scholarly journals Design of Product–Service Systems: Toward An Updated Discourse

Systems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Johan Lugnet ◽  
Åsa Ericson ◽  
Tobias Larsson

The engineering rationale, composed of established logic for the design and development of products, has been confronted by a shift to a circular economy. Digitalization (e.g., Industry 4.0) enables transformation, but it also increases relational complexities in scope and number. In Product–Service Systems (PSSs), the combination of manufactured goods and services should be delivered in new business models based on value-adding digital assistance. From a systems science view, such combinations cannot be managed by the same approach as if they were one uniform system; rather, it is an interdependent mix of technical, social, and digital designs. This paper initializes an updated conceptual discourse on PSSs and provides a reflection on the expected challenges in the transformation from linear to circular models. For example, the role of systems thinking to guide early design stages is discussed and the importance of processes for creating shared visions at different systems levels is suggested to be addressed in future research. The intention is to formulate thoughts about radical cognitive changes in order to realize the PSS paradigm.

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 825-844
Author(s):  
Olle Karlsson ◽  
Jan Kellgren

When it comes to policy issues, a legal scholar would traditionally study sustainable taxation from a “top-down” perspective, thus focusing on the legislator and on rational ways to steer economic life in a more sustainable direction. Here, we start at another end—we think of it as “the bottom-calling-the-top” perspective—in order to highlight (1) a relatively new business model and its merits from a circular economy perspective, namely the so called Product Service Systems; (2) how this model faces initial problems regarding especially foreseeability and that it might therefore have problems making its breakthrough; and (3) thus might need help from the legislator. Business models typically emanate from economic life rather than from political discourse, hence the bottom-up perspective and the bottom-to-the-top expression. Within the “bottom-calling-the-top” perspective, the focus lies on the needs of the economic actors carrying out their business. This text will contribute to the integration of a “bottom-up” perspective into the sustainable taxation discussion, and we will illustrate how a proper dose of bottom-up perspective might contribute to a more viable discussion.


Author(s):  
Pedro C. Marques ◽  
Pedro F. Cunha

Nowadays, manufacturing companies are pressured to be competitive and innovative. Particularly this concerns the delivery of value to their customers. The assessment of the overall value chain, designed and implemented for a specific product and/or service, should be sustained by new business models (NBM), thus contributing to higher levels of customer satisfaction. Integrated product-services are assuming importance, allowing manufacturing companies to achieve longer and stable relationships with their customers. This requires, among other, organizational changes and novel methodologies for product-service development. In fact, an effective integration allows product-service innovation, which being exploited, contributes significantly to businesses' competitiveness and sustainability. In this paper, a “roadmap” for NBM definition and implementation is presented, along with a new methodology for Product-Service Systems (PSS) development. Two case studies are used to test both the roadmap and the PSS methodology. As such, this work is expected to contribute to a clear understanding of NBM and their integration in a methodology for PSS.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 3727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina P. P. Pieroni ◽  
Tim C. McAloone ◽  
Daniela C. A. Pigosso

Product—service systems (PSSs) are often outlined as potential enablers of new business models for circular economy. However, not all business models based on product-service systems have superior circularity potential. This research demonstrates how the application of a previously developed business model configurator for circular economy can support the design and assessment of customer value, economic and resource decoupling potential for product-service system business models in practice. By applying action research in two Nordic manufacturing companies from the furniture sector, different business model concepts based on product-service systems were proposed and assessed. Results indicate positive uptake by companies regarding the usefulness of the obtained outcomes. This research identified two key findings about ‘product-service system business models for circular economy’: (i) their configuration should fulfil certain simultaneous conditions—i.e. superior customer value, economic growth, and resource decoupling potential—to contribute to circular economy; and (ii) they are often ‘niche solutions’, fulfilling specific needs and customer segments, and more likely to flourish with certain types/characteristic of products, segments or geographical locations. Lastly, a framework outlining the conditions and trade-offs for assessing the circularity potential of business models based on product-service systems is introduced as one of the key contributions.


Author(s):  
Pedro C. Marques ◽  
Pedro F. Cunha

Nowadays, manufacturing companies are pressured to be competitive and innovative. Particularly this concerns the delivery of value to their customers. The assessment of the overall value chain, designed and implemented for a specific product and/or service, should be sustained by new business models (NBM), thus contributing to higher levels of customer satisfaction. Integrated product-services are assuming importance, allowing manufacturing companies to achieve longer and stable relationships with their customers. This requires, among other, organizational changes and novel methodologies for product-service development. In fact, an effective integration allows product-service innovation, which being exploited, contributes significantly to businesses' competitiveness and sustainability. In this paper, a “roadmap” for NBM definition and implementation is presented, along with a new methodology for Product-Service Systems (PSS) development. Two case studies are used to test both the roadmap and the PSS methodology. As such, this work is expected to contribute to a clear understanding of NBM and their integration in a methodology for PSS.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2118
Author(s):  
Emma Johnson ◽  
Andrius Plepys

Business models like product-service systems (PSSs) often recognise different sustainability goals and are seen as solutions for the impacts of consumption and fast fashion, but there is a lack of evidence supporting the environmental claims of such business models for clothing. The research aimed to understand if rental clothing business models such as PSSs have the environmental benefits often purported by quantifying the environmental impacts of rental formal dresses in a life-cycle assessment (LCA) in a case study in Stockholm, Sweden. The effects of varying consumer behaviour on the potential impact of a PSS vs. linear business model are explored through three functional units and 14 consumption scenarios. How users decide to engage with clothing PSSs dictates the environmental savings potential that a PSS can have, as shown in how many times consumers wear garments, how they use rental to substitute their purchasing or use needs, as well as how consumers travel to rental store locations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 3101-3110
Author(s):  
Carl Nils Konrad Toller ◽  
Marco Bertoni

AbstractProduct-Service Systems (PSS) have emerged as a key concept to meet the societal and market trends of increasing customer needs through the entire life-cycle. Unfortunately, several companies are struggling with getting revenues from service investments and translating 'real needs' to design improvements. The demand of the designer to go beyond the Voice of the Customer (VoC) is evident. This paper aims to map the interventions proposed by research in the area of PSS and VoC. Using a systematic mapping approach, the research domain was analyzed with regards to context and interventions. The results show a progressive development in the research area with a focus on the specification and realization of needs. A gap exists in connecting the engineers with 'real needs' and integrating the customer as a natural part of the entire development cycle of a PSS. By performing a systematic mapping, future research can be more focused and hopefully increasing its impact.


Systems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Khaled Medini ◽  
Sophie Peillon ◽  
Martha Orellano ◽  
Stefan Wiesner ◽  
Ang Liu

The evolution towards more customer-centric operations within manufacturing and service industries gave rise to novel ways of value creation and delivery such as Product–Service Systems (PSS). PSS integrate tangible and intangible elements to create new values for both customers and providers. Therefore, a close collaboration is required among various actors in a value network to co-create values towards win–win gains. For companies to keep up with this pace, new decision support tools are needed to accompany PSS engineering and to adjust business models. This need is confronted with the scarcity of PSS-oriented economic assessment models and methods. This paper presents a comprehensive framework for the economic assessment of PSS. The framework relies on a novel combination of system modelling and analysis approaches to enable cost and revenue attribution to different actors in a value network. The applicability and relevance of the framework are demonstrated through a case study in the industrial cleaning sector.


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