The reasons leading companies to the servitization strategy have recently been supplemented with society-wide global trend of striving for sustainable development. To be successful on the current markets, companies invest into services to increase the added value for the customer, diversification, and new income; to ensure the lock-in effect; to use the opportunity to grow and environmental burden reduction. These targets can be achieved by implementation of a strategic approach to servitization. In this paper, a research hypothesis that the manufacturers' strategic approach to servitization has a significant potential to affect achievement of sustainable development in a positive way has been constructed and discussed. The paper outcomes were drawn up based on the analysis, comparison, and synthesis of the information obtained (i) from a targeted professional literature review (ii) from an outcomes of the conducted electronic questionnaire survey. The questionnaire identified the level of the currently provided services related to their products and their expectations concerning an increased interest in services by their management, their customers, and their competitors. The outcomes should then help to direct companies in the Czech Republic to more extensive application of the servitization business model as a strategy supporting sustainable development.

A lot of manufacturing companies supply their tangible products accompanied with suitable services to their customers. Currently also smart services are being added to their service offerings. Applying the change toward smart services is not easy, especially in SMEs where many of businesses fight with lack of money, insufficient digital technologies or unskilled employees. The aim of the paper is focused on significant capabilities of SMEs, which are crucial for smart service provision in manufacturing companies. To fulfil the research aim, a qualitative multi-case study was conducted among seven Czech electrotechnical SMEs, which have already started with smart service development. The findings show that respondents consider wide range of possible capabilities, which could be divided into three main categories, such as technical equipment, internal readiness and knowledge and involvement of customers.