Stabauer Petra, Breitfuß Gert, Lassnig Markus
2017
Nowadays digitalization is on everyone’s mind and affecting all areas of life. The rapid development of information technology and the increasing pervasiveness of digitalization represent new challenges to the business world. The emergence of the so-called fourth industrial revolution and the Internet of Things (IoT) confronts existing firms with changes in numerous aspects of doing business. Not only information and communication technologies are changing production processes through increasing automation. Digitalization can affect products and services itself. This could lead to major changes in a company’s value chain and as a consequence affects the company’s business model. In the age of digitalization, it is no longer sufficient to change single aspects of a firm’s business strategy, the business model itself needs to be the subject of innovation. This paper presents how digitalization affects business models of well-established companies in Austria. The results are demonstrated by means of two best practice case studies. The case studies were identified within an empirical research study funded by the Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT). The selected best practice cases presents how digitalization affects a firm’s business model and demonstrates the transformation of the value creation process by simultaneously contributing to sustainable development.