Product-service System Approach Research Articles

Service delivery for microsystems production: A study

This paper presents the findings of an investigation into the industry practice of service delivery within microsystems technologies (MST) (also known as micro-electro-mechanical systems, MEMS) production. A study was undertaken to evaluate 100 MST companies that deliver integrated products and services i.e. a product-service system (PSS). The aim of the study is to: (i) analyse the main types of services delivered by MST companies, and (ii) make recommendations for improving MST production. The PSS approach to production and manufacturing is introduced and used to evaluate the current state of service delivery within MST production. The findings of the study are then used to make recommendations for improving future MST production.

Product–service systems in health care: case study of a drug–device combination

Although often mentioned as an area in which product–service systems (PSS) possess great potential, the health care sector has not been in the focus of research in the past. This paper briefly reviews the challenges and benefits of implementing PSS and analyses the special characteristics of the health care market. A case study is then reported in which a PSS approach has been developed for a business-to-business, as well as a business-to-customer, scenario, in order to establish and then grow a market for an innovative method to treat brain tumours and neurodegenerative diseases.

The role of public policy in advancement of product service systems

This article discusses developments in the area of product service systems (PSS) and the need to facilitate the proliferation of the PSS approach through public policies. The article argues that policies that establish the framework conditions for environmental improvement are preferable to detailed legislation as they favour environmentally superior PSS. However, there is also a need for more specifically targeted policy measures that stimulate knowledge creation and dissemination in the PSS area. This article suggests that informative policy measures should be used by authorities and reviews the results from the functional programme of the Swedish EPA as an example of this type of policy.