully going omni-channel : An economic decision model for evaluating omni-channel strategies

Titelangaben

Hosseini, Sabiölla ; Merz, Marieluise ; Röglinger, Maximilian ; Wenninger, Annette:
Mindfully going omni-channel : An economic decision model for evaluating omni-channel strategies.
In: Decision Support Systems. Bd. 109 (2018) . - S. 74-88.
ISSN 1873-5797
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2018.01.010

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Abstract

Disruptive digital technologies empower customers to define how they would like to interact with organizations. Consequently, organizations often struggle to implement an appropriate omni-channel strategy (OCS) that both meets customers’ interaction preferences and can be operated efficiently. Despite this strong practical need, research on omni-channel management predominantly adopts a de-scriptive perspective. There is little prescriptive knowledge to support organizations in assessing the business value of OCSs and comparing them accordingly. To address this research gap, we propose an economic decision model that helps select an appropriate OCS, considering online and offline channels, the opening and closing of channels, non-sequential customer journeys, and customers’ channel preferences. Drawing from investment theory and value-based management, the decision model recommends implementing the OCS with the highest contribution to an organization’s long-term firm value. We validate the decision model using real-world data on the omni-channel environment of a German financial service provider.