The aim of this research project is to develop an innovative framework to implement lean principles in Product-Service System (PSS) with the capability of assessing the leanness level of the services offering process. The framework comprises three implementation phases namely: assessment of the current state, developing a future state, and stabilising the new way of operations. Additionally, the framework covers the enablers, factors, and appropriate lean tools required for the successful implementation of lean practices in Product-Service System (PSS), as well as, the challenges that may obstacle the implementation process. The proposed framework has integrated an assessment model that provides a quantifiable measure of the leanness level of Product-Service System (PSS). Five main enablers and thirty three factors emerging from these main enablers deemed to be critical for the successful implementation of lean practices in Product-Service System (PSS). Moreover, a series of eight inhibitors appeared to block the implementation process. The Product-Service System leanness assessment model was developed upon three main levels, namely: enablers, criteria, and attributes. The first level contains five enablers. These enablers are supplier relationship, management leanness, workforce leanness, process excellence, and customer relationship. In the second level there are twenty one criteria such as: supplier delivery, culture of management and process optimisation. Finally, the third level consists of seventy three attributes. By using multi-grade fuzzy approach the PSS leanness index was computed and areas for further improvement were identified. A combination of research methodology approaches has been employed in this research. Firstly, an extensive literature review related to lean and PSS was conducted. Secondly, the qualitative approach and the case study were selected as an appropriate methodology for this research, using semi-structured and structured interview techniques to gather the required data from experts who are involved in lean projects in their companies. Finally, validation of the results was carried out using real life industrial case studies and experts judgment. Case studies demonstrate that the framework provides guidelines for manufacturing companies that aim to implement lean principles in Product-Service System (PSS). The framework enables manufacturing companies to better satisfy their customers’ needs through responding quickly to their changing demands; to improve the service offering process through reducing the creation of wastes and non-value added activities; and to improve competitiveness through increasing customers’ value. Additionally, the PSS leanness index is useful for improving the service offering process. The index provides manufacturing companies with a real insight into the leanness level of their service offering, as well as, it provides managers with a quantifiable measure of how lean their PSS is. The index identifies the gap between the current state and the future state and this helps in determining areas for further improvement.

There is an emerging trend of manufacturing companies offering combined products and services to customers as integrated solutions. Availability contracts are an apt instance of such offerings, where product use is guaranteed to customer and is enforced by incentive-penalty schemes. Uncertainties in such an industry setting, where all stakeholders are striving to achieve their respective performance goals and at the same time collaborating intensively, is increased. Understanding through-life uncertainties and their impact on cost is critical to ensure sustainability and profitability of the industries offering such solutions. In an effort to address this challenge, the aim of this research study is to provide an approach for the analysis of uncertainties in Product Service System (PSS) delivered in business-to-business application by specifying a procedure to identify, characterise and model uncertainties with an emphasis to provide decision support and prioritisation of key uncertainties affecting the performance outcomes. The thesis presents a literature review in research areas which are at the interface of topics such as uncertainty, PSS and availability contracts. From this seven requirements that are vital to enhance the understanding and quantification of uncertainties in Product Service System are drawn. These requirements are synthesised into a conceptual uncertainty framework. The framework prescribes four elements, which include identifying a set of uncertainties, discerning the relationships between uncertainties, tools and techniques to treat uncertainties and finally, results that could ease uncertainty management and analysis efforts. The conceptual uncertainty framework was applied to an industry case study in availability contracts, where each of the four elements was realised. This application phase of the research included the identification of uncertainties in PSS, development of a multi-layer uncertainty classification, deriving the structure of Bayesian Network and finally, evaluation and validation of the Bayesian Network. The findings suggest that understanding uncertainties from a system perspective is essential to capture the network aspect of PSS. This network comprises of several stakeholders, where there is increased flux of information and material flows and this could be effectively represented using Bayesian Networks.

Tjänstefiering är en kontinuerlig process som hjälper tillverkningsföretag att addera tjänster till deras etablerade produkter. Gränsen mellan tjänster och produkter blir allt mer suddig och trenden mot ett tjänsteorienterat företag av traditionella produktorienterade företag medför stora förändringar inom många industrier. En av de industrierna är tillverkningsindustrin där krav på resurseffektiv produktion ökar. Detta arbete fokuserar på lastbilsbranschen i Sverige där det ses en tydlig utveckling av erbjudande som består av tjänster och produkter tillsammans. Dessutom står denna bransch för höga utsläpp som belastar miljön. Genom att erbjuda tjänster förväntas lastbilsbranschen både skapa bättre kundrelation och förlänga produkternas livscykel. En lyckad implementeringen av produkter och tjänster kallas för ett ”product service-system” (PSS). Det finns tre olika typer av PSS: Produktorienterad, Användningsorienterad och Resulatatorienterad PSS. Lastbilsbranschen i Sverige präglas främst av ett Produktorienterad PSS men de stora tillverkningsföretagen har tjänster från alla olika PSS. Scania som en ledande svensk lastbilstillverkare erbjuder en blandning av tjänster. Deras tjänsteportfölj inkluderar bland annat reparation, underhåll, uppgradering och återvinning av deras produkter som klassificeras som produktorienterade tjänster. Vidare erbjuder de även användningsorienterade tjänster som ”leasing” och uthyrning samt resultatorienterade tjänster och digitala tjänster som Fleet Managementtjänsten. De flesta tjänster som har studerats i rapporten bidrar till en ökad resurseffektivitet i lastbilsbranschen i Sverige. Andra slutsatser som har dragits under arbetets gång är följande: Digitaliseringen kommer främja de användnings- och resultatorienterade tjänsterna. Ju större företaget desto större sannolikhet att lyckas med en lönsam tjänstefiering.  Tjänster som finns tillgängliga idag som exempelvis förarutbildning, men även de kommande nya typer av digitala tjänsterna har för huvudsyfte att sanka kostnaderna for åkandet genom att minska bränsleförbrukningen. Ytterligare någon positiv påverkan erhålls av de tjänster som minskar slitaget på̊ lastbilen eftersom livslängden på̊ åkeriernas lastbilar ökar. Det är tydligt att tjänstefieringen har många fördelar med tyvärr är det fortfarande en stor utmaning för många av de mindre och medelstora tillverkningsföretagen i Sverige. Några av utmaningarna är den bristande kunskapen inom tjänstefiering och de stora organisatoriska förändringarna som en sådan process kräver. I samband med detta presenteras två olika modeller som har för syfte att underlätta implementeringen av tjänstefiering i tillverkningsföretagen. Den första modellen är Olivia och Kallenbergs modell och den andra är ATIT modellen som står för Avancerade tjänster i tillverkningsindustrin. / Servitization is a continuous process that helps manufacturing companies in the process of adding services to their established products. The line between services and products is becoming increasingly blurred and the trend towards a service-oriented company from a traditional product-oriented companies is leading to major changes in many industries. One of these industries is the manufacturing industry, where the demand for resource-efficient production is increasing. This report focuses on the truck industry in Sweden, where there is a clear development of offerings that consist of services and products together. In addition, this industry accounts for high emissions that burden our environment. By offering more services, the truck industry is expecting to create a better customer relationship and extend their product’s life cycle. A system with a successful implementation of products and services is called a product-service system (PSS). There are three different types of PSS: Product Oriented-, Usage Oriented- and Result Oriented PSS. The truck industry in Sweden is mainly characterized by the Productoriented PSS, but large manufacturing companies often offer services from all different PSS. Scania as a leading Swedish truck manufacturer offers a mix of services. Their service portfolio includes reparation, maintenance, upgrading and recycling of their products, which are classified as product-oriented services. Furthermore, they offer usage-oriented services such as "leasing" and renting, result-oriented services and digital services such as the Fleet Management services. Most services that have been studied in the report contribute to increased resource efficiency in the truck industry in Sweden. In conclusion, digitization will promote the usage- and resultoriented services. The larger the company, the greater the probability of succeeding in servitization. Services that are available today, such as driver training, but also the upcoming new types of digital services, aim to reduce the costs of driving by reducing fuel consumption. An additional positive effect is obtained from the services that reduce wear and tear on the truck which increases its life cycle. It is clear that the servitization has many advantages, but unfortunately it is still a big challenge for many of the small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in Sweden. Some of the challenges are the lack of knowledge in servitization and the major organizational changes that such a process requires. Additionally, two different models were presented which aim to facilitate the implementation of servitization in the manufacturing companies. The first model is Olivia and Kallenberg's model and the second one is the ATIT model.

A comercialização de sistemas compostos de produtos e serviços é a estratégia atual de muitas empresas da indústria de bens de capital, que passam a oferecer Sistemas Produto-Serviço Industrial (IPS2) como meio de aumento do valor entregue aos seus clientes e de melhoria da competitividade de suas ofertas. Essa transição implica em mudanças fundamentais na forma de desenvolver e comercializar ofertas e, portanto, o projeto de um modelo de negócio adequado deve ser o primeiro passo para empresas fornecedoras de IPS2. No entanto, a falta de metodologias específicas para essa finalidade inviabiliza o desenvolvimento de modelos de negócio adequados à IPS2. Nesse contexto, é proposto um framework para o design de modelos de negócio para comercialização de um caso específico de IPS2, denominado aqui por terceirização in loco – no qual o fornecedor aloca seus bens de produção dentro das instalações físicas do cliente e assume todas as responsabilidades gerenciais e operacionais daquele sistema. Esse framework é resultado da sistematização da literatura focada em sistemas compostos de produtos e serviços com base nos elementos considerados pela literatura sobre modelos de negócio. Além disso, devido à extensão das responsabilidades assumidas pelos provedores desse tipo de oferta, é proposta a configuração do nível operacional do IPS2 complementar ao design do nível de modelo de negócio. Considerando que um IPS2 no caso de terceirização in loco pode ser entendido como um sistema de produção operado por um terceiro à organização cliente, a literatura sobre projeto de sistemas de produção foi utilizada para guiar o design do nível operacional dessas ofertas. A partir disso, foi proposta a utilização das ferramentas Mapa do Fluxo de Valor, Gráfico de Gantt e Diagrama de Espaguete com foco no nível operacional do ISP2. O framework resultante consiste na configuração de nove elementos: Visão de Valor, Segmento de Clientes, Proposta de Valor, Fluxo do Valor (que inclui o nível operacional), Recursos Necessários, Detalhamento de Responsabilidades, Estrutura de Custos, Fluxo de Receitas e Oferta de Valor. Esse framework foi aplicado em um estudo de caso, que avaliou a ferramenta e possibilitou direcionamentos para desenvolvimentos futuros. / The provision of Industrial Product Service Systems (IPS2) is the current strategy of many organizations that aim to increase both the added value for its customers and the competitiveness of their offering. The first step for these organizations should be the development of a business model appropriated for IPS2, as suggested by the literature. However, the lack of available methods specifically to develop such business models impedes the creation of adequate offerings. In this context, we propose a framework to aid enterprises to design business models for IPS2 in the case of \"on-site outsourcing\" – in which the provider allocates its production assets within the client\'s facilities and assumes all the managerial and operational responsibilities related to the IPS2. Our framework is the result of an arrangement of the literature focused on product-service systems based on the elements commonly used on business model design. In addition, due to the extended responsibilities assumed by the suppliers of an on-site outsourcing offering, we propose the configuration of the IPS2 on an operational level as a complement to the business model level design. The operational level was approached by the literature on production system design, as an on-site outsourcing IPS2 can be understood as a production system operated by a third party in the client\'s organization. The resulting framework consists on the configuration of nine elements: Value Vision, Customer Segment, Value Proposition, Value Stream (which includes the operational level), Resources, Responsibilities, Cost Structure, Revenue Flow and Value Offering. This framework was applied in a case study, which evaluated the framework and set directions for future developments.

Cada vez mais as empresas oferecem soluções completas a seus clientes, com parcelas de produto e serviço. Essa mudança na composição do portfólio das organizações vem ocorrendo por uma série de motivos, sejam relacionados às questões estratégicas, motivados por demandas do cliente, ou ainda, por tendências que visam menores impactos ambientais. Esta tese teve como objetivo identificar se a estruturação das empresas em relação à integração produto-serviço influencia os fatores motivadores para o PSS. A abordagem metodológica foi dividida em pesquisa qualitativa e quantitativa, a primeira para compreender a perspectiva do cliente e a segunda para avaliar os fatores motivadores para a adoção de um sistema produto-serviço (PSS) por prestadores. A pesquisa qualitativa foi realizada por meio de um estudo de caso nos laboratórios de um dos principais hospitais da América Latina. Os dados coletados apresentaram informações importantes sobre questões ambientais e coprodução. Para a pesquisa quantitativa, foi proposto um instrumento de pesquisa, com base em dados extraídos da literatura, para avaliar o construto Fatores Motivadores (FM) e a estruturação das empresas em relação à integração produto-serviço, operacionalizada por meio dos construtos Orientação de Uso do Produto (OUP) e Lógicas de Transição (LT). O instrumento foi submetido à validação de conteúdo e a pesquisa conduzida com média e alta gerência, de 81 empresas de setores distintos. Os dados foram processados e validados por análise fatorial exploratória e técnica de Modelagem de Equações Estruturais com estimação pelo método Partial Least Squares (PLS), utilizando o software SMARTPLS 2.0. O construto Fatores Motivadores desdobrou-se em cinco variáveis latentes de primeira ordem: ambiental, cocriação, coprodução, portfólio e vantagem competitiva. As análises do modelo estrutural mostraram que há relacionamento significativo entre os Fatores Motivadores e as Lógicas de Transição, alterando-se à medida que se transida da lógica Produto-Dominante para a lógica Serviço-Dominante. Dentre as proposições da LT as que se destacaram foram Papel do Cliente, Envolvimento com o Cliente e Determinação e Significado do Valor. / Increasingly companies offer complete solutions to its customers which include products and services. This change in the organizations portfolio has been occurring due to a number of reasons, be it related to strategic issues, or driven by customer demands, or even to low environmental impact trends. This thesis aimed at identifying if companies structure in relation to their product-service integration influences the drivers for product-service systems (PSS) offer. The methodological approach was divided into qualitative and quantitative research, the first to understand the customer\'s perspective and the second to assess the drivers for the adoption of a product-service system (PSS) by providers. The qualitative research was conducted through a case study in the laboratories of one of the major Latin America hospitals. The data collected showed important information about environmental issues and co-production. For the quantitative research, a research instrument was proposed, based on data extracted from literature, to evaluate the Motivation Factors\' (FM) and the companies structuring in relation to product-service integration, operationalized through the constructs \'Product Use Orientation\' (OUP) and \'Transition Logics\' (LT). The instrument was submitted to content validation, and the research was conducted with middle and senior managers of 81 companies from different industries. The data were processed and validated by exploratory factor analysis technique and Structural Equation Modeling with the estimation method Partial Least Squares (PLS) using the software SmartPLS 2.0. The construct FM unfolded in five first-order latent variables: environmental, co-creation, co-production, portfolio and competitive advantage. The structural model analysis showed significant relationship between Motivation Factors and Transition Logics, which changes while it moves from Goods-Dominant Logic to Service-Dominant Logic. Among LT propositions most relevant are: Customers Role, Engagement with the Customer and Value Determination and Meaning.

Cada vez mais as empresas oferecem soluções completas a seus clientes, com parcelas de produto e serviço. Essa mudança na composição do portfólio das organizações vem ocorrendo por uma série de motivos, sejam relacionados às questões estratégicas, motivados por demandas do cliente, ou ainda, por tendências que visam menores impactos ambientais. Esta tese teve como objetivo identificar se a estruturação das empresas em relação à integração produto-serviço influencia os fatores motivadores para o PSS. A abordagem metodológica foi dividida em pesquisa qualitativa e quantitativa, a primeira para compreender a perspectiva do cliente e a segunda para avaliar os fatores motivadores para a adoção de um sistema produto-serviço (PSS) por prestadores. A pesquisa qualitativa foi realizada por meio de um estudo de caso nos laboratórios de um dos principais hospitais da América Latina. Os dados coletados apresentaram informações importantes sobre questões ambientais e coprodução. Para a pesquisa quantitativa, foi proposto um instrumento de pesquisa, com base em dados extraídos da literatura, para avaliar o construto Fatores Motivadores (FM) e a estruturação das empresas em relação à integração produto-serviço, operacionalizada por meio dos construtos Orientação de Uso do Produto (OUP) e Lógicas de Transição (LT). O instrumento foi submetido à validação de conteúdo e a pesquisa conduzida com média e alta gerência, de 81 empresas de setores distintos. Os dados foram processados e validados por análise fatorial exploratória e técnica de Modelagem de Equações Estruturais com estimação pelo método Partial Least Squares (PLS), utilizando o software SMARTPLS 2.0. O construto Fatores Motivadores desdobrou-se em cinco variáveis latentes de primeira ordem: ambiental, cocriação, coprodução, portfólio e vantagem competitiva. As análises do modelo estrutural mostraram que há relacionamento significativo entre os Fatores Motivadores e as Lógicas de Transição, alterando-se à medida que se transida da lógica Produto-Dominante para a lógica Serviço-Dominante. Dentre as proposições da LT as que se destacaram foram Papel do Cliente, Envolvimento com o Cliente e Determinação e Significado do Valor. / Increasingly companies offer complete solutions to its customers which include products and services. This change in the organizations portfolio has been occurring due to a number of reasons, be it related to strategic issues, or driven by customer demands, or even to low environmental impact trends. This thesis aimed at identifying if companies structure in relation to their product-service integration influences the drivers for product-service systems (PSS) offer. The methodological approach was divided into qualitative and quantitative research, the first to understand the customer\'s perspective and the second to assess the drivers for the adoption of a product-service system (PSS) by providers. The qualitative research was conducted through a case study in the laboratories of one of the major Latin America hospitals. The data collected showed important information about environmental issues and co-production. For the quantitative research, a research instrument was proposed, based on data extracted from literature, to evaluate the Motivation Factors\' (FM) and the companies structuring in relation to product-service integration, operationalized through the constructs \'Product Use Orientation\' (OUP) and \'Transition Logics\' (LT). The instrument was submitted to content validation, and the research was conducted with middle and senior managers of 81 companies from different industries. The data were processed and validated by exploratory factor analysis technique and Structural Equation Modeling with the estimation method Partial Least Squares (PLS) using the software SmartPLS 2.0. The construct FM unfolded in five first-order latent variables: environmental, co-creation, co-production, portfolio and competitive advantage. The structural model analysis showed significant relationship between Motivation Factors and Transition Logics, which changes while it moves from Goods-Dominant Logic to Service-Dominant Logic. Among LT propositions most relevant are: Customers Role, Engagement with the Customer and Value Determination and Meaning.

Este estudo apresenta aspectos relevantes do projeto de desenvolvimento de produto, para produtos que tenham serviços associados com a finalidade de aumento da percepção de valor. Partiu-se da constatação da realidade de mercado de que cada vez mais as indústrias, tradicionalmente reconhecidas pela qualidade tangível de seus produtos, passam a se preocupar com a associação de serviços a esses produtos. O atendimento das necessidades do consumidor com um sistema composto por bens tangíveis e intangíveis passa a ser um diferencial competitivo. Para se identificar os aspectos relevantes relacionados a serviço em um projeto de desenvolvimento de produto, inicialmente realizou-se a revisão bibliográfica sobre metodologias de desenvolvimento de produtos e serviços, de gestão de projeto e de conceitos relacionados a serviços. Os objetivos desta etapa foram o alinhamento de alguns conceitos relacionados ao trabalho e o conhecimento detalhado de tópicos relacionados ao desenvolvimento de serviços associado a produtos. Após este embasamento teórico, realizaram-se estudos de casos com cinco empresas. O objetivo foi identificar como, na prática, as empresas estão tratando o assunto serviço no desenvolvimento de produtos. Estes estudos de caso foram realizados em indústrias alimentícias que atuam no Brasil. O passo seguinte foi fazer considerações sobre as alterações que devem ser realizadas em estratégia, processos e estrutura para se obter o desenvolvimento de produtos com diferencial de serviços de maneira mais eficiente. A conclusão a que se chegou é que se forem realizadas algumas ações relativas à estratégia da empresa, aos processos relacionados ao desenvolvimento de produto e à estrutura que suporta esses processos, podem ser gerados sistemas compostos por produtos e serviços de destaque no mercado. As ações necessárias para o melhor uso de serviços como diferencial competitivo são descritas e os possíveis impactos nas empresas estudadas são apresentados. / This essay presents aspects of product development, taking into account products with associated services whose end-target is the increase of the product\'s value perception. The study stems from the findings that several industries, traditionally recognized for the quality of their tangible products, have progressively been concerned with the services related to their products. Consequently, the ability to duly cater for the consumer\'s needs with a system composed of tangible and intangible parts becomes a competitive differential. In order to identify relevant aspects related to services in product development, initially it was held a literature review on product and service development methodologies, project management and topics related to services. At this stage, some concepts were defined together with some detailed knowledge concerning development of services associated with products. Following this theoretical basis, case studies were performed with five companies. At this stage the objective was to identify how, in practice, those companies were addressing the issue of product service system development. Those case studies were conducted within Brazilian food industries. The next step was to make comments on the changes which, in the strategy, process and structure, would contribute more efficiently to develop products aiming at the differential in services. Such comments led to the conclusion that some actions related to company`s strategy, product development process and structure, once they are performed, they can generate systems composed of more competitive products and services for the market. Lastly, the necessary actions for a better usage of service as competitive differential are described and some foreseeable impacts are presented.

At present time, climate and energy issues are important subjects in the international market and environmental technology is a rapidly growing concept. Many companies in Sweden have developed much in-house knowledge in environmental technology. Therefore, they have great opportunity to export. In the sustainability perspective, export has not only benefits in the economic aspect, but also advantages for the environment. Development of appropriate business models is necessary for supporting environmental technology export.In this research an attempt was made to explore business model elements and offerings for export of environmental technology. The relevant theories in environmental technology characteristics, customization, product service systems and business models were used.The case studies included a Swedish municipality-owned company, its subsidiaries and a Swedish private company which was active in export. Empirical data were collected by conducting of interviews. The results reflect the business models and offerings of the studied cases. The analysis of cases provided findings for environmental technologies characteristics which have effect on export business models.Furthermore, six categories for making distinction among different elements of business models in literature were defined in this study. By analysis of the cases a new category which entailed new elements was added as the seventh category. The mentioned categories are useful in business model formulating for export of environmental technology.

Este estudo apresenta aspectos relevantes do projeto de desenvolvimento de produto, para produtos que tenham serviços associados com a finalidade de aumento da percepção de valor. Partiu-se da constatação da realidade de mercado de que cada vez mais as indústrias, tradicionalmente reconhecidas pela qualidade tangível de seus produtos, passam a se preocupar com a associação de serviços a esses produtos. O atendimento das necessidades do consumidor com um sistema composto por bens tangíveis e intangíveis passa a ser um diferencial competitivo. Para se identificar os aspectos relevantes relacionados a serviço em um projeto de desenvolvimento de produto, inicialmente realizou-se a revisão bibliográfica sobre metodologias de desenvolvimento de produtos e serviços, de gestão de projeto e de conceitos relacionados a serviços. Os objetivos desta etapa foram o alinhamento de alguns conceitos relacionados ao trabalho e o conhecimento detalhado de tópicos relacionados ao desenvolvimento de serviços associado a produtos. Após este embasamento teórico, realizaram-se estudos de casos com cinco empresas. O objetivo foi identificar como, na prática, as empresas estão tratando o assunto serviço no desenvolvimento de produtos. Estes estudos de caso foram realizados em indústrias alimentícias que atuam no Brasil. O passo seguinte foi fazer considerações sobre as alterações que devem ser realizadas em estratégia, processos e estrutura para se obter o desenvolvimento de produtos com diferencial de serviços de maneira mais eficiente. A conclusão a que se chegou é que se forem realizadas algumas ações relativas à estratégia da empresa, aos processos relacionados ao desenvolvimento de produto e à estrutura que suporta esses processos, podem ser gerados sistemas compostos por produtos e serviços de destaque no mercado. As ações necessárias para o melhor uso de serviços como diferencial competitivo são descritas e os possíveis impactos nas empresas estudadas são apresentados. / This essay presents aspects of product development, taking into account products with associated services whose end-target is the increase of the product\'s value perception. The study stems from the findings that several industries, traditionally recognized for the quality of their tangible products, have progressively been concerned with the services related to their products. Consequently, the ability to duly cater for the consumer\'s needs with a system composed of tangible and intangible parts becomes a competitive differential. In order to identify relevant aspects related to services in product development, initially it was held a literature review on product and service development methodologies, project management and topics related to services. At this stage, some concepts were defined together with some detailed knowledge concerning development of services associated with products. Following this theoretical basis, case studies were performed with five companies. At this stage the objective was to identify how, in practice, those companies were addressing the issue of product service system development. Those case studies were conducted within Brazilian food industries. The next step was to make comments on the changes which, in the strategy, process and structure, would contribute more efficiently to develop products aiming at the differential in services. Such comments led to the conclusion that some actions related to company`s strategy, product development process and structure, once they are performed, they can generate systems composed of more competitive products and services for the market. Lastly, the necessary actions for a better usage of service as competitive differential are described and some foreseeable impacts are presented.

The engineering design process transforms stakeholders’ needs and desires into design specifications. In this process, manufacturers make decisions that impact how much value can be generated from a new product/service. Clear design specification can enhance the value of a product/service. This research study focuses on the engineering design process for systems of products and services - product-service systems (PSSs). An unambiguous PSS classification could help manufacturers to produce clearer design specifications, however there is a lack of clear PSS classifications for engineering design. Existing classifications rely on an out-dated distinction between tangible objects as products, and everything else as a service, a division that inappropriately classifies digital products as services. To develop a coherent PSS classification, it is necessary to understand which characteristics of PSS can clarify its design specification. This research addresses this problem by determining the PSS characteristics that are useful for clarifying the design specification. The research aims to develop a PSS characterisation scheme and explore how the scheme influences design specifications. To achieve these aims, case study and action research methods are employed. This study has developed a PSS characterisation scheme that clarifies design specifications and a method to systematically apply this scheme, the PSS characterisation approach. This approach proves useful for practitioners to clarify design specifications, and has extended the application of the theory of technical systems to instruments supporting the engineering design process. The PSS characterisation scheme comprises four characteristics: customer perceived value level, ‘connectivity number’, type and degree of connectivity and configuration type. The scheme does not use the ‘tangibility’ distinction, but incorporates concepts of value creation and interdependencies within a PSS and between a PSS and its environment. This novel characterisation scheme contributes to the development of a PSS classification scheme for engineering design and also to the literature of PSS classifications.