A cloud-based resource planning tool for the production and installation of industrial product service systems (IPSS)

Abstract

Industries nowadays try their best to remain competitive in a manufacturing world that undergoes a digital transformation driven by smart technology and connected devices. Profit margins quickly shift from products to services, and thus the manufacturing sector industries try to shift from offering products to offering industrial product service systems (IPSS) in order to keep up to date and ensure their market position and economic success. IPSS is a well-rounded solution consisting of the tangible part which is the product and an intangible one being the service. IPSS are efficient and beneficiary not only for the provider but also for the user and even the environment. IPSS is not a simple process of adding services to traditional products but a rather more complex integration process of the mechanical product, sensors, and IoT and software, which are coupled with supportive systems (resources and infrastructures) and the involvement of heterogeneous stakeholders. Due to the high complexity involved in the development and production process of IPSS, tools for IPSS production planning and installation in a dynamic and collaborative environment are extremely essential for manufacturing firms, but they are however absent. In this paper, a methodology for conducting resource planning for the production and installation of IPSS is proposed, and according to this, the architecture of a cloud-based tool is developed. A real-life pilot case from a laser and sheet metal machinery production industry is presented where the developed tool was tested and validated upon its results.