While BI is often linked to competitive advantage, research has given limited attention to how BI configurations should differ for firms that lean more toward innovative versus imitative innovation logics. Grounded in the Resource-Based View (RBV), Dynamic Capabilities View (DCV), and Strategic Alignment Theory, the study tackles this gap by shifting away from treating BI maturity as a uniform, one-size-fits-all concept.

Using a multi-stage Design Science Research (DSR) approach, BIFIT was built and refined through 10 expert interviews, a focus group, and four validation walkthroughs with practitioners from Swiss firms. The findings did not support a strict binary split between “innovative” and “imitative” firms; many organizations combined both logics across domains.

As a result, the framework evolved from v1.0 to v4.0 by replacing static strategy classification with an organizational needs profile. This needs profile assesses BI fit using contextual drivers such as decision complexity, process embeddedness, and data relevance, rather than generic strategic labels. The study delivers a validated, strategy-contingent assessment tool that helps managers diagnose misalignment and prioritize BI investments based on innovation-relevant needs.