Propellerhead, the Swedish software development firm in the field of computer-controlled musical instruments, took a new look at the way customer support functions are organised. Propellerhead was looking for a new method to provide their users with sufficient information to take advantage of the software tool for music creation. They created an interactive website which had the role of a communication hub, and included users from all over the world in their customer support team. Thus, the most knowledgeable users could assist users who required help in using the software.

Propellerhead was the first company to launch a software programme which enables users to compose music on a PC or Mac. Several groups of users hacked into Propellerhead’s program, and started to modify the software. This development led to the formation of a user community where users discussed Propellerhead’s software and ways to improve it.

Propellerhead realised that the users of the community were providing each other with support on how to use the software. The company decided to take advantage of this community and included them in their web-based team of customer support services. The user community now lives side by side with the official customer support team at Propellerhead.

Through the interactive customer support website, Propellerhead could assist their customers while simultaneously reaping the benefits of any new ideas and innovations which occurred in the interaction between users assisting each other. Propellerhead was also able to reduce its operating costs of maintaining a customer support site.

Source: Associate Professor, Lars Bo Jeppesen (2009).

For more details on this case, contact FORA at FORA@newnatureofinnovation.org.