The new BMW: business model innovation

transforms an automotive leader

Prasanna Kumar Kukkamalla, Andrea Bikfalvi and Anna Arbussa

Prasanna Kumar Introduction

Kukkamalla is based at the
Department of Technological innovations, market dynamics and changes in customer preferences have
Organization, Business greatly impacted the traditional business model of manufacturing firms. While many firms
Management, and Product struggle to generate a substantial profit from product sales, others try to identify
Design, University of opportunities by integrating product-related and value-added services. The days are gone
Girona, Girona, Spain. when firms focused solely on product-centric business. A new business strategy known as
Andrea Bikfalvi and Anna service integration has evolved in the manufacturing sector. Changes happen at the level of
Arbussa are both based at value creation, value delivery and value capture. Any change in these dimensions ultimately
the Department of Business
results in business model innovation which is defined as an activity or process in which core
Administration and Product
elements of an enterprise and its business rationale are purposely transformed to achieve
Design, University of
Girona, Girona, Spain. operational and strategic advancements.
The innovation in business models is novel and complex in nature, and it connects with
various aspects such as corporate strategy, technological capabilities and firms’
innovation processes. Business models are periodically impacted by technological
innovations either by creating an opportunity or by taking a risk which will result in
competitive advantage or disruption. Business model innovation is often the result of
external factors such as competition law, labour market legislation and environmental
legislation. The automotive industry has long been applying the traditional model. The
value of this kind of model depends on being able to offer more cost-effectiveness, low
emission engines and extra safety packs that may include auto-braking and chassis
control, among others (Chrysakis, 2017). However, these features no longer create
competitive advantages, and they have proved easy to copy. Many car manufacturing
firms have lately integrated or are planning to integrate customer services such as
mobility services, on-demand services and infotainment services in their core business
operations. While practitioners and research communities have paid much attention to
business model innovation, an industry-specific model, for example how car
© Prasanna Kumar manufacturers orchestrate their business model and which elements are impacted by
Kukkamalla, Andrea Bikfalvi
and Anna Arbussa. Published this change, is yet to emerge. To fill this knowledge gap, we narrow down the research
by Emerald Publishing Limited. on innovation in business models by focusing attention on BMW, considered to be one
This article is published under
the Creative Commons of the leading industry players for advanced services and a successful business model
Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. innovator.
Anyone may reproduce,
distribute, translate and create The structure of this article is as follows: first, this study explores the business model
derivative works of this article
(for both commercial & non- literature to outline the factors impacting innovation, and a framework for the business
commercial purposes), subject model innovation process is proposed. This framework is then used to discuss each
to full attribution to the original
publication and authors. The full element of the business model related to ConnectedDrive and the corresponding
terms of this licence may be
seen at http://creativecommons.
degree of innovation. Last, the paper compares the traditional and service integrated
org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode business models, as Figure 1 shows.

PAGE 268 j JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STRATEGY j VOL. 42 NO. 4 2021, pp. 268-277, Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 0275-6668 DOI 10.1108/JBS-02-2020-0021
 Figure 1 Framework of analysis

Factors behind business model innovaon

(movators, drivers)

Dimensions of business model innovaon

(value creaon, value delivery and value capture)

Implementaon of new business model

(7s Model elements)

The factors behind business model change

A set of factors was synthesised and classified into two groups (Figure 1): motivators
(inspire the firm) and drivers (facilitate change).

Motivators
Change can be triggered by internal factors such as organisational culture, the firm’s
aspirations, management support and new revenue channels, or by external factors such
as market pressure for innovation and differentiation.

Drivers
Different factors can facilitate the innovation process, including market-level factors such as
information and communication technologies (ICTs), big data, external drivers
(globalisation, deregulation), the ability of firms to identify changes, co-development
relationships, stakeholder demands, knowledge management infrastructure and
management processes.

Dimensions of innovation
Rayna and Striukova (2016) find five dimensions of value in the business model literature:
creation, proposition, capture, delivery and communication. This article discusses three of
the most relevant values to the case study: creation, delivery and capture.

Value creation
Firms create value for the product and services with their core competencies, key
resources, governance, complementary assets and value networks.

Value delivery
This dimension describes how the value created is delivered to customers through
distribution channels These elements offer ample opportunity for innovation by addressing
the needs of the market segment (for instance, a mobility service that targets short term

VOL. 42 NO. 4 2021 j JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STRATEGY j PAGE 269

 travel needs), or by introducing a new way to deliver products or services (for instance,
Netflix or Amazon Prime).

Value capture
This refers to the firm’s ability to benefit from the value created. It includes the revenue
model used to generate cash flow and the cost structure. Value capture also includes profit
allocation across the value chain. Innovation may allow a firm to gain market leadership
through cost restructuring.

Degree of innovation
Changes in the elements of the business model influence the degree of innovation. Amit
and Zott (2012) categorise innovation as radical or incremental. Radical innovation is an
innovation with a high degree of novelty, which breaks with what existed previously. John
Deere, for example, has revolutionised the farming industry by integrating sensor
technology into its tractors. In contrast, incremental innovation has a low degree of novelty,
and with less risk and cost than radical innovation. For instance, electric windows, air bags,
cup holders and ABS brakes are all examples of the incremental innovations made to cars.

Case background
BMW is one of the leading firms in the automotive industry, not only offering premium
vehicles but for many years also providing customer with financial, on-demand and
telematics services. The firm’s transformation to customer-centric began by introducing
telematics services in 1997. For the past 22 years, BMW has not only been offering
telematics services, but has become the dominant force in the digital service market. The
range of services available for current BMW models includes a personal telephone
information service, emergency calls, Google Local Search, traffic information and internet-
based services for navigation, communication and infotainment. These services are
available in 45 countries, and there are already over 10 million connected BMW vehicles on
the world’s roads.

Methodology
For this research, a single case study method was used. The case study research method
as described by (Yin, 2003) is a suitable method for obtaining insights into the innovation
approach. This study follows the document analysis technique (Bowen, 2009), a systematic
procedure for reviewing and evaluating both printed documents and digital material. It is
especially applicable to qualitative case studies, which are intensive analyses that produce
rich descriptions of a single phenomenon, event, organisation or programme (Stake, 2000;
Yin, 1994). The data was gathered from BMW press releases, websites, annual reports,
company announcements and collaboration announcements.

Findings
Factors behind innovation

Motivators. Three motivators behind BMW’s decision to change its product-centric model to
a service model were identified. These are organisational culture, competitive advantage
and additional revenue (Table 1). Regarding organisational culture, as a pioneer in the
market, BMW always strives to be innovative in its core business activities. With aspirations
of being a pioneer in technology and a first mover in the market, in 1997 BMW launched
internet services in the car (telematics service). BMW has kept its commitment to offer more
customer-centric solutions, expressing its organisational culture in the following ways: “we

PAGE 270 j JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STRATEGY j VOL. 42 NO. 4 2021

 Table 1 Factors behind business model innovation
Classification Factors Explanation

Motivators Organisational culture Shared assumptions, values and beliefs

Competitive advantage Unique, high demand, or superior quality products or services
Additional revenue Revenue from additional services
Drivers Technology integration Use of technology tools to enhance service quality or portfolio
Collaborations Association with other organisations to achieve goals
Dynamic capabilities Ability to integrate, build and reconfigure internal and external competences
Knowledge process Method for creating, acquiring and using knowledge

committed”, “as promised”, “being a first mover” and “technology pioneer”. The integration
of services of this kind prompted the start of change in its business model.
The increase in competition from emerging markets and dynamic market conditions has led
car manufacturing firms to focus more on innovations. In 1997, the digital service market
was in the expansion stage, and there were not many players in the market. BMW used this
opportunity to create a competitive advantage for their fleets. Twenty years in telematics
services have proved their strategy to be successful, and BMW has kept its leading position
in the digital service market. Creating a competitive advantage is one of the reasons behind
innovation.
Light vehicle production on a global basis dropped during the 1998 calendar year, falling
nearly two per cent to 51.6 million units. This decline, starting in 1997, stemmed from the
collapse of the Asia-Pacific region economies where automotive output declined by 11% to
14.5 million units.
To create additional revenue streams, BMW introduced digital services into the market. In-
service integration model firms generate revenue by providing customer solutions and
creating new revenue channel sources (Liang et al., 2017). This could have been one
possible motivation for BMW to change to a service-based firm. One vice-president
described this movement: “We build digital products and services that are meant to help us
differentiate our core product, the car, and generate revenue.” These services have been
offered for several years, but the firm does not reveal its exact revenue from these services.
Information gleaned from the annual reports and the expansion of third-party services in the
digital service platform indicate that BMW receives a substantial amount of revenue from
these services. Aspirations of additional revenue is obviously one of the factors behind the
change.
Drivers. Regarding the drivers that facilitated the change, BMW relied on technology
integration, collaborations, dynamic capabilities and knowledge process activities. IT
(information technology) firms have expanded their business into the automotive industry
landscape, offering customer services such as parking payments and in-vehicle services.
With their dominant technological knowledge and market power, they disrupt the business
model of the automotive industry. In this competitive situation, instead of competing with
each other, BMW teamed up with these firms. A board member commented on this move:
“We cannot offer clients the perfect experience without help from one of these technology
companies. Two worlds are colliding here. Our world focused on hardware and our
experience in making complex products, and the world of information technology, which is
intruding more and more into our life”.
Given that the telematics service business seemed to be taking off, BMW escalated the
service integration process by making collaborative agreements with various stakeholders
such as technological firms and telecommunications providers. Instead of developing the
technology itself, the company opted for a collaborative strategy to access a partner’s
service and to provide an opportunity to integrate services as third-party service suppliers.

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 For example, the firm has developed central engine control units through cooperation with
partners such as Bosch and Siemens.
To sum up, the firm’s key motivation behind these collaborations was not simply to integrate
the partner’s services but to select only innovative technology and widely accepted
solutions in the market such as on-demand music and navigation services.
With regard to dynamic capabilities, in an online interview Ian Robertson, member of the
Management Board BMW AG, pointed out that “We are one of the world’s, if not the, most
successful automotive companies and we are rapidly becoming a technology company”. In
line with this vision, BMW has developed new capabilities such as the ability to integrate,
build and reconfigure internal and external competencies to address rapidly changing
environments. In 2001, the BMW Group Launched VIA 2.0 (The Virtual Innovation Agency),
the online platform for people with ideas. All ideas, concepts and patents for new
technologies that could be used by the BMW Group in its products and services in the
short, medium and long term can be submitted online.
Effective knowledge process activities accelerate the change process. These activities
include the capture, transformation and use of knowledge to design new services (Ansari
et al., 2012). BMW generates a huge amount of data about vehicle conditions, drivers’
behaviour, and user service preference through the digital service platform. This data is
processed by the firm and/or supply chain partner to design and develop new services.
These (data collecting) processing activities serve BMW’s legitimate interest in meeting the
high standards placed by customers on existing products and services and being capable
of satisfying customers’ future wishes through the development of new products and
services (Data protection, BMW). BMW has associated with leading technology centres in
Europe, Japan and the USA, immediately entering all the knowledge and information
gained into a central Intranet system made available to all associates to promote new ideas
and networked thinking.

Traditional business model vs service business model

Press notes and media announcements made by BMW were analysed to present the two
models. One is the traditional model (Car as a product) and the other is a new model (Car
as a service). The first still exists in the company and the new model is being built for
ConnectedDrive services (Table 2). Analysis of the business model reveals different views,
one traditional and the other new.
In the traditional model, value creation is based on the firm’s resources, capabilities and
activities. Sometimes key resources are acquired from the supply chain network, but within
the automotive business landscape. Meanwhile, in the new model, value comes from
integration technology (established in the market or new to the market), knowledge process
activities (customer knowledge) and collaborations (mostly IT firms).
In the traditional model, the firm uses dealer networks and their own distribution channel to
deliver the product (car). The customer segment is mostly people who love luxury products,
fuel-efficiency and design. However, in the new model, BMW uses its own network (store
and online) to deliver services. BMW mainly targets people who love digital services. In the
traditional model, BMW generates income through the sale of products and spare parts.
Other basic services like maintenance and insurance also contribute a substantial amount
of revenue. Most of the cost structure in the traditional model involves R&D, production,
sales and marketing and training. In the new model, BMW has created various pricing
models to generate revenue such as Freemium and Subscription mode (bundle and
flexible). They invest money in activities such as service design, technology acquisition and
knowledge management.

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 Table 2 Comparison of business model components – car as a product vs car as a service
Car as a product model Car as a service model

Value creations
Key resources People and technology Partner’s resources, customer knowledge
Key activities Production, Sales and Marketing R&D, Training Service designing, Knowledge management
Key partners Supply chain network Insurance firms, Designers, Other firms, (music providers, navigation service providers,
Research institutes telecommunication firms)
Customer Maintenances, customer service assistance Feedback and reviews, Social media interaction
relationship
Value delivery
Channels Dealers and traditional car distributors/stores Own network (app store, customer office)
Customer Urbanites, Performance driven, quality-minded Tech-savvy consumers
segment people
Value capture
Revenue Car sales service and maintenance Subscription fee service fee
streams Insurance premium (Bundle and flexible)
Cost structure R&D, Productions, Sales and marketing Service design, technology acquisition cost and knowledge
management activities
Source: Author’s own elaboration

Implementation of a new business model

The study explored BMW’s new business model implantation process through McKinsey’s
7S Framework (Waterman et al., 1980). The model is often used as an organisational
analysis tool to assess and monitor changes in the internal environment of the firm. The
findings are discussed through seven aspects of BMW that align for the successful
integration of digital services and expansion of ConnectedDrive services: structure,
strategy, systems, skills, style, staff and shared values (Figure 2).

Structure
This defines how a firm is organised for transformation. The automobile industry has
expanded into a digital service ecosystem. External factors such as the evolution of digital

Figure 2 Illustration of business model Implementation through McKinsey 7 s model

• Introduced new services offerings

• Service improvement based on
• Collaboraons with IT firms customer feedback
• Delivering services through own channel
• Integrated third party services

Structure

• First mover in the

Shared digital service market
Strategy values • Connuous market
trend monitoring

Business
• Hired digital service-
model
oriented mindsets
innovaon • Co-development acvies
• Collaborated with System
Industrial PhDs for new • Knowledge management
Staff acvies
service designs
• Associated with start-up
minds through virtual
innovaon agency

Skills Styles • Top management support

• Customer data for digital service
• Know how technology
from partners

VOL. 42 NO. 4 2021 j JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STRATEGY j PAGE 273

 services, customer preferences and market trends have led BMW to focus on digital
services. BMW introduced these services in 2008, and they have gradually expanded over
the years. The company continually monitors these service adaptabilities in the market and
improves them based on customer reviews and feedback. This observation emphasises the
fact that for effective transformation a firm needs to focus on external elements such as
market trends and customer preferences. Firms also need to focus on customer complaints,
reviews and feedback to improve service quality.

Strategy
Strategy is the way a firm aims to improve its position through better value for its customers.
BMW adopted technologies that are well accepted in the market and integrated into their
service portfolio. Chesbrough and Schwartz (2007) argue that firms can innovate the
business model by establishing co-development relationships with different stakeholders.
Along with their own digital services, after collaborations. BMW started third-party services
in a digital service network. The reason behind these third-party service integrations was
that customers like technologies such as apply play, on-demand music and navigation
services while driving. BMW set up its own digital platform to deliver its services to
customers who can acquire them through the website and the App Store. The results
showed that BMW adopted a collaborative strategy with established IT firms.

System
Systems are defined as all the procedures, both formal and informal, that make the
organisation perform better. BMW’s digital services emerged from the innovation of
elements in the business model. Innovation started with changing the key activities of the
firm. BMW set up a 24/7 customer service centre to answer all enquiries related to
ConnectedDrive services, where customers can interact with the service provider through
social media. In March 2019, the firm also introduced an intelligent personal assistant to
help drivers with driving-related issues. These kinds of activities lead to generating
customer information and related knowledge. In addition, BMW also involves customers in
early customer service designing processes. This innovative step enables a more
collaborative relationship with customers as a way of meeting customer expectations.

Staff
In 2014, BMW appointed Dieter May as senior Vice-President for digital products and services
to lead the way in staff. At that time, he had had 23 years’ experience in global high-tech
companies, spanning mobile products, large-scale cloud-based consumer services and
semiconductor technology. BMW also invited creative ideas for products and services through
the “Virtual Innovation Agency”. The company associated with selected people for service
development, and with several research units and start-ups for new service developments, for
instance offering industrial PhDs where researchers develop products and services for BMW. A
general manager of product and channel development at BMW Group UK commented: “BMW
opened its doors to external entrepreneurs to partner with them to support our innovation plan.
This way we develop new services that tackle the changing customer needs we are seeing, and
they help us find new ways to capitalise on new technologies”. This observation showed that for
an effective transformation a firm should take advantage of experienced personnel and
associate with creative minds.

Style
Style refers to how management acts in achieving the organisation’s mission within the
cultural context of the firm. BMW is one of the first movers in the digital services market,

PAGE 274 j JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STRATEGY j VOL. 42 NO. 4 2021

striving to be a market leader and pioneer in the digital service business. A general
manager of product and channel development at BMW commented: “You need to learn to
get from idea to implementation quickly. It’s something we strive to do. And BMW’s
commitment to innovation across our business is coming from the very top of the company –
our executive team see this as a key part of their strategy for the business”. Another factor
observed in this study is that BMW clearly defined its transformation and new image in the
market. The vice-president of digital services and business models commented: “The BMW
Group is working to shift from a traditional luxury auto manufacturer and service provider to
a technology company, with automated driving, digital connectivity, mobility services and
electrification as some of the central pillars of our new strategy”. The results show that the
firm needs support and cooperation for transformation, and they must have a clear vision of
where this transformation is leading.

Skills
Skills are the organisation’s dominant attributes, competencies and capabilities. BMW
established the capabilities required for digital services, which include sensing, identifying and
assessing emerging opportunities. Establishing these capabilities is completely new in the
automotive industry. First, the company hired experienced people to lead the digital services
business. It then associated with established IT firms and other firms to acquire know-how
technology and competences. For instance, BMW acquired analytical capabilities by teaming
with IBM. IBM’s cloud platform Bluemix gives developers access to BMW’s entire service
catalogue and its ecosystem partners to build and operate innovative new service offerings. The
general manager of IBM explained this collaboration: “The concept of a neutral server fosters
innovation by establishing a single point of contact for multiple parties to access vehicle data
from various manufacturers, thereby reducing integration cost whilst ensuring fair competition”.
The results showed that BMW acquired skills and competencies from IT partners. Some
competencies are co-developed with partners. To sum up, for effective new business model
implementation a firm needs to develop and acquire skills and capabilities.

Shared value
Shared value is defined as the norms and standards that guide a firm’s action, or the core
vision of the firm. Creating a digital environment for drivers is the core vision of
ConnectedDrive services. The vice President of Digital Products and Services expressed
this vision as: “We build digital products and services that are meant to help us differentiate
our core product, the car, and generate revenue. These digital services also provide us with
channels and touch points that allow us to now have a direct relationship with the customer
on the sales side and talk to the customer directly”. BMW’s mission for ConnectedDrive
services is to establish better customer relationships and new revenue streams.

Conclusion
The aim of the present study is twofold: first, to examine a business model innovation
framework with influencing factors and to contrast it with empirical evidence. This goal was
achieved by presenting a conceptual framework and applying it as an analytical tool to
describe BMW’s model development. Second, this research showed how BMW innovates
each element in the model dimensions, which were then categorised into various degrees
of innovation. The study also showed how BMW orchestrates innovation for digital services.
To effectively adopt changes in the business model, the firm must first clearly understand
what motivates this transformation. The firm should focus on factors such as market
dynamics and other external forces that influence business landscapes. However, the firm
should be aware that these forces can create an advantage or risk. Motivation alone is not

VOL. 42 NO. 4 2021 j JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STRATEGY j PAGE 275

 enough to change the model, but the firm should find drivers that facilitate this
transformation. The firm must have the support of these drivers to create an efficient model.
Market dynamics have changed dramatically, and the firm needs to develop dynamic
capabilities to shape business activities according to demand. Firms cannot create value
through their products or services alone but rather need to collaborate with other
stakeholders to create a value constellation, as suggested by Haggège et al. (2017). By
adopting the latest technology, constant service-integration and customer knowledge can
transform business activities to be more efficient and effective.
This paper has some limitations. The first one is that it develops a conceptual framework
with the factors that emerged from the literature and are validated with a signal case study.
The second limitation is that the study depends solely on secondary data. Regarding future
research directions, this study recommends that research communities validate the
proposed framework in a different context and with multiple case studies. The key element
category presented in this study should be expanded further through empirical analysis.
The business model literature focuses on the impacts and benefits in general, proposing
strategies for innovation. However, context-specific studies are yet to be uncovered. As a result,
empirical illustrations of business model innovation in the automotive industry are lacking. This
study contributes by highlighting the issue through presenting the business model of BMW for
digital services. The results of this study can help managers to understand how innovation in
business models may be orchestrated and what elements they need to focus on.

Acknowledgments
An earlier version of this article has been presented at the 4th International Conference on
New Business Models “New Business Models for Sustainable Entrepreneurship, Innovation,
and Transformation”, ESCP Europe Berlin, 1-3 July 2019, Berlin, Germany. The
corresponding author would like to express his gratitude to the Department of Business
Administration and Product Design, University of Girona (Spain) for financial support for the
conference. The corresponding author would also like to thank his colleagues in the Centre
for Research on Operation, Projects and Services (CROPS), Tampere University, and
Keyword: colleagues in the Department of Business Administration and Product Design, the
Business model innovation University of Girona for their thoughtful and valuable comments.

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About the authors

Prasanna Kumar Kukkamalla is a Doctoral Candidate at the Department of Organization,
Business Management and Product Design, University of Girona, Spain. His research
interests focus on business model, organisational transformation, servitisation and service
design. Prasanna Kumar Kukkamalla is the corresponding author and can be contacted at:
prasanna@aol.in

Andrea Bikfalvi is teaching and a Research Staff, ‘Serra Hu nter Fellow’ since 2018 at the
University of Girona in Spain. During her trajectory, she conducted several research
projects for the regional Government of Catalonia, Spain, as well as a series of EU projects.
She visited and actively collaborates with researchers in relevant research centres and
Higher Education Institutions in Germany, Finland, Croatia, Portugal, etc. Her main research
interest is in holistic approaches of innovation in all types of organisations – mainly, but not
limited to – public administration, private enterprises and education. Her expertise is in
strategy, organisational innovation and business model configuration.

Anna Arbussa is an Associate Professor at the Department of Business Administration and

Product Design of the University of Girona. She received her PhD from the same institution
in 2001. She has worked on various European projects on electronic payments systems and
published articles in the field of technological innovation and technology management. She
is currently also working on public health management and on human resources
management.

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