ACTIVIDADES

Besides roadmapping, the semi-structured interviews also tested topics arising from BM and BMI

literature. The topics resulting from the scientific literature review in chapter 3 are: BM, value

proposition and value creation, unique selling points, revenue and cost structure, customer wants

and needs, roadmapping, firm performance, SDL. The number of interviewees questioned during

the semi-structured interviews concerning BM and BMI literature is 3. These three interviewees

questioned hold positions as CEO and Chairman, Global Business Development Manager, and

Independent Board Member.

Questioning BM and BMI subjects during the semi-structured interviews with experts from the

case company showed the following:

(1) The BM of Super B entails mass production of lithium-ion batteries and ESS. The containerized

ESS is a recent development as a result of market demands and opportunities. Regardless

of the product, Super B develops products meeting customer demands, preferable as

generic as possible, with a good design, good software, high quality and good service. An

important component of the products, the cells, are purchased instead of produced. The

added value here is the knowledge what is used to produce and develop the products.

(2) The value added by Super B’s products entail a qualitative, safe and tested product what

causes to take away worries among the use of energy. This is currently achieved by

product roadmapping. The themes and products integrated in the roadmapping process

need to be of a certain value for customers: “Basically, everything has to do with creating

value”, said the Independent Board Member. This integration is not yet considered enough

within Super B, what makes it hard to be efficient. Value creation needs to be aligned with

the strategy, vision and mission of Super B. Creating value is associated with competitive

advantage. Mapping the market also supports insights into competitive advantages, as

some inquiries and understandings of competitive advantage are unclear to Super B.

The

fact that Super B is not only producing energy batteries, but also starter batteries, is a

competitive advantage. Besides this, the future for LFP is expected to be better than

competitive technology ‘Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide’ (NMC). The combination

of a premium battery system with special characteristics (i.e., good configuration, optimal

weights, volume, capacity, price-prestation proportion) increases advantages compared

to competitors. To achieve suitable products, wants, needs and demands of customer

come to light during dialogues with customers. Therefore, product developments is carried

out together with customers, what causes that unique and demanded products can be

produced. Also, the added value of products or services needs to be aligned: “just

understand what a customer wants”, said the Independent Board Member. In case of

multiple customers having similar demands, a business case is elaborated.

Based such

solid business case, it is possible to integrate the demands into the product planning and

roadmapping. Here, the Independent Board Member mentions that “we need to focus on

customer-oriented selling more”.

(3) The income generated by Super B reflect the transactions of starter and traction batteries. In

the current BM, sales are generated by distributors and via OEMs. Global Business

Development Manager mentioned that “I think the revenues could be much higher”, when

the values, comfort and convenience generated are clearer. To finance a strong growth,

“we actually make too much overhead costs”, said the CEO. It is possible to create value

by purchasing quality components. To monitor Super B’s activities, indicators regarding

performance are used. Such indicators involve financial performance (sales, costs,

margins, profit), forecasting, growth, customer satisfaction and operational excellence.

(4) The focus of Super B is on transactions, but the need to service regarding products is

observable by means of experience and communication. “Products and service are tied

together, and I think that you need to call it service”, said the CEO. Developments of

service of containerized ESS can be digital solutions, such as cloud services. This results

into the direction of ‘energy as a service’ more.

The 15 interview questions regarding BM and BMI literature lead towards the additional

occurrence of ‘competitive advantage’, and ‘competitive technologies’ what need to be reviewed

to be added to the proposed model. The competitive and developing technologies need to be

incorporated, as current technologies might not be resistant for evolutionary technologies.

Competitive technologies are related to the concept ‘technology’ of Phaal et al. (2004). However,

the layer ‘Technology’ of Phaal et al. (2004) does not indicate such competitive advantages, value

creation and value capture. Therefore, it is suggested to add a new building block to the model,

namely ‘Market trends’. Hereafter, market trends incorporates value creation, value capture and

competitive advantages. The adjustment of the building block ‘Market trends’ is incorporated in

the proposed model as second phase and provides input for the development of products.

Herewith, it is suggested that the layer ‘Technologies’ becomes the third phase in the model. In

the last section of this chapter, the subjects which have come forward will be described for

possible incorporation in the proposed strategic marketing model.