Network development project designed to build great B2B collaborations
Buchle, Romina (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024053018332
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024053018332
Tiivistelmä
The inspiration for the thesis came up from observations of challenges in managing the workload in a corporate setting, and experiences of working as a freelancer. Based on the assumption that challenges of both stakeholder groups can be solved by the application of network effects, the idea of developing a network was born. This development was considered a milestone to achieve the purpose of establishing meaningful connections and collaborations in a business context at scale.
In line with the network design and development process, the objective of the thesis is to create a network development guideline which helps to build great collaborations not only in the case of Swiss freelancers and corporate stakeholder, but in other business contexts as well.
The thesis aims to document the research, design, and development process of constructing a network, serving as a guideline for other professionals interested in similar endeavors. Key objectives in context of the network design include (1) understanding if the Double Diamond is a good way to structure and support the network development process, (2) learning which participative methods and tools can be applied and (3) how prototyping can be conducted with limited resources.
Various research and development methodologies, including exploratory interviews, and data analysis, were employed to achieve these goals and milestones. As part of the theoretical framework the three main themes (1) networks, (2) collaborations and (3) trust were researched as part of the overarching concept of collaborative networks. In order to document the whole process in a concise manner the Double Diamond framework has been used to structure the thesis. Each stage of the service design process has been described and necessary theory been shared, before the applied empirical methods were explained and reflected upon.
The first round of semi-structured interviews to identify the needs of the two stakeholder groups was held in February and early March 2024, followed by two expert interviews mid March 2024. Based on the insights of the interviews, the focus of the development process was adjusted to address the most pronounced needs and challenges of freelancers, referred to as established solopreneur in the resulting persona profile. Based on the analyis of the personas and the identified opportunity areas two business models were drafted. The first version addressing the needs of the solopreneurs solely, taking into account the need of a critical mass to drive value for corporate stakeholders.
A prototype, built modularly around a Slack workspace, was introduced to an initial group of solopreneurs mid-April 2024, which then was tested and iterated on until mid-May, which concluded the process documented within this thesis.
In line with the network design and development process, the objective of the thesis is to create a network development guideline which helps to build great collaborations not only in the case of Swiss freelancers and corporate stakeholder, but in other business contexts as well.
The thesis aims to document the research, design, and development process of constructing a network, serving as a guideline for other professionals interested in similar endeavors. Key objectives in context of the network design include (1) understanding if the Double Diamond is a good way to structure and support the network development process, (2) learning which participative methods and tools can be applied and (3) how prototyping can be conducted with limited resources.
Various research and development methodologies, including exploratory interviews, and data analysis, were employed to achieve these goals and milestones. As part of the theoretical framework the three main themes (1) networks, (2) collaborations and (3) trust were researched as part of the overarching concept of collaborative networks. In order to document the whole process in a concise manner the Double Diamond framework has been used to structure the thesis. Each stage of the service design process has been described and necessary theory been shared, before the applied empirical methods were explained and reflected upon.
The first round of semi-structured interviews to identify the needs of the two stakeholder groups was held in February and early March 2024, followed by two expert interviews mid March 2024. Based on the insights of the interviews, the focus of the development process was adjusted to address the most pronounced needs and challenges of freelancers, referred to as established solopreneur in the resulting persona profile. Based on the analyis of the personas and the identified opportunity areas two business models were drafted. The first version addressing the needs of the solopreneurs solely, taking into account the need of a critical mass to drive value for corporate stakeholders.
A prototype, built modularly around a Slack workspace, was introduced to an initial group of solopreneurs mid-April 2024, which then was tested and iterated on until mid-May, which concluded the process documented within this thesis.