Design of New Business Models for Service Integrators by Creating Information-Driven Value Webs Based on Customers' Collective Intelligence

In this paper we present an approach applying swarm intelligence to digital markets. The supply side often faces the challenge how to effectively identify customers' needs in order to design new products and services. When considering intermediaries ("service integrators") this task becomes even more difficult. Swarm intelligence might provide new means to tap into customers' collective intelligence and creativity in order to construct bundles of products and services basing on an outside-in-perspective. Our research results so far comprise an ontology structuring the various terms in this field and the concept of a swarm-driven value web. Furthermore, we present the swarm characteristics we are going to use for a prototype which enables a customer swarm to design bundles of products and services. During this stage and by means of observation the service integrator uses the customer swarm's collective intelligence as a source of information (product/service design). Thus, demand and supply are aligned by a coordinated information flow and moreover potential for new business models arises.