A Conceptual Framework for Designing Informatics-based Services in Manufacturing Industries

Abstract

Numerous manufacturing companies have “servitized” their value propositions to address product commoditization and sustainability issues. Service—essentially different from a product—contributes to the fulfillment of customers’ unmet needs and increases the freedom of finding an environmentally more benign offering beyond simply offering the product. Informatics is a key to the design of services in manufacturing companies. Informatics facilitates the collection of various types of data from products and customers and enables the production and delivery of useful information for customers. This paper (1) proposes a conceptual framework for designing informatics-based services in manufacturing industries, (2) introduces a service design case study that the authors recently conducted with a major car manufacturer in Korea, and (3) suggests future research issues. This paper is expected to contribute to product–service integration in manufacturing companies in this information economy.