Fostering the Commercialisation of the Connected Car: Analysis of the impact of the connected car on the business model of Volkswagen Group Fleet International

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to analyse the future impact of the Connected Car on the business model (BM) of Automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), using the case of the business unit (BU) Volkswagen Group Fleet International (Volkswagen GFI). Necessary changes, due to new commercial potentials or emerging competitive risks, and their causes are identified on the level of current core processes of the BM. Research Approach & Methodology – A multi stage research design with a narrative literature review and in total 23 qualitative interviews is pursued. The research approach applies the BM concept as tool of communication between external as well as internal experts of different divisions and levels of hierarchy, but also as subject of analysis. The results of the interviews are aggregated and refined in several iterations. The BM concept is suitable for such an approach, because it is of high relevance for foreseeing technological impact. In the context of technology-oriented strategic management, a BM represents a “coherent framework that takes technological characteristics and potentials as inputs, and converts them through customers and markets into economic outputs” (Chesbrough and Rosenbloom, 2002, p. 532).