Servitisation or Productisation? Two cases of service-based SMEs moving into manufacturing

Purpose: This paper presents a preliminary comparison of two service-based SMEs which moved into product development and manufacturing. The motivations, mechanisms, customer benefits and outcomes in adopting productisation, and the potential influence on servitisation, were investigated. Approach: Following a thematic analysis, nine themes for comparison were identified from two previous publications. These themes were then mapped to the four aims of the investigation. Findings: There were similarities in terms of the motivations for productisation and the mechanisms for acquiring manufacturing capability. However, the organisations have subsequently evolved in different ways. The findings highlight a positive impact on organisational innovation, but also indicate that the embodiment of customer value and the supply chain may limit potential servitisation. Originality/Value: Cases of service organisations manufacturing are not well known and are therefore an interesting counterpoint to the existing literature on servitisation

Acquisition and sharing of innovative manufacturing knowledge for preliminary design

This study investigates the identification, acquisition and sharing of innovative manufacturing knowledge for the preliminary design of complex mechanical components. Such components need to satisfy multiple, often conflicting design and performance requirements. Some degree of innovation may be required, involving the development of new manufacturing processes. The innovative nature of this manufacturing knowledge makes it difficult to define, codify and share, especially during preliminary design, where this can present significant risks in the design process. Current methods of knowledge sharing do not account for the immature nature of innovative manufacturing knowledge and the combined explicit and tacit elements needed to express it. A flexible interpretive research study with inductive and hypothesis testing elements was undertaken to explore this novel knowledge management problem. During the inductive phase, two data collection activities were undertaken to investigate the manufacturing knowledge required for the preliminary design of gas turbine engines. Using a data driven approach, the main findings which emerged were: the need to include an assessment of the maturity of the design process; the need to use a range of tacit and explicit knowledge to effectively share this and the need to manage knowledge across different domain boundaries. A conceptual framework of the findings was used to develop a hypothesis of knowledge requirements for preliminary design. For the hypothesis testing phase, a systematic methodology to identify, acquire and share innovative manufacturing knowledge for preliminary design was developed from the knowledge requirements. This approach allowed both explicit and tacit knowledge sharing. An evaluation of the methodology took place using three different industrial cases, each with a different component / manufacturing process. The evaluations demonstrated that using the range of knowledge types for transferring knowledge was effective for the specific cases studied and confirmed the hypothesis developed

Experimental Validation of the Structural Integrity of Modular Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Blades

The production, transportation and repair of long horizontal axis wind turbine blades measuring up to 85 m require expensive specialist machinery that increases the capital cost of wind power generation. A modular blade design is a potential solution to these problems however; the inclusion of joints could make the modular blades inherently weaker. This work investigates the effect of post-tensioned tendons on the structural integrity of modular blades, through cantilever deflection and tensile tests conducted on 3D printed small-scale prototypes. The experiment indicates 43% and 15.4% reduction in blade tip displacement and deflection caused by cyclic loading, respectively, in case of modular design with tendons compared to without tendons design

A preliminary investigation of the reserve service continuum

The paradigm of the organisation as service provider dominates current research. Most work focuses on the adoption of services by product-centred organisations, promoting the concept of a service continuum. This paper explores whether alternatives are possible, documenting a case study which apparently ‘reverses’ this continuum – a service-based SME which has developed in-house manufacturing capability to improve the customer solution. The findings suggest that this could develop the current understanding of servitisation, however further work is outlined to test this

From 'guys writing software' to PSS: the progression of an SME

Purpose: This paper is an illustrative case study of a service-based company moving into product development and manufacturing to present a complete integrated system to the customer. Design/Methodology/Approach: The timeline of events has been collated through an interview with the managing director, with additional information obtained from the organisation’s website. Three particular organizational milestones – a move into manufacturing, additional revenue streams and increasing R&D capability - were identified as particular points of interest. These have been discussed and interpreted according to definitions of servitisation, productisation and product service systems. Findings: This is a commentary on the evolution of a business over the course of 15 years, from an initial services company to a product-service system producer. Also noted are some elements of advanced services, in the way that payment from the customer are structured. Originality/Value: Service organisations which have moved into product development and manufacturing are not widely documented. This case represents an illustrative addition of productisation in practice to add to the body of literature. It also considers a link between productisation and subsequent servitisation as a topic for further investigation

Investigation on Additive Manufacturing as an enabler for reshoring manufacturing activities

The recent phenomenon known as re-shoring, has gained momentum among developed countries. It is also evident that the new generation of technologies such as Additive Manufacturing (AM) and intelligent robotics can affect the manufacturing location decision. This study aims to investigate how AM can help companies to re-shore manufacturing activities. Three in-depth case studies are conducted where AM is used as primary manufacturing approach to reduce the number of suppliers and shorten the supply chain. The results show that companies can reduce transportation, lead-time, inventory and substantially improve customisation, meanwhile accommodate product changes as well as process changes in production

Acquisition and sharing of innovative manufacturing knowledge for preliminary design

This study investigates the identification, acquisition and sharing of innovative manufacturing knowledge for the preliminary design of complex mechanical components. Such components need to satisfy multiple, often conflicting design and performance requirements. Some degree of innovation may be required, involving the development of new manufacturing processes. The innovative nature of this manufacturing knowledge makes it difficult to define, codify and share, especially during preliminary design, where this can present significant risks in the design process. Current methods of knowledge sharing do not account for the immature nature of innovative manufacturing knowledge and the combined explicit and tacit elements needed to express it. A flexible interpretive research study with inductive and hypothesis testing elements was undertaken to explore this novel knowledge management problem. During the inductive phase, two data collection activities were undertaken to investigate the manufacturing knowledge required for the preliminary design of gas turbine engines. Using a data driven approach, the main findings which emerged were: the need to include an assessment of the maturity of the design process; the need to use a range of tacit and explicit knowledge to effectively share this and the need to manage knowledge across different domain boundaries. A conceptual framework of the findings was used to develop a hypothesis of knowledge requirements for preliminary design. For the hypothesis testing phase, a systematic methodology to identify, acquire and share innovative manufacturing knowledge for preliminary design was developed from the knowledge requirements. This approach allowed both explicit and tacit knowledge sharing. An evaluation of the methodology took place using three different industrial cases, each with a different component / manufacturing process. The evaluations demonstrated that using the range of knowledge types for transferring knowledge was effective for the specific cases studied and confirmed the hypothesis developed.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Using foresight futures and systems thinking to evaluate digitally enhanced advanced service concepts for a rolling stock company (ROSCO)

Purpose: This paper reports on a study in conjunction with a UK-based rolling stock leasing company (ROSCO). The aim was to generate and evaluate future operational concepts for digitally enhanced advanced services from the point of view of a ROSCO – one of many stakeholders (or actors) within a future wider mobility ecosystem.Design/Methodology/Approach: The research design followed the Generic Foresight Process Framework (Voros 2003). Desk-based research and horizon scanning analysis revealed technologies, mobility and transport trends, and other predictions towards 2060. A workshop was developed and participants were presented with a series of future scenarios and design fictions for end-to-end intermodal mobility and passenger carbon quotas. A future Mobility Servitization Systems Architecture was developed.Findings: Five future megatrends were identified; Decarbonisation, changing traveller needs, digitisation, mobility ecosystems and new business models in digital ecosystems. The ‘what-if’ activities revealed insights into alternate futures; revealing system of systems (SoS) actors, the role of a ROSCO, integrations, assumptions and operational constraints.Originality/Value: This research contributes to engineering and design methods for digitally enhanced advanced services, particularly for corporate strategic foresight in a dominant design industry. The Mobility Servitization Systems Architecture was seen to be a powerful model for ecosystem understanding.</div

A proposed universal definition of a Digital Product Passport Ecosystem (DPPE): Worldviews, discrete capabilities, stakeholder requirements and concerns

This paper contributes new knowledge and understanding about the role that Product Passports might play in advancing sustainable business practices towards a Circular Economy. The significance of this research is the proposed universal definition of a Digital Product Passport Ecosystem (DPPE) for international policy, industrial and technical communities. The novelty of this research lies in the systems thinking approach, coupled with systems engineering, to define and model a DPPE as a System of Systems to derive a definition. Stakeholder perspectives and requirements concerning Product Passports were synthesised using data and analysis from the European Commission's (EC) open consultation on the Sustainable Products Initiative (SPI). Nine high-level capabilities of a DPPE have been identified, and each is explored by mapping a list of information requirements discussed within the consultation. It is shown that different Product Passport applications benefit (or detriment) different stakeholder groups. Findings suggest that DPPE solutions must be systemic, providing interoperability across multiple product life cycles, organisations, supply chains, and value chains in order to operate across international borders: thus realising benefits for world (circular) economies and the planet. Furthermore, it is proposed that if stakeholders utilise a universal definition of a DPPE in conjunction with a set of agreed ethical principles to underpin legislation, there would be fewer contradictions and ambiguity between stakeholders regarding the purpose of a Product Passport and the reasons for sharing data. Finally, the authors conclude that more research is needed on incentives for producers to share data and integrate their existing production systems with the broader ecosystem architectures to allow for maximum interoperability with minimal duplication. In addition, future research should determine specific DPP information requirements on a product-by-product basis, along with opportunities that a DPPE will enable towards industrial symbiosis

Acquiring innovative manufacturing engineering knowledge for the preliminary design of complex mechanical components

This research is concerned with the identification and sharing of the knowledge required during preliminary design when the manufacturing process is in development. An investigation was undertaken using a complex mechanical component with an innovative manufacturing process. The designers and manufacturing engineers involved in the preliminary design were interviewed and the data analysed. The difference in knowledge requirements depending on the domain specialism emerged as a significant finding. A schematic diagram to illustrate the knowledge interactions between the specialist domains was created. This will be used to create a methodology to facilitate the identification and sharing of manufacturing knowledge requirements