Integrating services into solution offerings in the sales work of project-based firms

Project marketing and sales are the key activities at the front-end of solution delivery projects. Effective sales are a prerequisite for successful solution delivery in project-based firms, but little is known about the requirements for sales practices, particularly when the firm integrates services into solution offerings. The purposes of this study are to explore the integration of services into the sales of solutions and identify the needs and practices of service-related sales in project-based firms. The implications of integrating services into the solution offering are discussed based on a qualitative interview-based case study in two engineering industry firms. The findings suggest the use of business-level integration practices to facilitate the integration of sales and services at the project level. The results also indicate the importance of cooperation-oriented practices during a project in both interpersonal and group collaboration. The findings highlight the role of integrative people to manage collaboration and information flows at the front-end of projects. The findings contribute to the evidence on the requirements of sales work in integrating services with solutions by showing the complementarity of system and cross-functional integration in service-related solution selling as well as the work of integrative people in overcoming problems arising from the increased solution orientation in project-based firms.