Strategic foresight of xerox servitization: look back and look forward

This study aims to explore the strategies of Xerox Corporation (Xerox) in the copier industry, as its inception to date. In particular, it examines the process of Xerox’s creating platform advantage (the capability to engender an increasing future and continuing success of new innovations or businesses). The study provides insights on Xerox’s pursuit of specific strategies in managing technological innovations in the midst of fierce market competition.

The research study uses a case study methodology to explore the strategic foresight of Xerox servitization. The study develops the new methodological tool to analyse the process of technology platform and business platform creation. The model can be applied to any industry to understand the pursuit of strategies in high-tech based market competition.

The analyses of Xerox’s strategies, as its inception to date, have revealed the process of platform creation (technology platform and business platform), which enabled Xerox to enjoy a continuing advantage. The results have shown that the pursuit of specific strategy is motivated by risk considerations as much as by a search for profit. Xerox has continually upgraded its platforms to get ready for the competition under the digital transformation of servitization.

The main contribution of this research study is the development of a new methodological framework, which can be used to analyse the process of platform creation in any industry. The new framework introduces a dynamic concept (rather than a static concept generally found in the previous literature) of technology and business platforms. This research study contributes to the body of knowledge in the areas of strategic management of innovation.