Service-Oriented Strategies for Manufacturing Firms

This chapter establishes PSS (Product/Service-Systems) approaches in the context of manufacturing firms and their existing product-oriented business. PSS can be seen as a strategy for manufacturing firms to gain competitive advantage in the market, but what market conditions and organisational factors (e.g., structure, processes, capabilities, measurement and reward systems, people and competencies and culture) support service orientation? The development of PSS is not just a task of initiating a service-oriented development project, but requires careful coordination with business units, customers and partners in business planning and strategy to reap the full benefits. Finally, a path to how manufacturers can make the change from product to service orientation is traced.