Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sustainability-as-a-Service: Requirements Based on Lessons Learned from Empirical Studies

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Advances in Production Management Systems. Production Management Systems for Responsible Manufacturing, Service, and Logistics Futures (APMS 2023)

Part of the book series: IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology ((IFIPAICT,volume 690))

  • 676 Accesses

Abstract

The industrial journey towards digitalization and sustainability requires an understanding of companies’ status and desired state. New business models, like digital servitization, can support the transition from pilots to full implementations on the shop floor and the innovation of the end-to-end value chains. This paper aims to identify the requirements for industrial companies to undergo the transition towards digital servitization, where sustainability is at the core. The proposition is that Sustainability-as-a-Service can enable industrial companies, like manufacturers, to deliver sustainability values through digital servitization. This study presents a framework that contributes to the body of knowledge of the digitalization and servitization domains by describing the phenomenon of digital servitization and narrating its relationship to the sustainability domain. The research method of this work includes a review of relevant literature, and the analysis of four use cases, where challenges from real companies were identified and transformed into requirements. The results are summarized in a list of requirements for companies to follow towards a digital servitization business model, which includes technological enablers, organizational skills, knowledge of influential external factors, understanding of sustainability principles, and the contextual situation of the value chain. This study can guide industrial companies to advance towards Sustainability-as-a-Service by providing them with concrete measures on how to prepare for this journey.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Wolfson, A., Mark, S., Martin, P.M., Tavor, D.: Sustainability as a Service. Sustainability Through Service: Perspectives, Concepts and Examples, pp. 73–85 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  2. World Economic Forum: Net-Zero Industry Tracker 2022 Edition (2022)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Sjödin, D., Parida, V., Kohtamäki, M.: An agile co-creation process for digital servitization: a micro-service innovation approach. J. Bus. Res. 112, 478–491 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Sassanelli, C., Rossi, M., Terzi, S.: Evaluating the smart maturity of manufacturing companies along the product development process to set a PLM project roadmap. Int. J. Prod. Lifecycle Manag. 12(3), 185–209 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Kindström, D.: Towards a service-based business model – key aspects for future competitive advantage. Eur. Manag. J. 28(6), 479–490 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Bakås, O., Powell, D., Resta, B., Gaiardelli, P.: The servitization of manufacturing: a methodology for the development of after-sales services. In: Emmanouilidis, C., Taisch, M., Kiritsis, D. (eds.) APMS 2012. IFIP, AICT, vol. 398, pp. 337–344. Springer, Heidelberg (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40361-3_43

  7. Gebauer, H., Fleisch, E., Friedli, T.: Overcoming the service paradox in manufacturing companies. Eur. Manag. J. 23(1), 14–26 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Neely, A.: Exploring the financial consequences of the servitization of manufacturing. Oper. Manag. Res. 1(2), 103–118 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Baines, T.S., Lightfoot, H.W., Benedettini, O., Kay, J.M.: The servitization of manufacturing. J. Manuf. Technol. Manag. 20(5), 547–567 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Benedettini, O., Neely, A., Swink, M.: Why do servitized firms fail? A risk-based explanation. Int. J. Oper. Prod. Manag. 35(6), 946–979 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Geum, Y., Park, Y.: Designing the sustainable product-service integration: a product-service blueprint approach. J. Clean. Prod. 19(14), 1601–1614 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Kjaer, L.L., Pigosso, D.C.A., McAloone, T.C., Birkved, M.: Guidelines for evaluating the environmental performance of product/service-systems through life cycle assessment. J. Clean. Prod. 190, 666–678 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Isaksson, O., Larsson, T.C., Rönnbäck, A.Ö.: Development of product-service systems: challenges and opportunities for the manufacturing firm. J. Eng. Des. 20(4), 329–348 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Lightfoot, H., Clegg, J.M., Prasant, B., Baines, T., Smart, P.: The servitization of manufacturing. Int. J. Oper. Prod. Manag. 33(11/12), 1408–1434 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Kjaer, L.L., Pigosso, D.C.A., Niero, M., Bech, N.M., McAloone, T.C.: Product/service-systems for a circular economy: the route to decoupling economic growth from resource consumption? J. Ind. Ecol. 23(1), 22–35 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Sklyar, A., Kowalkowski, C., Sörhammar, D., Tronvoll, B.: Resource integration through digitalisation: a service ecosystem perspective. J. Mark. Manag. 35(11–12), 974–991 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Oliva, R., Gebauer, H., Brann, J.M.: Separate or integrate? Assessing the impact of separation between product and service business on service performance in product manufacturing firms. J. Bus. Bus. Mark. 19(4), 309–334 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Salonen, A., Jaakkola, E.: Firm boundary decisions in solution business: examining internal vs. external resource integration. Ind. Mark. Manag. 51, 171–183 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Paiola, M., Saccani, N., Perona, M., Gebauer, H.: Moving from products to solutions: strategic approaches for developing capabilities. Eur. Manag. J. 31(4), 390–409 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Raja, J.Z., Chakkol, M., Johnson, M., Beltagui, A.: Organizing for servitization: examining front- and back-end design configurations. Int. J. Oper. Prod. Manag. 38(1), 249–271 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Romero, D., Gaiardelli, P., Pezzotta, G., Cavalieri, S.: The impact of digital technologies on services characteristics: towards digital servitization. In: Ameri, F., Stecke, K., von Cieminski, G., Kiritsis, D. (eds.) APMS 2019. IFIP, AICT, vol. 566, pp. 493–501. Springer, Cham (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30000-5_61

  22. Jaakkola, E.: Designing conceptual articles: four approaches. AMS Rev. 10(1), 18–26 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Cornelissen, J.: Editor’s comments: developing propositions, a process model, or a typology? Addressing the challenges of writing theory without a boilerplate. Acad. Manag. Rev. 42(1), 1–9 (2016)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  24. González Chávez, C.A., Holgado, M., Öhrwall Rönnbäck, A., Despeisse, M., Johansson, B.: Towards sustainable servitization: a literature review of methods and frameworks. Procedia CIRP 104, 283–288 (2021)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Le-Dain, M.A., Benhayoun, L., Matthews, J., Liard, M.: Barriers and opportunities of digital servitization for SMEs: the effect of smart product-service system business models. Serv. Bus. 17(1), 359–393 (2023)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Chirumalla, K., Leoni, L., Oghazi, P.: Moving from servitization to digital servitization: identifying the required dynamic capabilities and related micro-foundations to facilitate the transition. J. Bus. Res. 158, 113668 (2023)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Jankovic-Zugic, A., Medic, N., Pavlovic, M., Todorovic, T., Rakic, S.: Servitization 4.0 as a trigger for sustainable business: evidence from automotive digital supply chain. Sustainability 15(3), 2217 (2023)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Han, Y., et al.: Exploring how digital technologies enable a circular economy of products. Sustainability 15(3), 2067 (2023)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Prakash, G., Ambedkar, K.: Digitalization of manufacturing for implanting value, configuring circularity and achieving sustainability. J. Adv. Manag. Res. 20(1), 116–139 (2023)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Kamp, B., Zabala, K., Zubiaurre, A.: How can machine tool builders capture value from smart services? Avoiding the service and digitalization paradox. J. Bus. Ind. Mark. 38(2), 303–316 (2023)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Barrar, H., Ruiz-Benitez, R.: Exploratory study of the impact of the supply chain on integrated product-service systems design. Bus. Process. Manag. J. 29(1), 262–284 (2023)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Moraes, C.R.D., Cunha, P.R.: Enterprise servitization: practical guidelines for culture transformation management. Sustainability 15(1), 705 (2023)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Vendrell-Herrero, F., Bustinza, O.F., Opazo-Basaez, M., Gomes, E.: Treble innovation firms: antecedents, outcomes, and enhancing factors. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 255, 12586 (2023)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Zhang, X., Guo, X., Yue, W.T., Yu, Y.: Servitization for the environment? The impact of data-centric product-service models. J. Manag. Inf. Syst. 39(4), 1146–1183 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. González Chávez, C.A.: Sustainable Service-based Business Models – Exploring the Potential of Digital Technologies in Industrial Companies (2021). https://research.chalmers.se/en/publication/525764

  36. González Chávez, C.A., Vladimirova, D., Forst, L., Despeisse, M., Johansson, B.: The role of trust in service-based business models – the case of the fashion industry. In: 7th International Conference on New Business Models: Sustainable Business Model Challenges: Economic Recovery and Digital Transformation, LUMSA University (2022)

    Google Scholar 

  37. González Chávez, C.A., Unamuno, G., Despeisse, M., Johansson, B., Romero, D., Stahre, J.: Analyzing the risks of digital servitization in the machine tool industry. Robot. Comput. Integr. Manuf. 82, 102520 (2023)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chalmers University of Technology, Hörsalsvägen 7a, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Clarissa A. González Chávez, Mélanie Despeisse, Björn Johansson & Johan Stahre

  2. Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico City, Mexico

    David Romero

Authors
  1. Clarissa A. González Chávez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mélanie Despeisse
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Björn Johansson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. David Romero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Johan Stahre
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Clarissa A. González Chávez .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    Erlend Alfnes

  2. Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    Anita Romsdal

  3. Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    Jan Ola Strandhagen

  4. ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Friedrichshafen, Germany

    Gregor von Cieminski

  5. Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico City, Mexico

    David Romero

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 IFIP International Federation for Information Processing

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

González Chávez, C.A., Despeisse, M., Johansson, B., Romero, D., Stahre, J. (2023). Sustainability-as-a-Service: Requirements Based on Lessons Learned from Empirical Studies. In: Alfnes, E., Romsdal, A., Strandhagen, J.O., von Cieminski, G., Romero, D. (eds) Advances in Production Management Systems. Production Management Systems for Responsible Manufacturing, Service, and Logistics Futures. APMS 2023. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol 690. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43666-6_13

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43666-6_13

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-43665-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-43666-6

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Societies and partnerships

Search

Navigation