A Procedure Model for Integrating Retailers into Digital Platforms

Reiners, Sebastian; Hermann, Andreas; Cordes, Ann-Kristin; Gollhardt, Torsten; Becker, Jörg

Abstract

The integration into digital platforms is a vital countermeasure for retailers to counter rising customer expectations, emerging competition, and rapid technological developments. To break down the behemoth of integration projects into smaller steps, we synthesized a procedure model incorporating requirements from scientific literature and practice. We applied design science research to derive a well-structured and scientifically sound artifact that was evaluated in eleven interviews with practitioners. Our analysis revealed that integrating retailers into a digital platform is less specific than proposed in other research and has many similarities to other spheres, especially when considering small- and medium-sized organizations. However, there are some peculiarities for retailers that could rationalize a distinct view on the integration.

Keywords
Digital Platform, Integration, Retail, Procedure Model, Design Science.