Research Article

VALUE CO-CREATION IN MULTI-TIER SUPPLY CHAINS: A STUDY OF CUSTOMIZED-PRODUCTS

Volume: 18 Number: 1 June 29, 2026
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VALUE CO-CREATION IN MULTI-TIER SUPPLY CHAINS: A STUDY OF CUSTOMIZED-PRODUCTS

Abstract

Multi-tier supply chain actors interact to co-create value and support customer use, yet the value co-creation (VCC) environment and interactions that enable customers’ value-in-use (VIU) in customized-product supply chains remain underexplored. This study examines value interactions in multi-tier supply chains for customized products, focusing on VCC and actors’ facilitating activities for customers’ VIU. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen experts, who were selected from multiple tiers of industrial automation (IA) supply chains providing customized-products. The interview data was evaluated through content analysis. The findings reveal high customer involvement in value creation within customized-product supply chains, driven by intense direct interactions among multiple provider tiers and customers through five VCC activities: co-design, co-trial, co-production, co-procurement, and coopetition. These value interactions assign different roles across two phases: during product supply, all actors, including customers, act as value co-creators; while during product use, providers serve as value facilitators and customers as value creators. This study contributes by examining value interactions in multi-tier supply chains for customized products, highlighting the intense direct interactions and distinct actor roles that support customers’ VIU.

Keywords

customized-product, value co-creation, value-in-use, multi-tier supply chain

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APA
Ak, İ., & Göçer, A. (2026). VALUE CO-CREATION IN MULTI-TIER SUPPLY CHAINS: A STUDY OF CUSTOMIZED-PRODUCTS. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Denizcilik Fakültesi Dergisi, 18(1), 60-99. https://doi.org/10.18613/deudfd.1874011
AMA
1.Ak İ, Göçer A. VALUE CO-CREATION IN MULTI-TIER SUPPLY CHAINS: A STUDY OF CUSTOMIZED-PRODUCTS. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Denizcilik Fakültesi Dergisi. 2026;18(1):60-99. doi:10.18613/deudfd.1874011
Chicago
Ak, İlayda, and Aysu Göçer. 2026. “VALUE CO-CREATION IN MULTI-TIER SUPPLY CHAINS: A STUDY OF CUSTOMIZED-PRODUCTS”. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Denizcilik Fakültesi Dergisi 18 (1): 60-99. https://doi.org/10.18613/deudfd.1874011.
EndNote
Ak İ, Göçer A (June 1, 2026) VALUE CO-CREATION IN MULTI-TIER SUPPLY CHAINS: A STUDY OF CUSTOMIZED-PRODUCTS. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Denizcilik Fakültesi Dergisi 18 1 60–99.
IEEE
[1]İ. Ak and A. Göçer, “VALUE CO-CREATION IN MULTI-TIER SUPPLY CHAINS: A STUDY OF CUSTOMIZED-PRODUCTS”, Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Denizcilik Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 60–99, June 2026, doi: 10.18613/deudfd.1874011.
ISNAD
Ak, İlayda - Göçer, Aysu. “VALUE CO-CREATION IN MULTI-TIER SUPPLY CHAINS: A STUDY OF CUSTOMIZED-PRODUCTS”. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Denizcilik Fakültesi Dergisi 18/1 (June 1, 2026): 60-99. https://doi.org/10.18613/deudfd.1874011.
JAMA
1.Ak İ, Göçer A. VALUE CO-CREATION IN MULTI-TIER SUPPLY CHAINS: A STUDY OF CUSTOMIZED-PRODUCTS. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Denizcilik Fakültesi Dergisi. 2026;18:60–99.
MLA
Ak, İlayda, and Aysu Göçer. “VALUE CO-CREATION IN MULTI-TIER SUPPLY CHAINS: A STUDY OF CUSTOMIZED-PRODUCTS”. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Denizcilik Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 18, no. 1, June 2026, pp. 60-99, doi:10.18613/deudfd.1874011.
Vancouver
1.İlayda Ak, Aysu Göçer. VALUE CO-CREATION IN MULTI-TIER SUPPLY CHAINS: A STUDY OF CUSTOMIZED-PRODUCTS. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Denizcilik Fakültesi Dergisi. 2026 Jun. 1;18(1):60-99. doi:10.18613/deudfd.1874011