Digital B2B interactions in Romania

Purpose - The development of new information technology and telecommunication (ITT) devices has increased the complexity of business‐to‐business (B2B) interactions, forcing the service organisations to adopt a multi‐channel, customer‐oriented approach. The purpose of this study is to present an exploratory study of B2B interactions in Romania, which measures the preference of both service providers and client firms for various channels of interaction, and identifies the main dimensions of the interactive process. Design/methodology/approach - The primary data were collected through an e‐mail questionnaire that was answered by 113 service providers and 102 client organisations, and then analysed using the SPSS statistical package. Findings - Five main interaction dimensions have been identified as the framework used by client organisations to evaluate the quality of B2B interactions. These dimensions are complex constructs that have a double projection in the context of ITT systems and CRM procedures. Originality/value - The process of B2B interactions is poorly documented for transition economies, such as Romania. After describing the dimensions of B2B interactions, the paper proposes a diagnostic procedure for evaluating the perception gaps between the service provider firm and the client organisation, concerning the quality level of each dimension. This diagnostic can be adapted and used by each service provider organisation to identify the possible areas of customer dissatisfaction and the requirements for future improvements.