**2. Literature review and theoretical model**

The integration of the customer insights at different stages of the innovation process through sales collaboration is a far more effective source of new ideas than are other innovation sources; however, new methods are required [16]. Over the last decade, a number of studies have offered insights into marketing and sales described by Rouziès and Segalla [17] like configurations, orientation and influence, interface revenue and profit implications. Sales and marketing have different perspectives and compete for resources, facing sometimes conflict between the two functions [7, 18]. Malshe and Biemans [9] studied the activities of the interface sales and marketing during the development of new products in early stages; however, the collaboration required during the final deployment stage has not been studied. The sales-marketing cross-function relationship approach considered in this research is established by Rouziès et al. (in Ref. [12], p. 115) as "a dynamic process in which the two functional areas create more value for their firms by working together than they would create by working in isolation." That is to say, activities are consistent and coherent with each other (same goal) and are coordinated over time during innovation deployment process.

The model was developed building on the theoretical constructs of the multidimensional model drawn by Homburg et al. [11] and the foundations considered by Massey and Kyriazis [3] for the marketing and R&D interface.
