Microservice Transition and its Granularity Problem: A Systematic Mapping Study

Microservices have gained wide recognition and acceptance in software industries as an emerging architectural style for autonomic, scalable, and more reliable computing. The transition to microservices has been highly motivated by the need for better alignment of technical design decisions with improving value potentials of architectures. Despite microservices' popularity, research still lacks disciplined understanding of transition and consensus on the principles and activities underlying "micro-ing" architectures. In this paper, we report on a systematic mapping study that consolidates various views, approaches and activities that commonly assist in the transition to microservices. The study aims to provide a better understanding of the transition; it also contributes a working definition of the transition and technical activities underlying it. We term the transition and technical activities leading to microservice architectures as microservitization. We then shed light on a fundamental problem of microservitization: microservice granularity and reasoning about its adaptation as first-class entities. This study reviews state-of-the-art and -practice related to reasoning about microservice granularity; it reviews modelling approaches, aspects considered, guidelines and processes used to reason about microservice granularity. This study identifies opportunities for future research and development related to reasoning about microservice granularity.Comment: 36 pages including references, 6 figures, and 3 table

The Financial Consequences of Servitization in Manufacturing Firms: An Empirical Analysis

Prior body of servitization research falls short to fully capture the financial consequences of servitization. This paper aims at investigating the financial consequences of servitization in listed manufacturing companies in four countries, namely UK, USA, Germany and China. By means of secondary data obtained from Worldscope database, regression models will be developed to compare servitized and non-servitized manufacturing firms in the aforementioned countries. This study contributes to the current understanding of the financial consequences in the transition towards service provision and aims to enhance managerial decision-making processes regarding servitization by comparing different contexts and countries

Organisational change towards servitization:a theoretical framework

Purpose: The need for a holistic framework for studying organisational transformation towards Servitization is implicit. This is particularly relevant as Servitization demands consideration of both business model and organisational change. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to provide an integrative framework that systematically captures and evaluate existing literature on Servitization. Design/methodology/approach: The aim of the paper has been achieved through three main objectives; comprehensively examine the literature in organisational change management that would assist with the selection of the most effective evaluation framework, classify previous studies against the proposed framework through a systematic literature review methodology and analyse the selected papers and propose research questions/propositions based on the identified gaps. Findings: Results indicate that there are two somewhat macro opportunities for the Servitization community, namely, stronger infusion of generic theory into the Servitization debate and exploring Servitization in action through the lens of the theoretical framework. Practical implications: The findings of the paper demonstrate the gaps in the Servitization literature, which indeed require further theoretical/empirical research. Originality/value: It is discussed the usefulness and practicality of viewing research contributions that are setting out to be either “descriptive” or “prescriptive”. Consequently, the authors have proposed several avenues for future research based on these two viewpoints

Proceedings of the Spring Servitization Conference (SSC 2013):servitization in the multi-organisation enterprise

The increased data complexity and task interdependency associated with servitization represent significant barriers to its adoption. The outline of a business game is presented which demonstrates the increasing complexity of the management problem when moving through Base, Intermediate and Advanced levels of servitization. Linked data is proposed as an agile set of technologies, based on well established standards, for data exchange both in the game and more generally in supply chains

Industry 4.0: Exploring Collaborative Supply Networks from the Pespective of Servitization of a Mature Public Transport System

Digital transformation in the era of Industry 4.0, with its revised, prescribed frameworks of practice, include those which are redefining the contextual characteristics that strongly advocate collaboration within the supply chain; and in doing so, see this element of the operations function as being an increasingly critical contributor to operational performance. We deepen the understanding of the concept and operationalization of the collaborative supply network in terms of it being a value ecosystem wherein value is captured and exploited within servitization practices (Baines & Lightfoot, 2013), as present within a mature public transport system

Sustainable service-based business models - Exploring the potential of digital technologies in industrial companies

Industrial companies are continuously looking for solutions to increase their competitive advantage and become sustainable. Many industrial companies have prioritised economic sustainability as means of success. However, recent decades have revealed many external pressures and these have highlighted the need for more sustainable organisations. The growing interest in sustainable alternatives has shed light on various business models which promote balance and support the path towards a more circular economy. This thesis aims to promote sustainable, service-based business models by identifying the challenges and opportunities encountered in this transition. Further, it explores the methods, tools and frameworks available in the literature and identifies the sustainability-related elements and KPIs. The results showcase a list of challenges faced by industrial companies in developing service-based business models. For instance, there is a lack of consensus on terminology for business models, sustainability and digital technologies. Although the studies included in this thesis are from different industry sectors, the challenges found were similar. The increasing availability of digital technologies and engagement of global organisations may support the development of service-based business models. In addition, new technological opportunities, regulations and incentives can promote collaboration and responsibility in companies. This thesis systematises the existing methods, tools and frameworks and shows the extent to which they support companies as they move towards sustainability. It also provides recommendations and relevant considerations for the future development of new methods and tools. This research contributes to the systematisation of knowledge gained from the different terminologies used to refer to service-based business models. It also captures unprecedented experiences from multiple industries, such as recyclers and service providers in the maritime sector. This thesis’ findings can inform and support companies on their path to understanding and implementing service-based business models

Advances in Production Management Systems: Issues, Trends, and Vision Towards 2030

Since its inception in 1978, the IFIP Working Group (WG) 5.7 on Advances in Production Management Systems (APMS) has played an active role in the fields of production and production management. The Working Group has focused on the conception, development, strategies, frameworks, architectures, processes, methods, and tools needed for the advancement of both fields. The associated standards created by the IFIP WG5.7 have always been impacted by the latest developments of scientific rigour, academic research, and industrial practices. The most recent of those developments involves the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is having remarkable (r)evolutionary and disruptive changes in both the fields and the standards. These changes are triggered by the fusion of advanced operational and informational technologies, innovative operating and business models, as well as social and environmental pressures for more sustainable production systems. This chapter reviews past, current, and future issues and trends to establish a coherent vision and research agenda for the IFIP WG5.7 and its international community. The chapter covers a wide range of production aspects and resources required to design, engineer, and manage the next generation of sustainable and smart production systems.acceptedVersio