Towards a framework for product-service system business model implementation

Sammanfattning: Manufacturing companies are increasingly focused on service-led growth to gain new revenue streams and achieve sustainable competitive advantages. In this regard, offering product-service systems (PSS) is proposed as an attractive solution for manufacturing companies to achieve economic, environmental, and social benefits. More specifically, through the integration of provider and customer operations, efficiency is increased because each party focuses on its core competencies, and operations are optimized. For example, prolonged product lifetimes and increased resource utilization are part of the sustainability achievements that can be achieved through successful PSS implementation.Still, successful implementation of PSS is rare. The business model has become acommon unit of analysis in PSS and the crucial factor that may differentiate successful and unsuccessful PSS companies. Revising business models toward PSS provision and the implementation of the PSS business model is a challenging process that constitutes a major reason why companies struggle to increase the service degree of their offerings. This thesis suggests that a better understanding of tactics, risk management, service network adjustment, and activity alignment is associated with PSS business model implementation. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to advance the understanding of PSS business model implementation.Comprised of a cover story and five separate but interrelated articles, this dissertation explores the implementation of product-service systems business models. The results are based on a systematic literature review and four case studies with Swedish manufacturing companies. The thesis is empirical based on 107 interviews with employees from four different manufacturing companies and eight distributers of one of the case companies.This thesis contributes to the PSS literature by proposing a four-phase PSS business model implementation framework. The framework goes beyond selecting a PSS business model to also include the configuration of related tactical sets, risk identification and management, and adjustment of the delivery practices, along with activity alignment. All phases are crucial for PSS business model implementation and therefore make specific contributions by themselves. Furthermore, by applying agency theory to mitigate adverse customer behavior, this thesis contributes to the increased legitimacy of the PSS research field.