Page 70 - Rižnar, Igor, and Klemen Kavčič (ed.). 2017. Connecting Higher Education Institutions with Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 70
Aleksander Janeš, Roberto Biloslavo, and Armand Faganel
Many researches have come to the broad consensus that some sig-
nificant development trends are influencing nowadays global supply
chains. These are the following: supply chain volatility and market un-
certainty, dependence on global customers and supplier networks, cost
optimisations, risk management involving end-to-end supply chain
management, integration and empowerment (Lu 2011).
Methodology
The Slovenian project partners designed strategic-cognitive maps with-
in thirty in-depth semi-structured interviews, which were conducted
with entrepreneurs between January 2012 and May 2014. Prior to
the interview, the interviewees received generic questions by e-mail
(Fontana and Frey 2000; Janeš et al. 2014; Kvale 2007; Silverman 2000).
The interview included questions on the historical development and
key turning points of EuroPacific. In particular, the investigation fo-
cussed on the most innovative practices of the company’s business
model, as recognised by the company itself. The canvas method for busi-
ness models was used for mapping the vision and strategic knowledge
of the company. In order to implement the strategic innovation of the
business model, it is necessary to find the answer to several questions,
but it is always required to start with the question: ‘Why do we exist
and what is our goal?’ This is followed by the question: ‘When should we
redesign the business model?’ The noted need for business model inno-
vation induces questions relating to the characteristics of the existing
business model. Questions are classified according to the key elements
of the business model (table 4.1). In this way, the canvas was used for a
description of the business model with a set of key elements: stakehold-
ers, business partners, key resources, key activities, business processes,
goods and customer segments and a central part representing the value
proposition (Janeš et al. 2014; Osterwalder, Pigneur, and Clark 2010).
The case study of the EuroPacific Company was one among the com-
panies that participated in the Know Us project and was selected and
represented because of its outstanding innovative logistic expertise
(Yin 1994). Semi-structured individual interviews were agreed and
scheduled with Mr. Rok Kobal, owner and manager of the company.
The interviews were conducted between March and April 2013. The in-
terviews lasted from 120 to 180 minutes, which is much longer than a
standard 60 minutes length (Kvale 2007).
The first interview was dedicated to the visualisation of the present
68
Many researches have come to the broad consensus that some sig-
nificant development trends are influencing nowadays global supply
chains. These are the following: supply chain volatility and market un-
certainty, dependence on global customers and supplier networks, cost
optimisations, risk management involving end-to-end supply chain
management, integration and empowerment (Lu 2011).
Methodology
The Slovenian project partners designed strategic-cognitive maps with-
in thirty in-depth semi-structured interviews, which were conducted
with entrepreneurs between January 2012 and May 2014. Prior to
the interview, the interviewees received generic questions by e-mail
(Fontana and Frey 2000; Janeš et al. 2014; Kvale 2007; Silverman 2000).
The interview included questions on the historical development and
key turning points of EuroPacific. In particular, the investigation fo-
cussed on the most innovative practices of the company’s business
model, as recognised by the company itself. The canvas method for busi-
ness models was used for mapping the vision and strategic knowledge
of the company. In order to implement the strategic innovation of the
business model, it is necessary to find the answer to several questions,
but it is always required to start with the question: ‘Why do we exist
and what is our goal?’ This is followed by the question: ‘When should we
redesign the business model?’ The noted need for business model inno-
vation induces questions relating to the characteristics of the existing
business model. Questions are classified according to the key elements
of the business model (table 4.1). In this way, the canvas was used for a
description of the business model with a set of key elements: stakehold-
ers, business partners, key resources, key activities, business processes,
goods and customer segments and a central part representing the value
proposition (Janeš et al. 2014; Osterwalder, Pigneur, and Clark 2010).
The case study of the EuroPacific Company was one among the com-
panies that participated in the Know Us project and was selected and
represented because of its outstanding innovative logistic expertise
(Yin 1994). Semi-structured individual interviews were agreed and
scheduled with Mr. Rok Kobal, owner and manager of the company.
The interviews were conducted between March and April 2013. The in-
terviews lasted from 120 to 180 minutes, which is much longer than a
standard 60 minutes length (Kvale 2007).
The first interview was dedicated to the visualisation of the present
68
