An Ontology-Aided Computer-Based Approach for Business Model Innovation Ideation

Business model innovation (BMI) is a key leverage for the successful long-term performance of a business. Still, there are almost no computer-based tools to support the BMI process. Most available tools focus on the initiation phase of the BMI process: to map out the current business model. Unfortunately, the later steps, such as the ideation phase, are currently not supported by computer-based tools. However, computer-based tools can assist managers in the decision- making process of elaborating new BMI ideas. This research addresses the research question on how a computer-based tool can suggest BMI cases based on a business’s business model, enterprise architecture, business innovation case characteristics, or criteria for which they are looking for in a potential BMI. A particular focus is on the combination of BMI with information technology. The research has shown that although a computer-based and ontology-aided approach for facilitating BMI would be beneficial for managers, additional research is required. A more detailed conceptualization of a business model than the current status quo can contribute to achieving such a computer-based tool for BMI recommendation. This thesis follows a design science research strategy. As part of the awareness phase, a literature review was conducted as well as three BMI cases were collected for further analysis of their characteristics. Since this research aimed to develop an ontology-aided approach for supporting the BMI ideation, a BMI ontology and a matching method had to be developed. The BMI ontology is built modularly, and therefore, it contains the individual ontologies for a business model, business capability, business innovation case, and enterprise architecture and their interconnections. Additionally, a construction industry-specific ontology was developed and added to the BMI ontology to showcase the possibility for extensions for industry-specific criteria since the developed BMI ontology is an unspecific industry ontology and thus, applicable for every business. Further, the ontology was implemented into a computer-based tool with case- based-reasoning ability to evaluate the possibility of matching BMI cases with a business model, enterprise architecture, or business innovation case criteria. Additionally, to have the functionality of filtering BMI cases, a matching method between BMI cases and filtering criteria was developed and evaluated by leveraging the collected BMI cases during the awareness phase. Through a computer-based tool, browsing, matching, and comparing BMI possibilities become an efficient and straightforward task.