PurposeThis paper aims to answer the following two research questions: “What antecedents are required for the innovation of product‐related services?” and “How do the antecedents differ for product‐related services developed during the product development process or during the product usage?”Design/methodology/approachA multi‐case research design was employed.FindingsInvolvement of frontline employees, information sharing, multifunctional teams, funnel tools, information technology, internal organization, and training and education have a similar impact on the success of integrated and separated service innovations. Presence of service champion, autonomy of employees, market testing, and market research have a positive effect on separated, but a negative impact on integrated service innovations. The strategic focus, external contacts, availability of resources, and management support are positively associated with both innovation types, but their importance is essentially higher for separated than for integrated product‐related service innovations.Research limitations/implicationsThe external validity (generalizability) of the antecedents could not be assessed accurately.Practical implicationsThe explanation of antecedents forms a model that can guide managers who wish to develop product‐related services successfully.Originality/valueThe findings imply that managers contemplating a product‐related service innovation project have to consider the innovation type (integrated or separated) and reframe the antecedents accordingly.