A Systematic Literature Review on Product-Service Systems Classifications and Types

This article intends to provide the reader a comprehensive overview of the Product-Service System (PSS) topic. Besides the historical background and a comparison of definitions, the contribution focuses on the challenging task of classifying and typing PSS. For this purpose, a particularly broad scientific and systematic literature review was carried out, comprising 125 publications. Thereby, the research was focused on the crucial question how PSS can be classified and typed. Widely used PSS classifications and types in literature and their differences were identified. The conclusion describes and compares the six identified PSS classifications. Based on this, different PSS types were analyzed and extracted from PSS classifications and were finally compared for the first time in literature. In addition, the characteristics of the different types of PSS are presented and examined. This research contributes scientifically to the field of PSS classification. The article closes with an outlook on the future role of digital PSS in the context of digitization. In summary, this paper represents a consistent further development of the paper “A Systematic Literature Review on Product-Service Systems Classifications and Types”.

Product service systems (PSS) are an example of a novel business model billed as having the potential to significantly reduce the environmental burdens of production and consumption processes. However, despite widespread interest in PSS, consensus regarding their actual environmental impacts, particularly with regard to salient issues such as global warming, is lacking. Hence this paper explores existing research to investigate the state of the art regarding the climatic impacts of PSS, alongside the set of factors that influence climatic impacts. The paper comprises a systematic review of peer-reviewed academic literature, quantifying the extent to which different types of PSS have the capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across multiple product categories. Our study shows that significant reductions in climatic emissions are possible, but PSS are in many cases associated with more modest reductions and, in some cases, increased emissions. Further, we observe no clear differences in climatic impacts according to the type of PSS model that is deployed. Rather, differences in climatic impact are influenced by factors such as production and design alongside use-phase impacts and contextual factors such as transportation and the energy mix. The study argues that further research is needed to establish a more robust baseline upon which to draw conclusions regarding the sources of climatic impacts, and outlines fruitful ways for companies to tackle the complexities of climatic emissions that are beyond their control.

Product service systems (PSS) can be viewed as one approach towards more sustainable production and consumption. This chapter outlines the reasons why PSS could be a useful approach to sustainability in the future. In particular it highlights the three main types of PSS, product oriented, use oriented and results oriented, which can be considered by designers wanting to make the shift away from purely product focussed approaches. By understanding the benefits of each type of PSS a designer will be able to choose the best option to help develop an integrated system of products and services which can provide benefits for both the customer and the environment.

Product‐service systems (PSS) have been considered a promising approach to operationalizing the circular economy. Although many studies have outlined the potential sustainability gains of PSS solutions, it is still unclear what factors drive PSS adoption and how behavioral changes result in rebound effects, undermining their potential sustainability gains. This study proposes a conceptual framework to scaffold the understanding of the links between PSS adoption, PSS performance, and rebound effects. Theoretical and empirical lenses were applied, encompassing a systematic literature review (SLR), nine semi‐structured interviews with PSS providers, and iterative deductive and inductive analyses. Eighteen behavioral factors that influence PSS adoption and thirteen indicators to measure PSS performance were identified. The conceptual framework links PSS adoption and PSS performance through rebound mechanisms, highlighting the double‐edged nature of PSS: while user behavior directly influences the adoption and the performance of the PSS, rebound mechanisms could also be activated, offsetting its performance.

Alliance formation by intermediary ventures in the solar service industry: implications for product–service systems research

Product service systems (PSS) can be understood as an innovation / business strategy that includes a set of products and services that are realized by an actor network. More recently, PSS that comprise System of Systems (SoS) have been of increasing interest, notably in the transportation (autonomous vehicle infrastructures, multi-modal transportation) and energy sector (smart grids). Architecting such PSS-SoS goes beyond classic SoS engineering, as they are often driven by new technology, without an a priori client and actor network, and thus, a much larger number of potential architectures. However, it seems that neither the existing PSS nor SoS literature provides solutions to how to architect such PSS. This paper presents a methodology for architecting PSS-SoS that are driven by technological innovation. The objective is to design PSS-SoS architectures together with their value proposition and business model from an initial technology impact assessment. For this purpose, we adapt approaches from the strategic management, business modeling, PSS and SoS architecting literature. We illustrate the methodology by applying it to the case of an automobile PSS.

Product Service Systems (PSS) are a combination of products and services, jointly fulfilling a user’s need. PSS can offer numerous benefits for businesses, society and the environment, but consumer acceptance of PSS remains rather low. Required behaviour change and existing user habits are one of the key barriers for limited acceptance. This thesis studies the role of habits in the PSS acceptance process, and in the PSS design process. Thereby, this research was aimed on conducting a long-term living lab study of a well-accepted mobility PSS for elderly, and a literature study on habits, behaviour and acceptance. Together, these studies have resulted in the proposition that addressing Lost Habits in the design process can lead to increased PSS acceptance. The living lab study involved a small-scale mobility PSS for elderly. This PSS was well-accepted because it was able to restore values that were related to people’s discontinued habits. Thereby, it showed that addressing important values, for example providing independence and facilitating social connections, stimulated the acceptance of this particular PSS. Remarkably, the provision of “just” mobility was not a primary reason for acceptance, but merely an enabling framework. Literature research pointed out that habits play a subordinate role in theory on behaviour and acceptance. However, this thesis found that habits play an important role in people’s lives, and restoring already changing behaviour, thereby enabling people to regain or sustain familiar behaviour may be more successful in fostering acceptance than triggering behavioural change. As a result, PSS acceptance can be enhanced, when the PSS is presented during or after a process of change, due to unwanted circumstances. In such situations, there is an intrinsic and personal driven motivation to use a PSS, as long as it provides the opportunity to continue desired behaviour. Based on both approaches, the phenomenon of Lost Habits was identified as decisive phenomenon for high acceptance. This phenomenon was further analysed and elaborated upon in consecutive studies. Furthermore, it was worked out into a theoretical model and a design tool that design teams can use to increase PSS acceptance, based on people’s values, their behaviour, and their habits.

Aiming to decouple value creation from resource consumption, the Circular Economy is considered an alternative to the current linear model of production and consumption. Among the innovative circular business models, Product-Service Systems (PSS) have been recognized as a possible route to achieve enhanced sustainability performance through the extension of product lifespans and the reduction of product substitution. However, PSS may lead to rebound effects due to less careful behavior during the use phase, which compromises product durability. Currently, the effect of non-ownership models on product care is not yet fully understood, nor are the strategies that could enable better product care. This research aims to deeper comprehend the consumer-product relationships in PSS solutions, as well as to shed light on the potential role of emotional durability in PSS development for product attachment. In order to do so, this paper analyses twelve Product-Service System cases derived from a systematic literature review, categorizing the emotional attachment strategies in each case, and identifying how these strategies might hinder or potentialize PSS solutions.

A Literature Review of Life Cycle Costing in the Product-Service System Context

By offering of Product Service Systems (PSS) traditional product-oriented companies get an excellent opportunity to create new value by delivering customers a unique utility. This comes along with the improvement of the companies’ competitive position on both, the domestic and the international marketplaces. A PSS is a combination of tangible or intangible products and services. Current available PSS approaches in literature as a set of guided methodologies how to implement a PSS out of a traditional product are manly focussed on the needs of large companies. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) habitually tend to block such approaches due to much complexity of the frameworks and missing usability and adaptability. However, PSS can also provide many opportunities for SMEs to generate new and innovative business models. In addition, the concept of customer centricity is currently not present at SMEs as well as the PSS research. To attract interest of SMEs in PSS a framework that is suitable to fit their needs is required. Hence, a first step is presented in this paper as the interaction based approach will help to make complex PSS frameworks applicable for SMEs.

PSS design through Design for Supply Chain: State of the art review

Background : As service design was enhanced and the movement combining services in various industrial fields was expanded, the research·development of the ‘Product Service System (PSS)’ was started. In South Korea, although the movement of research·development os a recent happening, it is still in the early stage. Therefore, the maturation of the sympathy of the Product Service System, the actual method of introduction and systematical methodology are not sufficient. Also, in the process and methodology of existing product-service design, the experiences of people who actually use product-service design are not treated deeply. Considering this background, this thesis conducted a research on ‘The process and methodology of product-service design focusing on users’ experiences’ and the purpose is to manufacture it by toolkit form so as to spread and apply it to the related academic world and industrial world. Methods : The 1st stage discovered the necessity to emphasize UX in the field of product-service design based on the literature and case research. In the 2nd stage, a study on the roles of UX Design and Service Design and their relations in the field of PSS Design was conducted. In the 3rd stage, an actual PSS Toolkit was developed considering the case research of an existing toolkit. Finally, in the 4th stage, the problems of the toolkit were identified by expert evaluation·verification and study items for its improvement were assigned. Results : The prototype for the ‘PSS Design process and Toolkit which focus on the UX viewpoint’ was manufactured. And, according to the result of expert evaluation, its value could be confirmed from the aspect of strengthening methodology which can grasp users experiences deeply. Specifically, its value is in providing a systematic guide which can be helpful for the actual practice of methodology and in developing a tool which can actually be helpful for the spread of PSS Design’s concept. Conclusion : the toolkit developed in this study will be applied as tools to realize education and distribution regarding the concept and the necessity of PSS Design. Also, the toolkit may be employed in small and medium companies still without professional designers and/or systematic design processes related to manufacturing and service areas. Also, large corporations may use the toolkit as a communication tool to enhance the understanding of and reach consensuses for PSS Design processes among various development departments or in collaborative projects.

Overcoming the Product-Service Model Adoption Obstacles

We propose a framework based on ADKAR (awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement) with guidelines to manage the organizational culture change required for servitization—the transition of a company towards a product–service system (PSS) business model that provides cohesive delivery of products and services, increasingly supported on digital technologies. We departed from a systematic literature review across five academic databases, covering human and technological aspects, that confirmed corporate culture as one of the pillars of a successful transformation, along with relevant factors to account for. The results of this work have both theoretical and managerial implications. Companies can apply the framework to support planning implementation strategies that require a corporate mind shift. Finally, we identified directions for future servitization research.

Analysing interplays between PSS business models and governmental policies towards a circular economy