Product/Service-Systems: Proposal for models and terminology

Over recent years a growing number of studies and research programmes have been conducted on the issue of product/service-systems (PSS) [1, 2] and results have been presented at this row of symposia [3, 4]. These studies usually analyse the potential of integrated solutions to reduce the environmental impacts of human consumption activity or optimise a company’s ability to cope with the influences arising from the emerging globalisation of economic and business activities.

Since there has not been worked on a coherent terminology for the terms and concepts used in PSS research, the area remains very blurred and ill defined. This paper will try to identify the fundamental characteristics of PSS and propose a system of concepts that can be used to describe and discuss the phenomenon, for the purpose of developing new PSS solutions.

Coming from a tradition of product development research, the terminology will originate from and be inspired by the German design methodology, Theory of Technical Systems [5], Systems engineering [6] and the Domain Theory [7]. Our considerations will lead to models showing the different development dimensions to be considered in PSS development, compared to existing development models.

Furthermore, the models should be able to integrate with the existing models and concepts of new product development.