Innovation in the kitchen line of business: Users, configuration and context

Buildings and the properties of specific rooms – the context - call for considerations on how user involvement in the design process has to be accommodated in the strategic company set-up. This case study focuses on the handling of kitchen layouts by a major supplier, which includes a need for a definition of the expert's role in the sales organisation on the one hand and different segments of users on the other. In industrialised construction, ICT-based configurators are often highly dependent on the non-fixed and fluid nature of the construction processes. Consequently, configurators call for considerations on how to adjust the boundaries for the users' decisions, the characteristics of the product and firm strategies e.g. how the sale is organised. In the present case, two main questions seem to be urgent. First, is users' room for action increased (empowerment) or will experts play a more pronounced role? Second, the configurator makes a strategic dilemma topical - should the 'do it yourself' market int he future have high priority, or should the existing model with its extensive service and a strong sales organisation (with a network of sales offices) remain untouched? The theoretical part will draw on discussions on user-driven innovation and on theories for innovation in construction. The empirical part of the research is based on a qualitative case study, where a major Scandinavian supplier of kitchen elements sets up an internet-based design configurator.