Today’s value chains rely strongly on a virgin material to ‘take-make-dispose’ products.One way to reduce that dependency on finite resources is a circular economy (CE).Different pillars form the concept, this research paper focuses on Product-ServiceSystems (PSS) in which a customer instead of buying a product for example only paysfor the use of one.Companies who want to transfer towards a circular business model (BM) facetremendous organisational challenges. They cannot just modify some parts of theiroperations, they have to change the entire BM. Much of the literature and t on BM is aresult of e-business and therefore not necessarily suitable for circular BM.To investigate if the current tools are suitable, the aim of the research is to answer thequestion: Do existing BM Frameworks cover the information requirements for PSS BMswithin the CE.The paper provides a literature review on two bodies of knowledge. First it explains thecharacteristics of PSSs in the context of a CE; secondly, it describes the different BMframeworks which are assessed in this research.To answer the research question, three sub-questions are formed on values, activitiesand stakeholders of a BM to be applied on the BM frameworks. The research follows atwo-step approach to answer these sub-questions, in a first step 9 experts fromacademia, consultancy and business were interviewed on characteristics of PSSs.Based on these characteristics, 26 questions were defined to assess the strength andlimitations of the 9 BM frameworks.As the analysis of this assessment shows, future work is necessary to develop suitableBM frameworks for PSSs and scaled up to the entire CE. The research does notpropose a new BM framework but rather points on lacks in current ones and suggestspossible further research to locate these lacks. Further, the two-step approach as aresearch methodology can be used to connect and assess any kind of expertknowledgewith existing literature or frameworks.

Product-Service Systems (PSS) represents an emerging paradigm in which products and services are integrated to provide enhanced value to customers. By focusing on the specific context of a washing machine, this project explored the opportunities and challenges associated with designing for PSS. This project’s research methodology, which we conducted on behalf of Electrolux AB, employed a combination of literature review, e.g. within Circular Economy (CE), interviews with company employees, as well as interviews and observations of multiple user types to gather insights and perspectives from multiple stakeholders. The purpose of this master thesis project was to develop design principles for PSS and present those in a design proposal for a washing machine bespoke for PSS. Our findings highlight the importance of considering various factors such as user behaviour, considerations of multiple user categories, the environmental impact of products, and circular business models in designing for PSS. The developed principles emphasise the need for on-site reparable and upgradable products, easy installations, seamless integration of digital technologies, energy and resource efficiency, user-centric design, and effective communication channels between users and service providers. The developed design principles and the design proposal provide valuable guidance for designers, manufacturers, and service providers seeking to develop innovative PSS solutions. They offer a platform for creating sustainable, user-centred, and economically viable products and services that meet customers’ evolving needs and preferences. The insights gained from this research can also be partly generalised to other domains and contribute to the wider adoption of PSS as a transformative approach in the fields of product and service design. / Product-Service Systems (PSS) är ett växande paradigm i vilket produkter och tjänster integreras för att öka värdeerbjudandet åt användare. Detta examensarbete fokuserade på det specifika kontextet tvättmaskiner för att analysera de möjligheter och utmaningar som förknippas med att designa produkter för PSS. Forskningsmetodiken för detta examensarbete, vilket utfördes av oss på uppdrag av Electrolux AB, innefattade litteraturstudier inom bland annat området cirkulär ekonomi (CE), intervjuer med både anställda på företaget samt intervjuer och observationer av användare för att samla insikter och perspektiv från flera intressenter. Syftet med detta examensarbete var att utveckla designprinciper för PSS och presentera dessa i formen av ett koncept för en skräddarsydd tvättmaskin åt PSS. Vår analys betonade vikten av att kunna förstå och tolka användarmönster, olika typer av användares behov, produkternas miljöpåverkan och cirkulära affärsmodeller när man ska designa produkter för PSS. De framtagna principerna betonar bland annat behovet av god reparer- och uppgraderbarhet på plats hos primäranvändare, underlättade installationer, sömlös integrering av digitala teknologier, effektiv energi- och resurspåverkan, användarcentrerad design, samt effektiva kommunikationskanaler mellan användare och tjänsteleverantörer. Både design principerna och tillika konceptet erbjuder en värdefull och överskådlig inblick åt produktdesigners, tjänstedesigners samt tillverkare som ämnar att skapa framtida PSS-lösningar. Avslutningsvis blev resultaten av detta projekt delvis relevanta för ytterligare produktkategorier och kan bidra till den bredare omställningen till PSS inom områdena produkt- och tjänstedesign.

Tough competition and volatile global markets have pushed the manufacturing industries to develop solutions more customer-centric with optimal utilization of resources. One of the key reasons behind developing a customer-centric solution is the increased customer value that imparts a competitive edge to the manufacturing industries, eventually leading them to sustain their businesses. Over the years, this has led the transition of manufacturing industries towards offering “functions” instead of pure products. Academic literature often describes this change as the transition towards offering a Product-Service System (PSS), where the functions are typically delivered as a mix of products and services. Developing PSS is a highly challenging task as value entails a multi-dimensional viewpoint based on different stakeholders and many novel technologies integrated along uncertain lifecycles. An optimal PSS for a specific occasion becomes situational as this occasion is bound to change due to underlying future operational uncertainties. This view accentuates the need for inculcating mechanisms in the PSS to sustain value under operational uncertainties, thus attaining value robustness. Literature in systems engineering elaborates on changeability as one of the cores for developing a value-robust system. A changeable system is a system that can change internally as a response to the changes externally to maintain the value expectation over time. With this frame of reference, it is argued that the notion of changeability can be a good supplement for developing a value-robust PSS. From a design perspective, changeability needs to be quantified to strike a balance between the total change-related cost and the benefits. In this light, this thesis is directed toward the quantification of changeability for supporting early design decisions concerning value-robust PSS. To achieve this goal, this thesis first highlights the challenges concerning changeability quantification for a value-robust PSS design. Building on these challenges, it delves into established techniques of design optimization, dynamic programming, and discrete-event simulation to propose a framework that can exemplify the relationship between system configuration, system control, and contextual variables to gain insights about a suitable combination of configuration and control of the system to maintain its value in uncertain operational scenarios. To enhance the proposed framework with operational data, an outline of the state-of-the-art in the collection and utilization of operational data to support design decision-making is presented. Finally, the thesis concludes by highlighting the strength and weaknesses of the proposed framework along with some industrial implications. Broadly, two challenges are emphasized in the proposed framework, computational complexity and lack of contextual knowledge, and addressing them has been left for future studies.

Background: In the era of emerging technology and services new constructions of value exchanges are made. The continuous value trade is a vital part of the service ecosystem with stakeholders ranging from platforms to the planet on a larger scale. Product service systems (PSS) emphasize the use of the product rather than just the sale, when combining products and services. PSS also focuses on the proliferation of the product which makes it a sustainable practice as fewer new machines are needed. The business models of PSS are linked to the strategies of oligopoly firms, where differentiation yields competitive advantages Purpose: The thesis aims to analyze the conditions for introducing services to products based on the opinions of decision-makers in the construction industry. Methods: In the study, semi-structured interviews with the customers of the construction equipment firms were carried out. The method aimed to identify recurring themes to generate results that are stronger when combined than the individual answers. Results: The candidates perceived value in adding services to products concerning accessibility and versatility. Since the industry is changing, the candidates highlighted the need to adapt and saw services aiding the transition. Services and digitization could potentially increase the attractiveness of firms, both the companies and their customers. For the candidates to use the service it would need to provide values that include: Flexibility, Accessibility, Differentiation, Communication, Relations, Sustainability, Visualization, Documentation, and Adaptability Conclusions: PSS expands upon the usability of products, and using services to differentiate from competitors can lock in customers. However, as there are many services available, communication of these becomes crucial to maximize the utilization of the competitive advantage that the service aims to provide. / Bakgrund: I en era av framväxande teknologi och tjänster skapas nya konstruktioner av värdeutbyten. Det kontinuerliga värdeutbytet är en viktig del av tjänstekosystemet med intressenter som sträcker sig från plattformar till planeten i stort. Produkttjänstesystem (PSS) betonar användningen av produkten snarare än bara försäljningen när man kombinerar produkter och tjänster. PSS fokuserar också på produktens spridning vilket gör det till en hållbar praxis då färre nya maskiner behövs. PSS affärsmodeller är kopplade till strategierna hos oligopol företag, där differentiering ger konkurrensfördelar Syfte: Studien syftar till att analysera förutsättningarna för att introducera tjänster till produkter baserat på åsikter från beslutsfattare inom byggbranschen. Metod: I studien genomfördes semi-strukturerade intervjuer med kunder till företag som tillhandahåller byggutrustning. Metoden syftade till att identifiera återkommande teman för att generera resultat som är tydligare när de kombineras än de individuella svaren. Resultat: Kandidaterna visade ett upplevt värde i att lägga till tjänster till pro-dukter när det gäller tillgänglighet och mångsidighet. Eftersom branschen förändras betonade kandidaterna behovet av att anpassa sig och såg tjänster som en hjälp I den tekniska övergången. Tjänster och digitalisering skulle potentiellt kunna öka attraktiviteten för företagen, både för företagen själva och deras kunder. För att kandidaterna ska använda tjänsten skulle den behöva tillhandahålla värden som inkluderar: Flexibilitet, Tillgänglighet, Differentiering, Kommunikation, Relationer, Hållbarhet, Visualisering, Dokumentation och Anpassningsförmåga. Slutsatser: PSS utökar användbarheten hos produkter, och att använda tjänster för att differentiera sig från konkurrenter kan få kunderna att stanna kvar. Dock, eftersom det finns så många tjänster tillgängliga, blir kommunikationen av dessa avgörande för att maximera utnyttjandet av den konkurrensfördel som tjänsten syftar till att skapa

This thesis answers how a circular economy-based offering can be designed for increased value creation and decreased environmental impact, compared to a current offering. The study concerns a case company and their current offering of a fire safety solution, namely a 6 kg powder fire extinguisher. The concept Product-Service Systems is used as a base for the research and a foundation of the result.Throughout the study, the method Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used as a tool to evaluate and compare the current and the suggested solution in the sense of environmental sustainability amongst different impact categories. It provides a holistic perspective within the study which has been proven by theory to be an important factor when providing a circular economy-based offering. Another important factor is customising the offering to the specific case. This is attended to through an investigation of the company characteristics, the current offering and provider and customer values to find opportunities for the suggested solution. Opportunities found was e.g. a demand for an environmentally sustainable solution and existing infrastructure which can create valuein the future.The process includes, apart from the LCAs, interviews, a workshop at the case company and a survey addressed to end users. The use of visualisation tools such as actors map and Product-Service Blueprint benefits the understanding of both current and suggested solution and provides insights, evaluation and possible improvements. A cost calculation is made to evaluate if the solution is financially making business sense to the provider. Through this thesis, a circular economy-based solution which designs out waste is found. It is proven through the study and LCAs that this solution decreases the investigated environmental impact categories compared to the current existing solution. The suggested solution is based on a refilling process for circulating material which is established through the thesis to be theoretically feasible, hence needs consideration in order to be implementable in reality and make business sense to the provider. / Den här studien svarar på hur ett erbjudande baserat på cirkulär ekonomi kan designas för att öka värdeskapande och sänka miljöpåverkan i förhållande till ett existerande erbjudande. Studien baseras på ett företagsfall och deras nuvarande brandsäkerhetslösning, nämligen en 6 kg pulversläckare. I studien involveras teori om Product-Service Systems som en bas för forskningen och en grund för resultatet. Genom studien har metoden Livscykelanalys (LCA) använts som ett verktyg för att utvärdera och jämföra den nuvarande lösningen med den föreslagna i ett miljömässigt sammanhang och med flera olika påverkanskategorier. Detta skapar ett holistiskt perspektiv, vilket teorin visar är en viktig faktor under utvecklingen av ett erbjudande baserat på cirkulär ekonomi. En annan viktig faktor är att anpassa designen av erbjudandet till ett specifikt fall. Detta uppmärksammas genom en undersökning av företagets egenskaper, det nuvarande erbjudandet och leverantörs- och kundvärde för att finna möjligheter till en föreslagen lösning. Sådana möjligheter var till exempel en efterfrågan på miljömässigt hållbara lösningar och en existerande infrastruktur som kan gagna företagets värdeskapande i framtiden. Processen inkluderar, förutom LCA, intervjuer, en workshop, och en kundundersökning adresserad till slutanvändare. Användandet av visualiseringsverktyg, sådana som aktörskarta och Product-Service Blueprint, gynnar förståelsen för både den nuvarande och den föreslagna lösningen och skapar insikter kring utvärdering och möjliga förbättringar. En kostnadskalkyl görs för att utvärdera om lösningen är finansiellt bra för företaget. Genom denna avhandling upptäcks en cirkulär ekonomi-baserad lösning. Studien visar att denna lösning minskar miljöpåverkan för de valda påverkanskategorierna jämfört med den nuvarande lösningen. Den föreslagna lösningen är baserad på att återfylla brandsläckare och därigenom cirkulera material vilket är teoretiskt genomförbart. Dock behövs ytterligare övervägande för att lösningen ska vara implementerbar och för förföretaget realiserbart.

Empresas de manufatura tradicionalmente concentram os seus esforços em concepção, desenvolvimento, fabricação e comercialização de produtos físicos. No entanto, alguns fabricantes têm alterado suas estratégias de negócio, complementando a venda de produtos com o fornecimento de serviços, incorporando conhecimentos e atividades associados ao seu uso, e gerando maior percepção de valor por parte dos seus clientes. Com isso, a competição estratégica por meio de serviços tem se tornado uma marca distintiva das empresas de manufatura inovadoras, proporcionando à empresa um meio robusto para proteger o seu mercado dos concorrentes. Assim, observa-se um interesse crescente em pesquisas sobre o papel dos serviços para sustentar a competitividade da indústria. Abordagens orientadas a serviço, que incorporam esta mudança de foco do negócio, da oferta de produtos isolados para soluções integradas, têm sido tratadas na comunidade acadêmica como servitização, e tipicamente acarretam inovações no modelo de negócios (MN) da empresa. O objetivo deste trabalho é investigar como as empresas podem promover inovações em seus MNs para suportar suas estratégias de servitização, e propor um conjunto de artefatos para apoiá-las na implantação destas estratégias, a partir do seguinte problema de pesquisa: \"Como inovar o MN de uma empresa que adota a estratégia de servitização?\", que se desdobra nas seguintes questões: (i) quais são os principais fatores motivadores para uma empresa adotar a estratégia de servitização?; (ii) como representar o MN de uma empresa incorporando a lógica dominante de serviço, mais adequada para servitização?; (iii) como inovar o MN de uma empresa para implantar sua estratégia de servitização?; e (iv) como aplicar os artefatos propostos para apoiar a implantação da estratégia de servitização em uma empresa? Realiza-se uma pesquisa de natureza exploratória e prescritiva, baseada no método design scienceresearche amparada por uma revisão sistemática da literatura sobre os temas correlatos, visando propor artefatos em resposta às questões colocadas. A demonstração de um dos artefatos propostos é feita com suporte de um estudo de caso em uma empresa multinacional, fabricante de equipamentos médicos, seguida por uma avaliação empírica desta demonstração, suportada pelo método thinkingaloud. A partir das quatro questões de pesquisa, são obtidos os seguintes resultados: (i) identificação, análise e categorização dos principais fatores motivadores para adoção da servitização; (ii) proposição de uma arquitetura de MN incorporando a lógica dominante de serviço, para facilitar o estudo da servitização; (iii) proposição de um processo de inovação do MN da empresa, para implantar a servitização. e (iv) demonstração e avaliação da arquitetura proposta de MN para servitização. A pesquisa oferece contribuições à literatura de MN e servitização, e aos gestores de empresas, propondo os artefatos canvas do modelo de negócios para servitização (CMNS) e o processo IPIDI para inovação do MN para servitização, além de contribuições metodológicas relativas a design scienceresearch e thinking aloud. / Manufacturing companies traditionally are focused on designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing physical products. However, some manufacturers are changing their business strategies, complementing the sale of products by providing services, adding knowledge and activities associated with their use, and creating a higher perception of value by their customers.Strategic competition through service delivery has become a hallmark of the innovative manufacturing companies, providing the companies with a robust means to protect their market from competitors. Thus, there is a growing interest in researching the role of services in sustaining the competitiveness of manufacturing industry.Service-oriented approaches, which incorporate this shift in business\' focus from offering isolated products, to proposing integrated solutions, have been addressed in the literature as servitization, and typically entail innovations in the company\'s business model (BM). The goal of this research is investigating how companies can promote transformations in their BMs to support their servitization strategies, and proposing a set of artifacts to support them in the implementation of these strategies, since the following research problem: \"How to innovate the BM of a company which adopts the servitization strategy? \", which unfolds in the following questions: (i) what are the main motivating factors for a company to adopt the servitization strategy?; (ii) how to represent the BM of a company incorporating the service-dominant logic, more suitable for servitization?; (iii) how to innovate a company\'s BM to implement its servitization strategy ?; and (iv) how to apply the proposed artifacts to support the implementation of the servitization strategy in a company? An exploratory and prescriptive research is carried out, based on the design science research methodology, and supported by a systematic literature review on the related subjects, aiming at proposing artifacts in response to the questions posed. The demonstration of the proposed artifacts is done by means of a case study in a multinational company, which manufactures medical devices, followed by an assessment of this demonstration, supported by the thinking aloud method. From the four research questions, the following results are obtained: (i) identification, analysis and categorization of the main motivating factors for servitization adoption; (ii) proposing a BM architecture according to the service-dominant logic, to help the servitization study; (iii) proposing an innovation process for the company\'s BM, to implement the servitization; and (iv) demonstration and assessment of the proposed BM architecture for servitization. The research offers contributions to the literature of BM and servitization, and to practitioners, proposing the artifacts business model canvas for servitization (BMCS) and the IPIDI process for innovation of BM for servitization, besides some methodological contributions related to design science research and thinking aloud.

Empresas de manufatura tradicionalmente concentram os seus esforços em concepção, desenvolvimento, fabricação e comercialização de produtos físicos. No entanto, alguns fabricantes têm alterado suas estratégias de negócio, complementando a venda de produtos com o fornecimento de serviços, incorporando conhecimentos e atividades associados ao seu uso, e gerando maior percepção de valor por parte dos seus clientes. Com isso, a competição estratégica por meio de serviços tem se tornado uma marca distintiva das empresas de manufatura inovadoras, proporcionando à empresa um meio robusto para proteger o seu mercado dos concorrentes. Assim, observa-se um interesse crescente em pesquisas sobre o papel dos serviços para sustentar a competitividade da indústria. Abordagens orientadas a serviço, que incorporam esta mudança de foco do negócio, da oferta de produtos isolados para soluções integradas, têm sido tratadas na comunidade acadêmica como servitização, e tipicamente acarretam inovações no modelo de negócios (MN) da empresa. O objetivo deste trabalho é investigar como as empresas podem promover inovações em seus MNs para suportar suas estratégias de servitização, e propor um conjunto de artefatos para apoiá-las na implantação destas estratégias, a partir do seguinte problema de pesquisa: \"Como inovar o MN de uma empresa que adota a estratégia de servitização?\", que se desdobra nas seguintes questões: (i) quais são os principais fatores motivadores para uma empresa adotar a estratégia de servitização?; (ii) como representar o MN de uma empresa incorporando a lógica dominante de serviço, mais adequada para servitização?; (iii) como inovar o MN de uma empresa para implantar sua estratégia de servitização?; e (iv) como aplicar os artefatos propostos para apoiar a implantação da estratégia de servitização em uma empresa? Realiza-se uma pesquisa de natureza exploratória e prescritiva, baseada no método design scienceresearche amparada por uma revisão sistemática da literatura sobre os temas correlatos, visando propor artefatos em resposta às questões colocadas. A demonstração de um dos artefatos propostos é feita com suporte de um estudo de caso em uma empresa multinacional, fabricante de equipamentos médicos, seguida por uma avaliação empírica desta demonstração, suportada pelo método thinkingaloud. A partir das quatro questões de pesquisa, são obtidos os seguintes resultados: (i) identificação, análise e categorização dos principais fatores motivadores para adoção da servitização; (ii) proposição de uma arquitetura de MN incorporando a lógica dominante de serviço, para facilitar o estudo da servitização; (iii) proposição de um processo de inovação do MN da empresa, para implantar a servitização. e (iv) demonstração e avaliação da arquitetura proposta de MN para servitização. A pesquisa oferece contribuições à literatura de MN e servitização, e aos gestores de empresas, propondo os artefatos canvas do modelo de negócios para servitização (CMNS) e o processo IPIDI para inovação do MN para servitização, além de contribuições metodológicas relativas a design scienceresearch e thinking aloud. / Manufacturing companies traditionally are focused on designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing physical products. However, some manufacturers are changing their business strategies, complementing the sale of products by providing services, adding knowledge and activities associated with their use, and creating a higher perception of value by their customers.Strategic competition through service delivery has become a hallmark of the innovative manufacturing companies, providing the companies with a robust means to protect their market from competitors. Thus, there is a growing interest in researching the role of services in sustaining the competitiveness of manufacturing industry.Service-oriented approaches, which incorporate this shift in business\' focus from offering isolated products, to proposing integrated solutions, have been addressed in the literature as servitization, and typically entail innovations in the company\'s business model (BM). The goal of this research is investigating how companies can promote transformations in their BMs to support their servitization strategies, and proposing a set of artifacts to support them in the implementation of these strategies, since the following research problem: \"How to innovate the BM of a company which adopts the servitization strategy? \", which unfolds in the following questions: (i) what are the main motivating factors for a company to adopt the servitization strategy?; (ii) how to represent the BM of a company incorporating the service-dominant logic, more suitable for servitization?; (iii) how to innovate a company\'s BM to implement its servitization strategy ?; and (iv) how to apply the proposed artifacts to support the implementation of the servitization strategy in a company? An exploratory and prescriptive research is carried out, based on the design science research methodology, and supported by a systematic literature review on the related subjects, aiming at proposing artifacts in response to the questions posed. The demonstration of the proposed artifacts is done by means of a case study in a multinational company, which manufactures medical devices, followed by an assessment of this demonstration, supported by the thinking aloud method. From the four research questions, the following results are obtained: (i) identification, analysis and categorization of the main motivating factors for servitization adoption; (ii) proposing a BM architecture according to the service-dominant logic, to help the servitization study; (iii) proposing an innovation process for the company\'s BM, to implement the servitization; and (iv) demonstration and assessment of the proposed BM architecture for servitization. The research offers contributions to the literature of BM and servitization, and to practitioners, proposing the artifacts business model canvas for servitization (BMCS) and the IPIDI process for innovation of BM for servitization, besides some methodological contributions related to design science research and thinking aloud.

The degradation of natural resources as a result of consumption to support the economic growth of humans society represents one of the greatest sustainability challenges. In order to allow economic growth to continue in a sustainable way, it has to be decoupled from the consumption and destruction of natural resources. This thesis focuses on an innovative manufacturing technology called additive manufacturing (AM) and its potential to become a more efficient and cleaner manufacturing alternative. The thesis also investigates the benefits of accessing the technology through the result-oriented Product-Service Systems (PSS) approach. The outcome of the study is the quantification of raw materials and energy consumption. The scope of study is the application of AM in the scale model kit industry. The methods used are the life cycle inventory study and the system dynamics modeling. The result shows that AM has higher efficiency in terms of raw material usage, however it also has higher energy consumption in comparison to the more traditional manufacturing techniques. The result-oriented PSS approach is shown to be able to reduce the amount of manufacturing equipment needed, thus reducing the energy and raw materials used to produce the equipment, but does not completely decouple economic growth from the consumption of natural resources.

This study identifies enabling factors for a circular business model that focuses on use-oriented services in the fashion industry. The objective is to provide an overview of the possibilities of use-oriented services for sustainability and to determine motives for renting everyday clothes from a consumer perspective.The clothing industry is one of the most polluting and unsustainable business industries (Leal Filho et al., 2019). It starts to move towards the wider movement of circular economy and use-oriented service businesses, which some scholars see PSS as a sustainable business option due to its reduced environmental impact of economic activity (Baines et al., 2007). With the concept being tested on less quality-focused fashion retailers, the concept's real strength can be slowly analyzed. This study focuses on incentives and obstacles for conscious consumers to participate in a fashion renting program as well as the possibilities for sustainability from a consumer perspective. A multidisciplinary literature review was conducted to get insights into the topics of sustainable business models, circular businesses in particular, and product service systems, especially in the fashion industry. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect empirical data that were analyzed and related to the concept of social practice theory. The results show that renting everyday garments appears as a new concept that has not been considered yet. There is a general interest in renting special occasion clothes. Identified obstacles are the own lack of interest in fashion styles, no need for new clothes, quality, as well as logistic and transportation concerns.Sustainability was an overall important aspect for all respondents and, therefore, the concept of renting was mainly discussed in the sense of providing a sustainable purpose. Participants agreed that the business model could contribute to sustainability when the lifetime of garments is significantly extended. However, they questioned if renting can really decouple economic success from material consumption.

Das Wachstum wissensintensiver Branchen hat zur Folge, dass eine auf die Bedürfnisse abgestimmte Unterstützung der Geschäftsprozesse unerlässlich ist, um im Wettbewerb bestehen zu können. Der technologische Fortschritt und die zunehmende Digitalisierung eröffnen gegenwärtig Wachstumspotenziale, die es mittels entsprechender informationstechnologischer Unterstützung zu realisieren gilt. So haben mobile Technologien in der betrieblichen Systemlandschaft Einzug gehalten, wo sie u.a. verstärkt in der Dienstleistungsbranche eingesetzt werden, um als dienstleistungsunterstützendes Informationssystem (Service-Support System) eine optimierte Bereitstellung von Services an variablen Standorten zu ermöglichen. Zuzuordnen im Forschungsfeld der hybriden Wertschöpfung liegt die Zielsetzung der Dissertation in der systematischen Untersuchung von mobilen dienstleistungsunterstützenden Informationssystemen und den damit verbundenen Gestaltungsanforderungen und -methoden, die das Design und die Implementierung eines Service-Support Systems unterstützen. Im Ergebnis umfasst diese Dissertation acht wissenschaftliche Erst- und Koautorenschaften der Verfasserin, die den Forschungsparadigmen der Wirtschaftsinformatik folgen. Es wurde Gestaltungswissen erarbeitet, welches für die Systementwicklung handlungsrelevant ist. Dabei liegt die fallstudienbasierte Forschungsarbeit der anwendungsorientierten Wissenschaft zugrunde und behandelt die Problemstellung am Beispiel des Maschinen- und Anlagenbaus.