Implications of customer roles in engineer-to-order service supply chain

This study seeks to find out how knowledge‐intensive service firms can improve their performance by more effective management of customer roles in their service supply chain. A single case study method is used to study drilling engineering and well services segment of a multinational oil and gas services company, code‐named MISI Oil and Gas Services Company. Conceptual framework for explaining the customer roles in service supply chain is developed and validated using data. Customer as logistics service provider is newly revealed in the study. It is also discovered that through its integrated project management model, the company is able to drastically minimise variability and uncertainty that four of the customer roles introduce into its service operations. MISI Company KPIs are affected by how it manages the roles that its customers assume in its drilling engineering and well services operations.