Service design for digital servitization: Facilitating manufacturers' advanced services value proposition design in the context of Industry 4.0

Abstract

Industry 4.0 provides increasing opportunities for manufacturing companies in servitization, which has led to the emergence of digital servitization. Several single case studies have suggested service design as a means to advanced services value proposition design in digital servitization. However, these case studies are context-constrained, while multicase studies investigating the impact of service design on digital servitization remain sparse. In the present study, we examined, over two and a half years, the application of service design for advanced services value proposition design in a multicase study of 10 manufacturers engaged in digital servitization. By applying a research through design method, we studied the impact of service design on the digital servitization process and identified the types of events that shape the advanced services value proposition design. As a result, this research provides further insights into the impact of service design on digital servitization in the manufacturing context and offers new avenues for further research in the field.