Collaborative e-product development and product innovation in a demand-driven network: the moderating role of eCRM

Customer relationships, product development, data integration and demand-driven supply chains are key concepts for companies that wish to remain competitive in today's global economy. To address this important information management issue, the present study examines how, within a demand-driven network context, an eCRM can influence the interorganizational product development process between a manufacturer and its key customers. The theoretical model, built on research related to a technology assimilation model based on Fichman's (2000) work, was tested on data from 104 manufacturers in the wireless equipment sector. The results show that the adoption of an eCRM does not moderate the relationship between collaborative e-product development involving a manufacturer and its key customers and product innovation within the manufacturer itself. Moderated regression analyses also demonstrate that, among the manufacturers that have adopted an eCRM, the impact of collaborative e-product development by the manufacturer and its key customers on product innovation within the company will be stronger when investments in the eCRM implementation, internal integration of the eCRM, and eCRM usage are higher than lower. Finally, the findings show that investments in the eCRM implementation, internal integration of eCRM and eCRM usage are also antecedents of product innovation within the manufacturer. This contribution, at the intersection of the CRM and product development research streams, should give academics and practitioners alike a better understanding of the role of eCRMs in the product development process.