Pre-sale activities of buying and post-sale activities of use are separated by time and judged in two time-place forms. Exchange value being one kind of judgment of desirability, separate from use value. However, traditionally marketing has not fully captured the co-creation of value in use, or therefore, how it affects the perceived value of the offering at purchase. The separation of purchase and use has been shown to create buyer uncertainty at the point of purchase about the future value created in use. Consider the decision to buy a service support contract for capital equipment in which the act and experience of use could continue for up to ten years after the decision to buy. At purchase, buyers may not be certain about the future state of use, i.e. whether or not equipment will fail, or indeed how the service will perform in the event of failure. While uncertainty about the state of use will continue across time, it has been argued uncertainty about how the service will perform may be resolved through repeat use or interaction. Through an exploratory case and a web-based survey of 95 organisational buyers of Product Service Systems (PSS) in capital equipment markets, this thesis finds customer-provider co-capability, which facilitates service performance in use, mediates the customer’s perceived risk of re-purchasing. As a result, this thesis makes a contribution to B2B marketing in identifying how value of the offering at purchase is affected by future customer-provider co-capability in use.

Driven by the highly cyclical nature of their increasingly commoditised product offerings, many capital goods manufacturers are seeing the benefits of delivering services integrated with their core product offerings. Whilst existing research is almost unanimous in advocating the value of a servitization strategy, understanding how these product-service systems (PSSs) can be developed and delivered remains a significant challenge. The closely related PSS field, which has its heritage in the environmental and social science disciplines, is more mature in this area and a number of models have been proposed. The research reported within this thesis contributes to knowledge by investigating whether the approaches to PSS development, reported within the PSS literature, reflects the PSS development practice of servitized manufacturers. More specifically, soft systems methodology was used to explore the delivery of PSSs within the UK railway industry in order to gain an understanding of the implications for developing new PSSs. With this understanding, the existing approaches to PSS development were evaluated with respect to one servitized manufacturer through an in-depth single case study. The findings highlighted a number of significant differences between the practice of the servitized manufacturer and the literature. A survey was used to investigate whether the differences were generalisable to a larger sample of servitized manufacturers. The findings point towards the simplification of the reported phases within PSS development and the inclusion of a number of previously unreported processes and activities. Based on these results a new model of PSS development is proposed to better reflect the practice of servitized manufacturers. The model, consisting of four phases and seventeen processes, was operationalised in the form of a workbook and tested through application. Applying the workbook resulted in the successful creation of a number of new PSS concepts.

This thesis explores the conditions under which traditional Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can be involved in the design of sustainable Product Service Systems (PSS). The integration between design and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the context of sustainable business development was used to define the space for this exploration. The research was carried out through a case study with a group of Colombian Manufacturing SMEs. As a result of the case study a business framework was developed to guide the design of sustainable PSS. In order to establish the basis of the research a review of the literature on sustainable business development, ICT, design, product service systems and SMEs was carried out. This review brought to light the main features of a sustainable PSS and the challenges associated with its design. These challenges were further investigated in the context of SMEs with a scoping study involving a group of 38 Colombian SMEs. Additionally, 36 PSS already on the market were analysed to identify the possible relationships between design and ICT, and to determine how they could contribute to develop sustainable PSS. The scoping study and the analysis of the 36 PSS gave structure to the case study with a second group of Colombian Manufacturing SMEs. This case study aimed to build understanding of the connection between the characteristics of these SMEs and the main features of a sustainable PSS. As a result of this case study a set of concepts, drivers and barriers to take into account to design sustainable PSS formed the basis of a business framework developed and validated in the final part of the research. The business framework proposed can help to understand the resources and changes needed to develop a sustainable PSS, reducing the uncertainty that it may cause. The integration between product and service design and ICT is used in the framework to outline the areas of opportunity in the design of sustainable PSS. This business framework developed as a result of the research promises to be a helpful tool for organisations working to support the transformation of SMEs toward competitive and sustainable business models using as a basis the integration between product and service design and ICT. Despite the Colombian context the results and outcomes of this research are described in general terms to be applicable in other contexts around the world working with SMEs in the design of sustainable PSS.

There is an intersection of challenges where society’s social and ecological problems coincide with the industrial firm’s challenge to maintain profitability in a globalizing world. Products connect these challenges. The development of these products together with services (product-service systems) therefore provides a critical intervention point to address these challenges. This includes e.g. defining what the products and services are, how they will deliver value to users, and the business models that enable them to be realized, as well as how these can contribute to sustainable development of society. The overarching goal of this research is to contribute to sustainable development of society by better understanding how a strategic sustainable development perspective based on backcasting from basic principles for a sustainable society can be brought into and guide product-service system innovation. Interviews with industry professionals, workshops with both manufacturing companies and within student projects, and industrial cases studies, together with a review of literature and theoretical considerations, provide the methodological basis for this work. This thesis contributes to clarifying theoretical and practical possibilities and limitations for a strategic sustainable development perspective to guide product-service system innovation and provides a basis for the integration of these concepts. The findings indicate that the co-innovation of products and services in product-service systems can contribute to sustainable development of society both by supporting reduced material and energy use and by supporting improved life cycle management of materials. Further, a strategic sustainable development perspective can contribute to the refinement of existing tools and methods in product-service system innovation by providing an operational definition of sustainability articulated in the form of first-order principles that describe the boundary conditions for a sustainable society, and by providing guidelines for how to approach a vision of success inside those boundaries in a strategic way. In order to identify solutions that meet society’s pressing challenges, new solution spaces may need to be identified, and this can be enabled by a shift from product development with service as “add-ons” to their co-innovation in product-service systems. An initial approach for how this could be enabled through bringing together set-based approaches to design product-service systems with a strategic sustainable development perspective is presented.

Problem: Development of a firm’s offering is a vital weapon for competition. Obtaining knowledge on customer expectations and translating those into product development and superior service delivery is surrounded by prioritisation decisions. Industrial vending systems are proven to be a growing field in terms of deployments but have received little academic attention, especially regarding service quality perception to support customer-oriented innovation processes for suppliers, facilitating such decisions. Purpose: To identify key drivers of positive service quality perception and customer satisfaction as well as trust and commitment indicators for business-to-business industrial vending systems. Method: Through an explanatory approach, qualitative data on multiple cases was gathered. 14 in-depth semi-structured interviews were held with customers currently using a specific industrial vending system. Conclusion: Solution characteristics of industrial vending systems impact service quality perception through compliance with customer requirements. A total of 13 customer satisfaction drivers were identified for the investigated industrial vending system, the most important being efficiency, user-friendliness and timeliness. Further, the presence of individual- and company level trust in customer-supplier relationships positively impacts commitment intentions. Contribution: Adds novel knowledge on customer satisfaction for industrial vending systems and contributes with suggestions for managers on how trust and commitment affect customer satisfaction, which can be incorporated into the value promise design, product development and marketing strategies. / ISNET (finansierad av KK-stiftelsen)

Although they lead to several potential sustainability benefits, product-service systems are not intrinsically sustainable. Therefore, this thesis investigates the factors designers should consider in order to ensure sustainable results. A systematic literature review on product-service system and sustainability is combined with three interviews with product-service system providers. The results are analysed through the application of the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development. The results of the systematic literature review show that there is no unified definition of sustainable product-service system and multiple approaches to address sustainability in product-service system design. By adopting the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, a definition of sustainable product-service system and a list of design criteria are developed. This thesis suggests which overarching aspects product-service system designers should consider to integrate a strategic sustainability perspective. The outcome of this thesis supports designers in understanding what a sustainable product-service system could be and what elements it should embed. By combining the definition and the list of criteria, designers can apply a systematic and strategic approach to integrate sustainability in product-service system offerings.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to increase knowledge regarding sustainable product-service systems (SPSS) barriers and solutions for non-assembled products. To answer this purpose, we developed the following research questions: (1) what barriers do providers face when utilizing SPSS in a non-assembled product context and (2) what solutions can be used to overcome these barriers? Method – This study was conducted as an abductive case study within SPSS in the renewable energy industry. We interviewed a total of 20 respondents from 16 different companies operating in China, Cyprus, and Sweden. Each respondent was chosen based on their experience and knowledge within the area. Findings – The findings are summarized in a framework that links the identified barriers with specific solutions. In brief, finding stakeholders for large and long-term investments was identified as a major barrier while educating stakeholders was suggested as a common solution. Theoretical and practical implications – The results disqualify two of the barriers in the existing literature while suggesting that varying market conditions is a new barrier. Furthermore, the study provides new insights to the existing literature and presents a framework that managers can use to matchmake SPSS-barriers with solutions. Limitations and future research – The study is limited to a case study focused on barriers and solutions for SPSS-providers. As a result, future research is suggested to validate the findings in another context and among other stakeholders.

The Circular Business Model (CBM) is one way to achieve a more sustainable future. Its goal is to reduce the use of natural resources which are becoming more scarce on our planet. The aim of the study is to investigate the consumer behavior and the determinants of the willingness to adopt Product Service System (PSS), one of the models of CBM. Through previous research, five main factors were identified: Economical Value, Flexibility, Trust, Desire to Own and Peer Influence. Furthermore, some literature argue that environmental awareness has an influence on the consumers’ choice of consumption. Therefore, this factor is considered and used as a moderating variable in the conceptual model. The primary data was collected through an online questionnaire and the hypotheses were tested through multiple regression analyses. Seven out of the twelve hypotheses were accepted. The study also concludes that environmental awareness does not have a high impact on the model. The environmental awareness did only have a positive moderating effect in the peer influence factor. It was determined in the study that economical value has the highest impact on the model.

An increasing number of manufacturing firms are developing new business models to improve sustainability in the face of growing environmental and social challenges. Product-service systems (PSS) are regarded as promising sustainable business models with significant potential to synergise economic, environmental and social value, together termed ‘sustainable value’. This research investigates ways in which manufacturing firms can identify opportunities for sustainable value creation in PSS business models. The research aims to make theoretical and practical contributions to the fields of sustainable business models, sustainable PSS and sustainable value. The research adopts a qualitative theory building approach, in which theory can be transformed into practice. It involves eight case studies and one focus group formed of manufacturers who provide PSS solutions. A practical-research tool, the Sustainable Value Analysis Tool, is developed to collect data and to provide business support. The key research findings and contributions to theory and practice are: · The research proposes a new PSS classification system based on the ownership of products and changes in ownership. This classification distinguishes the potential for sustainability of each PSS type more clearly than existing PSS classifications. · The research introduces a new concept, value uncaptured, and identifies four forms of this. The introduction of this concept provides a novel perspective of studying value exchange in business models. · The research identifies 26 sources of value uncaptured throughout the product life cycle. These can be used to help industrial practitioners to identify value uncaptured in a structured way. · The research proposed that the act of turning value uncaptured into value opportunities is an effective approach for improving sustainable value creation in business models. This has been empirically demonstrated. · The research proposes a model to understand how and where value uncaptured can be turned into value opportunities. This model comprises two mechanisms, two directions, and fourteen key tactics. The model improves theoretical understanding of the sustainable value creation system and can be applied in practice to help companies search for value opportunities in a systematic and strategic way. · The challenges of turning value opportunities into value are identified. The findings have been used to develop a framework for sustainable value creation in PSS business models. The proposed tool has been validated and used in workshops for purposes including research, consultancy, business education and university education. This research thus makes contributions to both academic knowledge and industrial practice.

Submitted by Maicon Juliano Schmidt (maicons) on 2015-06-15T18:28:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Lívia Accioly Menezes da Silva.pdf: 2843537 bytes, checksum: d89f0eff69dfb14e63b0fed8baec825f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-06-15T18:28:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lívia Accioly Menezes da Silva.pdf: 2843537 bytes, checksum: d89f0eff69dfb14e63b0fed8baec825f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-07-23 / Nenhuma / No mundo empresarial, a moda pode ser vista como uma estratégia utilizada por instituições e organizações para a construção e valorização da sua imagem dentro da sociedade. Muitas vezes, parte dessa estratégia inclui o desenvolvimento de uniforme para seus funcionários, já que este identifica os indivíduos como pertencentes a uma determinada organização. Nesse contexto, esta dissertação de mestrado tem como objeto de estudo os uniformes da primeira corporação feminina da Brigada Militar do Estado Rio Grande do Sul, apresentados sob a ótica do sistema produto-serviço, conceito essencial ao Design Estratégico. Sistema produto-serviço pode ser considerado como estratégia, analisando-se a interação estabelecida entre o produto e as demais esferas que norteiam o projeto. Assim, busca-se identificar de que forma os uniformes da Brigada Militar Feminina relacionam-se com a organização enquanto elemento de reforço da sua identidade dentro de um sistema produto-serviço. Para a realização desta pesquisa, foi desenvolvido um estudo de caso, por meio de entrevistas em profundidade com dois distintos grupos. O primeiro inclui o ex-governador do Estado do RS (1983-1987) e o estilista Rui Spohr, e o segundo grupo é integrado por um Coronel e uma Major da corporação estudada. Foi realizada uma análise das entrevistas, em conjunto com o acervo do Museu da Comunicação e os jornais do Estado (Zero Hora e Correio do Povo) e também do próprio estilista. Como principais resultados, têm-se que o uniforme foi analisado a partir de três categorias: elementos visuais, comunicação e comportamento –, e estas podem ser consideradas como elementos fortalecedores da identidade da corporação. / In the business world, fashion can be seen as a strategy used by institutions, specially related to the construction and valorization of their image in society. Often part of this strategy includes the creation and development of clothing to be used by the employees. This clothing, also known by uniform, identifies the individuals as part of a particular organization. In this context, this dissertation aimed to study the creation of the first female corporation of the Military Brigade of Rio Grande do Sul State’s uniform, analyzed by the perspective of the product-service system, an essential concept of Strategic Design. Product-service system can be considered as strategic, that analyzes the interaction established between the product and the other spheres that guide the design project. Thus, the goal of this paper was to identify how the uniforms of the Female Military Brigade relate to the organization as a means of strengthening their identity within this product-service system. For the development of this research, a case study was fulfilled, through in-depth interviews with two groups, that includes the former Governor of RS (1983-1987) and the stylist Rui Spohr on the first group, and the Colonel and a Major of the studied corporation on the second one. An analysis of interviews was held in conjunction with the Museum of Communication, the main newspapers of the State (Zero Hora and Correio do Povo) and also the designer himself and the designer himself. The main results show that the uniform can be analyzed from three different categories – visual elements, communication and behavior –, and indeed can be considered as empowering elements of the identity of the corporation.