From IT Outsourcing to Digital Sourcing: A Capability-Contingent Perspective on Sourcing Decisions
Journal
Proceedings 21st International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik 2026 (upcoming)
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2026
Author(s)
Abstract
Rapid digital transformation is fundamentally reshaping how firms in-novate and compete. This shift is particularly evident in formerly hardware-cen-tric industries, such as automotive, where software-defined products (SDPs) in-creasingly make software the primary driver of product design, functionality, and user experience. As a result, firms face growing uncertainty over which software to develop in-house and which to source externally. While IS research increas-ingly engages with digital sourcing, we still lack insight into which SDP-related capabilities condition actual sourcing decisions and how they shape their viabil-ity. We address this gap through a multiple-case study of six automotive OEMs, drawing on 31 interviews and secondary sources. We show that established sourcing directives remain relevant but insufficient in SDP contexts, because vi-able digital sourcing decisions are capability-contingent rather than object-deter-mined. We identify four SDP-related capabilities that condition such decisions and derive a framework that illustrates the viability of digital sourcing decisions.
Language
English
Keywords
IT Outsourcing
Digital Sourcing
Software-Defined Products
HSG Classification
not classified
Refereed
Yes
Event Title
21st International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik
Event Location
Linz
Event Date
09/2026
Subject(s)
Division(s)
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
open.access
Name
Camera Ready_From IT Outsourcing to Digital Sourcing.pdf
Size
444.01 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
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