“Let me come and visit.”

That is her immediate response when asked whether she has any advice for companies working with servitization. Benedicte’s research focuses on this very field, and she explains that companies are often surprised when they open their doors to her.

“I find that when I reach out, they are often surprised that I understand their challenges, even though I’m based at a university,” she explains.

Benedicte has a background in product development, and today she uses her knowledge to help companies crack the code of servitization. It is about the journey from selling only a physical product to delivering integrated service solutions, where value is created through data and in close collaboration with the customer.

Like waste

To illustrate the complexity introduced by circular thinking, Benedicte uses an example from everyday life:

“We all pay close attention to filling up our fridges. But 20 years ago, we did not consider the waste that was generated; everything went into the same bin. Today, we have to sort it, maintain an overview, and actively participate in ensuring that the parts are passed on.”

Benedicte finds that companies have control over what they purchase and produce, but that there is now a growing demand for data that provides an overview of the product and its “residual waste” once it leaves the premises.

Guesswork can be costly

So far, Benedicte’s research has enabled her to analyse 50 company cases to examine how companies can extract more value by making better use of their data. Her experience shows that when less informed decisions are made – or when “guesstimations” are used – significant sums of money are at stake.

Indtil videre har Benedicte i sin forskning haft mulighed for at analysere 50 konkrete virksomhedscases for at undersøge, hvordan virksomheder kan hente mere værdi ved at bruge deres data bedre. Hendes erfaring er, at når man træffer mindre informerede valg – eller laver ’guesstimations’ – er der mange penge i spil.

“You get a much better outcome from having even a small amount of data to help form a picture, rather than relying on guesswork,” she explains.

IT is important

Benedicte’s research points to a critical need to anchor IT capabilities internally within the organisation rather than viewing IT merely as a support function.

“IT should be seen as a core element that supports the entire production process,” Benedicte explains.

She often identifies a missing link between management ambitions and actual technical capabilities. It is about aligning digital initiatives with the company’s current level of maturity before embarking on major investments.