Product Service System Design Research Articles

User-integrated Innovations in Urban Areas for a Transition towards Sustainability

A continuing trend of global urbanization leads to a geographical concentration of population and social activities that causes a regional compression of concomitant resource and energy consumption. This paper argues that a Sustainable Living Lab infrastructure (SusLab) in urban areas facilitates a systematic integration of user’s consideration in the design and development of Product-Service Systems (PSS) that enables changes of daily routines in favor of urban wealth development and conservation of ecosystem services. The authors build on the Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Model of the Wuppertal Institute that provides a theoretical framework of sociotechnical rearrangements towards urban sustainability transition. Therefore, a reconfiguration of social practices and PSS in a desired direction according to social, ecological and economic concerns is reconsidered on the micro level in line with efficiency, consistency, and sufficiency strategies. The authors introduce an assessment framework for urban sustainable development and illustrate multifarious concepts of PSS that are aiming to decouple wealth development from resource and energy consumption in urban areas.

Simulation-driven Design for Assessing Strategic Decisions in the Conceptual Design of Circular PSS Business Models

Due to ever increasing challenges faced by our global society, circular design and the idea of product-service systems (PSS) is gaining traction within businesses. However, ‘predicting’ the value of a future PSS solution in the early design phases is difficult, since it requires the ability to balance long term potential with short term decisions. Modelling and simulation is believed to be able to support this challenging task. A simulation framework for circular design of PSS is presented. The simulation process enables the comparison between functional and non-functional performances and their life cycle contributions depending on a defined PSS-like business model strategy. Such integrated simulation framework is intended to exploit engineering models outside their specific discipline, enabling cross-functional collaboration and help decision makers understand how a design can contribute in satisfying customer and stakeholders needs during the lifecycle of a PSS.

A context extracting method for product-service system design

A context extracting method for product-service system design

Commonalities and Particularities of PSS Design Process and Design Thinking

Shifting from product-oriented business models to product-service systems (PSS) requires changes and implementation of new ideas related to many business dimensions, such as cultural, procedural, financial, and technological. Searching for new solutions requires creativity. Therefore, the application of a design thinking (DT) approach might help companies in finding innovative value propositions for PSS. DT has the potential to support PSS design processes, even though some practitioners may see DT as a substitute to formalized PSS design processes. In order to understand if and how DT can be used in combination with PSS design process models, this work proposes to identify what are the commonalities and particularities of them. The descriptions of DT methodologies and PSS design process models were treated as a structured content corpus, which was divided in comparable activities based on corpus linguistics and frame semantics. The main findings show that DT is effectively a support and not a replacement to the PSS design process, representing greater integration opportunities with the front-end of innovation (FEI). The detailing and implementation phases of PSS design process have no intersections with DT methodologies, even though DT can be employed whenever creativity is needed.

A similarity measurement framework of product-service system design cases based on context-based activity model

Design experience from previous design cases could help designers solving current design problems. Therefore, a case-based recommender system can recall suitable design cases for designers based on a similarity measurement mechanism. In the context of Product-Service System (PSS) design, the measurement of similarity between different cases becomes more challenging because of the complex nature of the PSS design. In this research, we propose a similarity measurement framework of PSS design cases based on the context-based activity model. In the proposed framework, a PSS design case is indexed and quantified by design activity element, design process, and function requirement. Ways to measure similarity between design indexes and design cases are also specified. A case study along with an empirical validation was conducted to validate the framework.

Creating Customer Value for Product Service Systems by Incorporating Internet of Things Technology

Product service system (PSS) design has drawn much attention in the last decade and is expected to be affected by the fast-growing application of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. This study proposes a six-step design method by extending visual mapping design methods for the PSSs that plan to apply IoT technologies. A new concept of “pseudo actors” that highlights the role of the objects incorporating IoT technology is introduced in plotting actors and system maps and a useful table is recommended to help evaluate alternatives of IoT technology application. An example of a battery swapping system for electric scooters is illustrated for application potential. Actors and system maps with “pseudo actors” are presented and analyzed, while IoT technologies are applied in batteries, charging stations, cell phones, and scooters. Designers could use the proposed method to select appropriate application of IoT technologies with higher customer value in a product service system design.

Consuming use orientated product service systems: A consumer culture theory perspective

Abstracts Research suggests that product service systems (PSS) may usefully form part of the mix of innovations necessary to move society toward more sustainable futures. However, PSS implementation rates are disappointingly low and an implementation gap has emerged. Drawing on consumer culture theory (CCT), this paper provides insights to help resolve this issue in business to consumer markets. Since consumption of use orientated PSS is analogous to access based consumption, six dimensions of access are set out to analyse a case study of infant car seat provision. Five outcomes are derived from the analysis and these include partial identification with accessed product and interplay of use and symbolic value. This analysis questions the view that PSS do not create sufficient value to overcome a preference for ownership in western societies. Rather, PSS consumption is likely to arise when both functional and symbolic value are extracted by consumers and when PSS are promoted to appropriate consumer groups such as ‘nomads’. Further research is needed to explore these phenomena and address the issues they raise in PSS design processes.

A customization-oriented framework for design of sustainable product/service system

Many manufacturers today are striving to offer high value-added Product/Service System (PSS) due to increasing competition and environmental pressure. PSS design activities face a variety of challenges such as a high level of customization as well as its resulting challenges, i.e., hidden requirements in product use phase, potential conflicts of design attributes, and internal complexity of service processes. However, existing insights for PSS customization are fragmented and insufficient to support manufacturers. Thus, it is necessary to develop a systematic and comprehensive support to solve those issues. In order to support PSS customization in early design phase, this paper proposes a design framework that involves a design process. The proposed design framework is module-based and thus flexible according to the user needs. In addition, it takes advantage of some existing methods. A case study of elevator PSS design shows the feasibility and potentials of the design framework and its associated design process to its broad usage in industry.

A conceptual framework for product service system design for machine tools

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework for product service system (PSS) design for machine tools and discuss the PSS implementation issues focusing on the Indian machine tool business sector. Design/methodology/approach – The paper opted for an exploratory survey conducted in the Indian machine tool sector including 39 in-depth interviews with employees of different organizations representing middle and senior management having decision-making authority. It also involves proposing a framework to address the stakeholder’s requirements for services that offers foundation for PSS designers. Findings – The paper helps get an insights about key issues for PSS implementation by the Indian machine tool sector. The hybrid PSS model proposed in the paper can address the stakeholder’s requirements for flexibility in business models through different business phases. Practical implications – The paper offers suggestions for the development of PSS for machine tools for designers and identify issues to be considered particularly in Indian machine tools business context. Originality/value – This paper provides an insight to judge the feasibility of PSS concept for machine tools in Indian context and offers framework for PSS designers.

Value-driven product service systems development: Methods and industrial applications

In recent times a service-dominant logic is permeating the design of complex systems. However, in spite of their appeal, initiatives such as Product Service Systems (PSS) have not become mainstream, and methods are lacking to support this transition. This paper argues that methodological guidance, as well as tools for decision support, may be found in the research field of Value Driven Design (VDD), which originates in the realm of Systems Engineering. The paper objective is to elaborate on gaps and opportunities for cross-pollination between VDD and PSS. The results of a systematic review of methods and tools for design decision support highlight the opportunity for introducing optimization models derived from VDD in the PSS design process, while the latter can enrich VDD research with a more qualitative value assessment logic. The paper summarizes this integration in a methodological approach, and exemplifies its application in case studies mainly from the aerospace and road construction equipment sector.

Exploring the consumption side of sustainable product-service systems (PSS): An empirical study and insights for PSS sustainable design

The product-service systems (PSS) literature has demonstrated the need to understand how consumption patterns influence PSS introduction. This study investigates a result-oriented PSS for drinking water provision from the social practice theory perspective to provide insights of how approaches focused on the consumption side may be valuable for PSS development. A conceptual framework based on the literature was built to guide the study. For gathering field data, observations and semi-structured interviews were carried out. The main results demonstrated that the analysis of the practices elements, its configurations and the way practices interlock with one another are valuable for PSS design.

Development of a Novel Co-Creative Framework for Redesigning Product Service Systems

Product service systems (PSS) have been researched in academia and implemented in industry for more than a decade, and they bring plenty of benefits to various stakeholders, such as: customers, PSS providers, the environment, as well as society. However, the adoption of PSS in industry so far is limited compared to its potentials. One of the reasons leading to this limitation is that PSS design is tricky. So far, there are several methods to design PSS, but each of them has certain limitations. This paper proposes a co-creative framework, which is constructed using the concept of user co-creation. This novel framework allows designers to design PSS effectively in terms of users’ perception of PSS value, design quality and evaluation. The authors also introduce a case study to demonstrate and validate the proposed framework.

A QFD-based approach to support sustainable product-service systems conceptual design

During the design process of product-service systems (PSS) particular attention must be placed on sustainability, since the current models do not completely support the generation of sustainable PSS solutions. New methods to investigate PSS requirements analysis, evaluation, and conceptual design stages according to sustainability principles are needed. In this paper, an approach based on quality function deployment (QFD) is proposed to support PSS design. QFD is applied to translate stakeholders’ requirements in the three sustainability dimensions into engineering metrics of products and services. QFD is also applied to deploy PSS functions and to support the conceptual development. Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) is used to prioritize the stakeholders’ requirements in the three sustainability dimensions, and the fuzzy set theory is considered to reduce the vagueness and uncertainty during the process. The proposed approach is applied in an illustrative case for the conceptual design of a bike-sharing system. The suggested approach aims to contribute to the theory development as well as for practitioners. Firstly, it allows integrating the sustainability principles since the requirements elicitation stage, considering all stakeholders involved in the offer. Secondly, the requirements evaluation considering FAHP allows prioritizing the sustainability requirements dealing with uncertainty and vagueness. Finally, it helps to obtain more realistic results by integrating fuzzy decision-making into QFD. In future research, the integration of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) in the proposed approach will be investigated as well as the evaluation of different PSS concepts according to their sustainability potential.

Design for Product Service Supportability (DfPSS) Approach: A State of the Art to Foster Product Service System (PSS) Design

Product-Service System lifecycle is characterized by several phases from the initial concept to the final disposal. However, as for conventional products, the profit generation and the market success of PSSs critically depend on the decisions taken during the initial lifecycle stages, when PSSs are conceptualized, designed, developed and engineered. These are hence the phases deserving more attention in order to manage the intrinsic complexity of such systems, taking it in account during the entire PSS life cycle design phase. According to this, one of the main gaps detected in the PSS design process is the lack of methods able to support the early integration of service features during the product design. In this specific context DfX approaches, where X= x-bility stands for enhancing products design considering at the same time service features to be embedded on it (x) according to certain performance measures (-bility), are supposed to significantly contribute. The Serviceability point of view appears to be a critical aspect of the design of product-oriented PSS that has not been improving yet: significant enhancement in this products’ characteristic will only occur if some changes will arise in the way they are designed. Indeed companies still need guidelines able to enhance the PSS design process in a more systematic way. On this basis, due to the main gap of integrating service features in the product design process, the paper presents and defines DfX approaches enlightening, among the several target properties they have been called to improve so far, the most suitable DfX streams detected to solve the reported PSS design issue and to define Design for Product Service Supportability (DfPSS).

PSS Design Evaluation via KPIs and Lean Design Assistance Supported by Context Sensitivity Tools

Over the last decade, Product-Service System (PSS) has been established as a prominent business model which promises sustainability for both customers and organizations. A great amount of literature work has been devoted to PSS issues, but there is fairly limited published work on integrated and easily applicable evaluation methodologies for PSS design, as well as lack of Lean PSS approaches. Contributing to these directions, the present work introduces a conceptual methodology for the evaluation and improvement of the PSS design procedure using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Lean rules respectively, applied throughout all stages of PSS design lifecycle. The methodology contains two phases: i) PSS design evaluation, and ii) Lean PSS design assistance. According to the evaluation phase, a certain appropriate set of KPIs is selected and suggested to the PSS designer via a context sensitivity analysis (CSA) tool through a pool of 170 KPIs, which have been identified after intensive literature survey, and systematically classified into four main categories: Design, Manufacturing, Customer, and Environmental. From the collected and classified KPIs, a successive grouping is carried out of those KPIs that contribute to the Sustainability of the designed PSS offering. During the phase of Lean design assistance, Lean Rules are selected using CSA, and suggested to the designer at all design steps to ensure the minimization of wasteful activities. Enabler for the context awareness is the availability of feedback gathered from the manufacturing, shop-floor experts and the different types of Customers (Business or final-product Customers), as well as the PSS lifecycle stages which the designer treats. An ontology knowledge model for KPIs and Lean rules is proposed to support the CSA. The methodology is discussed in a case study of the PSS design from a mould-making industry.

Design of Sustainable Product-service Systems (PSS): Towards an Incremental Stepwise Assessment Method

Companies are increasingly selling functionalities of integrated solutions of products and services instead of selling mere products. This integration of products and service solutions is known as Product Service Systems (PSS), which allows to maximize customer value and overcome increasing competition in the manufacturing sector. In this sense, PSS designers require adapted tools to support the design of sustainable solutions. This article aims to address this question by proposing a methodological framework for integrating sustainability considerations into the PSS design process. To this end a review of the peculiarities of the PSS design process was performed and which aims to explore potential ways of integrating sustainability considerations within PSS design. Several requirements have been drawn from PSS design and sustainability literature which contributed towards the formalization of a methodological framework supporting the design of sustainable PSS.

Product-Service System (PSS) design: Using Design Thinking and Business Analytics to improve PSS Design

Companies searching for new ways to be competitive in dynamic markets are integrating product and service to better fulfill customer demands and improve sales. A well designed and efficiently developed Product-Service System (PSS) is a solid alternative to achieve this goal. The PSS design should search for new ways to add value for both company and customers. The PSS design model may help the company to innovate, strengthen competitiveness and assure the desired profit. In this paper we propose a methodology that integrates Design Thinking (DT) and Business Analytics (BA) in the PSS design in a way to build a profitable and lasting PSS. Design Thinking is a human-centered and systematic approach to problem solving and is used in the model to deeply understand customer needs and satisfy their emotional requirements considering company's resources and constraints. BA is the capacity to aggregate, to analyze and to use data in a way to optimize the business results. The large quantity of information available from sensors, logs and other machine sources, associated with information and communication technologies (ICT) advances allow companies to collect and analyze a large quantity of data. Through the data analysis, companies may evaluate consumer behavior, sense changes in the market quickly and identify new opportunities to innovate. Furthermore, companies may use the data as a third layer to add value besides the product and service layers. The proposed model addresses a lack in the literature of PSS design and adds relevant information for companies designing or reconfiguring a PSS.

Design and Development of Product Service Systems (PSS) - Impact on Product Lifecycle Perspective

Product Service Systems (PSS) focus on the delivery of value to the customer and their continuous satisfaction. This overarching goal has to be reflected during the design and development of PSS. With the changing business models of PSS, away from a one-time sale towards a constant delivery of customer satisfaction and value, the whole lifecycle of a PSS is becoming increasingly important. A similar development can also be observed for ‘traditional’ products and services. However, for PSS this holistic emphasis can be considered a key factor for success. The changing requirements and needs brought forth by PSS and their impact on the ‘traditional’ PLM models are discussed in this paper. An emphasis is on the three-phase model and its presentation, which is often used to illustrate the product lifecycle from a technical and IT perspective. Finally, some adaptations for the traditional illustration are presented as a first starting point for further discussion and in-depth research within the community.

Service Engineering Methodology and Energy Services: Applicability Analysis and Case Study

In recent years, the economic and financial crises have been slowing down the growth of international markets. The resulting necessity to increase competitiveness has forced manufacturing industries to rethink their offer portfolio, also implementing servitization strategies. In particular, given the dramatic raise of customers’ awareness as regards environmental and energy problems, the energy industry is also considering the provision of Product-Service System (PSS) solutions (i.e. the bundle of energy services to energy efficiency related products) as a profitable alternative. However, the design of PSS and in particular of the service content of the offer is a challenging activity, mainly due to the fact that services are by definition characterized by high level of intangibility and perishability, and to the fact that standard tools and methodologies for service engineering are not available. The SErvice Engineering Methodology (SEEM) [1] aims at supporting companies in these design and implementation phases. The methodology is in its development phase and its applicability in industry has been mainly tested in one specific context. This paper deals with the application of SEEM in the context of Energy Services (ESs) where the design phase can be much more complex than in other areas due to the variety of industries offering this kind of services and to the number of stakeholders involved during the service provision. In particular, this paper refers to a specific ES (the provision of data elaboration and analysis to energy consumption monitoring and control purposes) marketed together with energy meters. The general aim of this work is to provide a first analysis and a general understanding of the applicability of this existing methodology to the ES field by the mean of a real case study. In the paper, main steps of the application of the SEEM to the case study are described and discussed, to highlight main criticalities. In the end, a critical analysis is provided in order to put the basis to generalize the insights of this work to additional Energy Services.

A Task Management Method for Product Service Systems Design

Product service systems (PSS), which generate higher value by integrating physical products and services, have attracted much attention in the manufacturing industry. To design a PSS, initiating companies need to explore various PSS options at the conceptual design stage. However, our PSS design workshops have revealed that traditional product-selling manufacturers rarely include PSS options because a PSS, which includes many service elements, is far from their traditional business. This study proposes a task management framework that enables manufacturers to develop various PSS options from their product-selling business. The proposed framework provides designers with viewpoints and checklists for a PSS design. The effectiveness of the framework is demonstrated through an example case.