Research process

The research process unofficially started in March 2019 when the researcher was intro-duced to the case in order to support the work of students on a research intervention that was a part of their coursework at Tampere University. At that point the researcher was not actively involved in the casework. However, based on the inputs from the senior researcher working on the case and own online-based research on the case company and case-related concepts, the researcher consulted students working one the interven-tionist task and eventually facilitated the student’s meetings with the case company. At the same time, these meetings were the first researcher-case company encounters that,

looking from the current perspective, were invaluable for the researcher as they facili-tated the researcher’s understanding of the laboratory solutions offered by the case com-pany as well as the challenges the comcom-pany faced. Hence, this time could be labeled as the pre-understanding phase of the study. The entire research process is illustrated in a simplified form in the figure below.

Research process.

The research timeline in Figure 1 starts in May 2019 as at that point, the researcher got actively involved in the casework and started gathering data needed to answer the ob-jective of the study and build the value assessment model. Most of the data were col-lected between May 2019 and mid-September 2019, when the researcher run a series of interviews and teleconferences with the case company, a laboratory, and a hospital’s representatives. Moreover, during this time, the researcher also run two-day observa-tions in a medical laboratory. Some more information was also inquired in January 2020 when representatives of another hospital were interviewed and in mid-June 2020, when the researcher discussed outcomes of the study with the case company’s representa-tives.

The value assessment model was built mainly between September 2019 and January 2020. During that time, the main model inputs, the relations between different data, and the user interface were built. Furthermore, the assumptions for the model building were introduced to the case company, and modifications to the model were done several times. While the full version of the model was ready in January 2020, due to the corona-virus pandemic, the final check-up of the model by the case company could only happen in May 2020. Based on the final model check-up, the last modifications to the model were made, and hence the value assessment model was completed. The final model check-up resulted in interesting discussions and new data collection. Despite the completion of the model, the researcher might still have a role supporting the case company’s trial uses of the model with customers. Table 1 includes main research interactions along the re-search process.

Data gathering Model building Thesis writing

Table 1. Research interactions along the research process.

Type of

interaction Theme of the

interaction Attendants' roles Date Role of the researcher Meeting Defining co-operation Key account manager

(KAM), Laboratory chief physician (LCP)

13.5.2019 Active participant

Teleconference Data gathering and

re-fining further plans Marketing manager (MM), R&D manager (R&DM)

21.5.2019 Active participant

Interview Information gathering LCP 18.6.2019 Active participant Interview Data gathering Microbiologist 18.6.2019 Active participant Interview Data gathering Laboratory technician 18.6.2019 Active participant Interview Data gathering Laboratory technician 20.6.2019 Active participant Observation Data gathering Laboratory technicians 18.6.2019 Observer Observation Data gathering Laboratory technicians 20.6.2019 Observer

Interview Data gathering Nurse 1.7.2019 Active participant

Interview Data gathering Infectious diseases

specialists 19.8.2019 Active participant

Interview Data gathering Nurse 8.9.2019 Active participant

Teleconference Assumptions for model

and data gathering MM, KAM, R&DM 12.9.2019 Active participant

Interview Data gathering Nurse 4.10.2019 Active participant

Teleconference Model check-up and

data gathering MM, Chief commercial

officer (CCO) 20.11.2019 Active participant Teleconference Model check-up and

data gathering MM, CCO 29.11.2019 Active participant

Interview Data gathering Nurse 24.1.2020 Active participant

Teleconference Model check-up and

data gathering MM, CCO, Product

Manager (PM) 7.05.2020 Active participant Teleconference Data gathering MM, PM 16.06.2020 Active participant

Teleconference Model check-up PM 27.07.2020 Active participant

Emails – 75 sent &

62 received Information gathering,

scheduling All stakeholders

men-tioned in the table 1.05.2019 -

30.06.2020 Initiator

As Table 1 shows, many interactions with different stakeholders took place during the course of study and the researcher took an active part in all the interviews, teleconfer-ences and observations. The researcher was in constant touch with the case company’s marketing manager who was responsible for the project delivery. By the end of the study, a new product manager was introduced as a key contact person that is responsible for the value assessment model implementation. The product manager became the main contact person and the person with whom the model was finalized.

Besides the research interactions listed in Table 1, the researcher gave several presen-tations on the studied case. As the case studied in this thesis is a part of the broader project consortium, the researcher presented the outcomes of the study at a couple of steering group meetings and during a few internal research group meetings. Moreover, the researcher presented the case during management accounting seminars as well as prepared an online lecture presentation for students of one of the university courses as due to coronavirus pandemic all the classes were moved to the online space.

All the different interactions and presentations brought many interesting inputs to the study and supported the reporting of the study outcomes in the form of this thesis. The thesis writing process lasted from June 2019 to July 2020; however, as Figure 1 depicts, most of the thesis was written between January 2020 and July 2020.