Case $1$: Digitally$-$powered Customer$-$centricity in the Industrial Gas Sector: The Air

Liquide$-$Airgas Merger

$1)$ Why have Air Liquide and Airgas been successful while being so different?

$1\mathrm{.}1)$ Growth strategy

$1\mathrm{.}2)$ Culture

$1\mathrm{.}3)$ Organization

$2)$ Who are Air Liquide $/$ Airgas customers?

$2\mathrm{.}1)$ What types of relationships do they have with their respective customers?

i$.$ Frequency of interaction

ii$.$ Depth

iii. Online$/$offline

iv$.$ Nature $($e$.$g$.,$ trust, proximity$)$

$2\mathrm{.}2)$ As a result, what does customer$-$centricity mean for Air Liquide $/$ Airgas?

$3)$ In terms of how they leverage digital technologies, what kind of digital experiences would

support these relationships?

$3\mathrm{.}1)$ What are their respective customers$$ expectations?

$3\mathrm{.}2)$ What digital solutions might their customers turn to$?$ Could Air Liquide and Airgas

transform their business models to address their needs?

$3\mathrm{.}3)$ To what extent could Air Liquide $/$ Airgas focus on services rather than products?