Proposal of a framework for product-service systems characterization

Beuren, Fernanda Hansch; Sousa-Zomer, Thayla Tavares; Cauchick-Miguel, Paulo Augusto

doi:10.1590/0103-6513.20170052

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Research Article • Prod. 27 • 2017 • https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-6513.20170052 linkcopy

Proposal of a framework for product-service systems characterization

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Product-service systems (PSS) design raises new issues, among which the need of encompassing a life cycle perspective. The aim of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework for PSS characterization through its life cycle. The purpose is to understand the structure, the sequence, and the main characteristics of PSS life cycle phases, characterizing a PSS process model. A systematic literature review was carried out to identify the PSS life cycle phases and the conceptual elements that characterize each phase. The PSS life cycle was structured based on service life cycle from the customer perspective. Afterwards, the conceptual framework was built for PSS characterization considering business model, engineering and design aspects that may be useful to guide PSS solutions development. The paper aims to make a theoretical contribution by understanding what should be done and how to perform the activities during PSS life cycle at a systemic level.

Keywords
Product-service systems; PSS; Design; Life cycle management; Conceptual framework

Keywords	Scopus	Web of Science	Science Direct	Springer Link
Product-service systems	358	275	276	40
Servitization	102	89	49	65
Productization	36	14	3	37
(product-service systems) and (life cycle or lifecycle)	69	51	55	25
(product-service systems) and (sustainability or remanufacturing or service design or service economy or product substituting service or dematerialization or system solution or functional economy)	109	90	76	40

Life cycle phases addressed	References
Conception, raw material, production process, distribution, consumption, end of life	Maxwell & van der Vorst (2003)
Demand identification, feasibility analysis, concept development, service modeling, realization planning, service testing	Aurich et al. (2006)
Planning and development, manufacturing the physical product, realization of the corresponding services	Aurich et al. (2009)
Manufacturing, maintenance, logistics and remanufacturing	Sundin et al. (2009)
Development, manufacturing, realization, provision, use, recycling and end-of-life	Meier et al. (2010)
Fabrication, transportation, installation and use	Lelah et al. (2011)
Resource, design, manufacturing, sale/distribution, use, maintenance, end of product use	Zhu et al. (2012)
Planning, development, implementation, operation and closure	Song et al. (2013)
Raw material, product manufacturing, product distribution, use phase (stand by stage, use stage, maintenance stage)	Amaya et al. (2014)
Planning, development, implementation, operation and closure	Lagemann et al. (2014)
Conceptualization, use, service, maintenance, reuse, refurbishing, disposal	Herterich et al. (2015)
Extraction, manufacture, transport, sales, installation, use, maintenance and disposal	Nemoto et al. (2015)
Ideation, requirements, design, realization, delivery, support, evolution	Wiesner et al. (2015)

PSS category	Conceptual elements	Description	References
PSS product-oriented	Plan the acquisition of the product with personalized services (value proposition)	In product-oriented PSS the providers are not responsible for the product after the sale, but they are responsible for providing personalized services	United Nations Environment Programme (2002)
	Plan the product property transfer to consumer	Plan the services offered during the product use in both advising and consulting sub-categories	Azarenko et al. (2009), Tukker (2004)
	Plan the increase in product use and life time	Products need to be durable in order to reduce the resources consumption and maintenance costs	Wu & Gao (2010)
	Plan the marketing model	It is related to the definition of the offered services. It address the activities to identify market requirements	Aurich et al. (2010)
	Plan the payment schemes for the services performed	When the consumer purchases the product it is necessary to offer payment schemes options for the services offered	United Nations Environment Programme (2002)
	Plan the technical services (e.g. maintenance)	Periodic maintenance services based on consumers requirements will be performed and the provider must plan it focusing on workers with high levels of product knowledge and relationship development capability	Tukker (2004), Aurich et al. (2010)
	Plan consumers and suppliers relationship	It is necessary to plan the interactions with consumers and suppliers	Aurich et al. (2010)
	Provide replacement materials to the consumer	The offer must be planned in order to periodically supply consumers with the materials necessary for products use	Tukker (2004)
	Plan the service availability (infrastructure)	For consumer convenience, the services that complement the product are offered in the consumer’s preferred environment in order to provide personalized services	Tukker (2004), United Nations Environment Programme (2002)
	Result in economies of scale	Plan the services in order to supply more than one consumer and result in less costs and resources consumption	Wu & Gao (2010)
	Provide consumer with personalized services	Personalized services ensure consumer loyalty by meeting their needs continuously	Besch (2005)
PSS use-oriented	Plan the use of the product with personalized services (value proposition)	Plan the function of the product to be offered	Sundin (2009), Aurich et al. (2010)
	Plan the increase in product use intensity and life time	Create a durable product	Wu & Gao (2010)
	Plan payment for the used time	In the second PSS category consumers use the product for a pre-determined period of time and it is necessary to plan the payment scheme	Tukker (2004), United Nations Environment Programme (2002)
	Plan the marketing model	It is related to the services offered. It provides activities to identify and to address the market requirements	Aurich et al. (2010)
	Plan the product properties that belong to service providers	When the product cannot be used by consumers, the provider identifies the appropriate destination for components and materials	Alix & Zacharewicz (2012), Tukker (2004)
	Plan the service delivery model (lease, share or simultaneous use) for high-value products	It is necessary to create a lease system that consumers can use products and services to meet their needs for an specific period of time without acquiring them	Aurich et al. (2010), Berkovich et al. (2014), Besch (2005)
	Plan individual product access	The product must be designed to be used individually	Kang & Wimmer (2008), Aurich et al. (2010)
	Plan the product share schemes	Different users share the same product at different times	Aurich et al. (2010), Kang & Wimmer (2008)
	Plan the simultaneous use of the product by different users	Different consumers use the products and services at the same time	Kang & Wimmer (2008), Aurich et al. (2010)
	Provide maintenance services, repair, control and post-use destination	Plan the service performance before delivering a PSS to consumers	Alix & Zacharewicz (2012), Besch (2005)
	Guide the consumer on the effective use of the product and its environmental, social and economic gains	Consumers should be informed about product usage to ensure adequate performance	Bastl et al. (2012)
	Offer on-site services or consumer-based services	Consumers often prefer to seek services and products that meet their needs, and do not want to worry about the post-purchase destination	United Nations Environment Programme (2002), Williams (2006)
	Economies of scale	To offer a service to more than one consumer increases the product usability	Wu & Gao (2010)
	Provide consumer with personalized services	Personalized service ensures consumer loyalty and that consumer needs are met continuously	Besch (2005)
PSS results-oriented	Plan the value proposition (acquisition of services to customize the products)	Services are acquired and products are only used as a means to meet the consumers' needs	Tukker (2004), Aurich et al. (2010), Berkovich et al. (2014)
	Outsource an activity for the consumer	An activity is outsourced by a specialized company	Tukker (2004)
	Outsource a service where the provider takes up activities	In addition to outsourcing the activities to specialized companies, the provider assumes responsibility for the activities while the consumer pays only for services	Berkovich et al. (2014)
	Outsource services in which the provider delivers a result	The consumer seeks to outsource a result rather than an activity and pay only for the results	Berkovich et al. (2014)
	Plan payment for an outsourced activity (services)	Payment schemes for the outsourced activities	Berkovich et al. (2014), Tukker (2004)
	Plan to outsource services for high-value products	Some services for high-value products may be outsourced to meet the consumer’s needs	Berkovich et al. (2014), Besch (2005)
	Deliver results	The provider personalizes the service to better meet consumers’ needs	Aurich et al. (2010)
	Plan the product property	Plan the property in order to make the product available for different consumers	Alix & Zacharewicz (2012)
	Provide consumer with personalized services	Personalized services are needed to achieve consumers loyalty by meeting their needs continuously	Besch (2005)
	Economies of scale	Providing a service to more than one consumer increases the product usability	Wu & Gao (2010)

PSS elements	Conceptual elements	Description	References
Product	Development products with low environmental impact	The products need to be planned to reduce the use of toxic materials replacing them with renewable and recyclable materials	Sundin et al. (2010)
	Design products and components with extended life	When a product cannot be reused, repaired or upgraded, its components should be recycled	Tukker (2004), Vezzoli (2007)
	Design safe products	Products should be developed to be safe during the use phase	Mont & Tukker (2006)
	Plan the use of local resources to strengthen and enhance the region	Local resources should be considered when designing a product	Vezzoli (2007)
	Plan the products parts reuse (mainly high-value parts)	It is necessary to develop a take-back system to ensure that products parts will return in good conditions	Besch (2005)
	Evaluation of the product at its final destination (after use)	The product will be used for long periods of time, it is necessary to plan it for upgrading, reuse, disassembly and recycling	Kuo & Wang (2012), Sundin et al. (2010), Zhu et al. (2012)
	Design products in order to facilitate its operation during the use	The product should be designed for disassembly to facilitate the exchange of parts, updates and material recycling	Besch (2005), Sundin (2009)
	Design the product for durability	To increase the life cycle of the product it is necessary that the components have the same lifespan	Wang et al. (2011)
	Designing modularity and standardization of parts	Parts should be modular and standardized in order to facilitate their replacement, product upgrades and repairs	Wang et al. (2011), Berkovich et al. (2014)
	Design a product with easy access to components	The product should be modular and easy to disassemble	Sundin et al. (2010)
	Design for disassembly	The product should be designed for disassembly considering materials that can be easily separated for reuse or recycling	Sundin et al. (2010)
Service	Design services with low environmental impact	Services also should be planned to reduce the environmental impacts, such as the maintenance services	Sundin et al. (2010)
	Design services to ensure product safety	The services must be designed to ensure the product safety during the use	Besch (2005)
	Plan appropriate service networks to meet the requirements of the different PSS types	The services must be compatible with the specifications of the PSS project	Vogtlander et al. (2002)
	Plan the use of local services to strengthen and enhance the region	The use of local services can facilitate the logistics for the service to be performed	Vezzoli (2007)
	Support service for consumers	Providers should build service facilities near major consumer centers, for instance in the case of use-oriented and result-oriented services. One possibility to achieve this is through partnerships with local businesses	Bastl et al. (2012)
	Design services	The product and the service should be developed in an integrated way	Besch (2005), Kuo & Wang (2012)
Networks of actors	Plan and monitoring the use of resources with low environmental impact	It is important that all suppliers use a safe, durable materials, with low environmental impacts	Vogtlander et al. (2002)
	Plan the interface between those involved in the offer	It is necessary to plan the interactions with consumers and suppliers. This recurrent interaction with consumers facilitates the deeper understanding of their needs, prolongs the relationship between consumer and provider, and allows the provision of more targeted solutions to consumers	Bastl et al. (2012), Aurich et al. (2010)
	Plan partnerships	To identify partners with greater expertise is important to ensure the offer quality and also can facilitate consumer acceptance	United Nations Environment Programme (2002)
	Plan the technical services in order the technicians are located near the consumers	This may allow a greater interaction during the use phase	Aurich et al. (2006), Bastl et al. (2012)
	Plan the qualification for the operators and maintenance of their motivation	The offer must be staffed by personnel who are flexible, relationship-builders, service-centric, authentic, technically adept, and resilient. Employees' satisfaction and motivation are also important to PSS realization	Aurich et al. (2010), Kimita & Shimomura (2014)
	Government incentives	The government should be part of the network of actors for the PSS in order to encourage acceptance. Government should create new regulations and tax incentives that support the necessary transition to PSS	Vogtlander et al. (2002)
	Design a PSS with consumer and other stakeholders participation	Developing PSS requires both the involvement of many stakeholders who hold different views and the establishment of a business model and organizational structure	Tran & Park (2014), Kimita & Shimomura (2014)
Infrastructure	Plan the all infrastructure (e.g. technologies, devices, and spatial layouts) necessary for PSS provision	Any artifacts specifically required to provide products and services need to be designed	Lim et al. (2012)
	Design of a system for communication between those involved in the business	The communication strategy should aim to facilitate the distribution of information among stakeholders and consumers	Krucken & Meroni (2006)
	Plan the distribution chain	The system should interact in all phases of the life cycle to implement a closed-loop approach	Maxwell et al. (2006)
	Plan the PSS in accordance with the local culture of the place where PSS will operates	The successful implementation of a PSS is highly dependent on the culture in which it will operate, the infrastructure should be well aligned with the characteristics of the region	Ceschin (2014)

Conceptual elements	Description	References
Testing the product	Tests are necessary to check the PSS during its operation; the service provider should ensure that the product operates properly before allowing consumer use	Moser et al. (2015), Wiesner et al. (2015)
Delivery	After tests are performed, the PSS can be delivered to the consumer as a package	Wiesner et al. (2015)
Guidance to PSS use	It is necessary to guide consumers about the correct system usage, facilitating consumers acceptance	Morelli (2003)

Conceptual elements	Description	References
PSS monitoring during the use phase	During its operation, the PSS has to be supported to retain its functionality, availability and results. By monitoring the PSS during use phase, product maintenance can be performed before problems occur. Innovation is ensured by monitoring the products in use	Sundin et al. (2010), Kuo & Wang (2012), Wiesner et al. (2015)
Service delivery monitoring	Delivery of a PSS contract is positively impacted by front-office staff who are humanistic in their behavior, being skilled in flexibility, relationship building, service-centricity, authenticity, resilience and technical aptitude, as this ensures speed and effectiveness of response. Thus, monitoring the operation process may be valuable for business improvement	Baines et al. (2013)
Knowledge accumulation regarding PSS performance during the use phase	This is of great value for business improvement. A cost-effective assessment and quality assessment need to be performed. In this stage, the system needs to meet requirements with the objective of maximizing the product effectiveness at the lowest cost, and also needs to take into account other requirements like serviceability, reliability, maintainability and standardization	Cook et al. (2006), Zhu et al. (2012)
Feedback on consumer expectations	Consumer information is important to continuously improve existing PSS as well as to develop new PSS. Key consumers often express their ideas and/or complaints to the service provider. When information is returned to the company, a detailed analysis of the market must be performed as well as the identification of a new set of requirements	Aurich et al. (2006), Alix & Zacharewicz (2012)

Conceptual elements	Description	References
The product returns to the provider and it is the end of the service contract	The PSS is evaluated to perform improvements	Alix & Zacharewicz (2012)
Reparation	The product is evaluated to verify if it is necessary to repair it	Wu & Gao (2010)
Upgrade	Product upgrade may occur due to technology innovation	Yang et al. (2010b)
Recycling of materials and parts	The product must be designed to be recycled in the end of life	United Nations Environment Programme (2002)

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