Companies are more and more turning to proactive customer integration and look for efficient ways of customer knowledge management. In case of online interaction, companies generate Big Data which holds the potential for the companies in terms of customer knowledge input. The potential of such data can be unfolded using advanced (predictive) analytics technologies. In order to ensure efficient customer integration in such settings, companies should be able to develop absorptive capacity. We

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... me that the nature of absorptive capacity in data-driven environments could be challenged, considering the intersection of business and technology perspectives. This study sets a foundation of understanding the peculiarities of absorptive capacity in data-driven environments by applying a qualitative case study approach. The study considers perspectives of both, service companies and analytics providers to avoid one-sided biases. The main result is an integration of empirical findings, their analysis against existing theoretical background and crystallization of a concept of 'two-sided absorptive capacity' which aims to explicate the role of analytics skills while building absorptive capacity in data-driven environments.