Applying Distributed Manufacturing to Product-Service System Design: A Set of Near-Future Scenarios and a Design Tool

Abstract

Product-Service Systems (PSS), if properly designed and implemented, represent a promising approach to sustainability. However, there is a number of organisational, cultural and regulatory barriers that hinder the widespread PSS implementation. In this paper, the authors investigated Distributed Manufacturing (DM) as a promising production model which can be applied to PSS to address some of its implementation barriers and improve its sustainability. To that end, existing PSS implementation barriers were collected and coupled with systematically analysed favourable DM features to describe a set of PSS+DM near-future scenarios, addressing the complete PSS lifecycle. Scenarios were then integrated into the PSS+DM Design Tool aiming to support idea generation for PSS implementation. The tool was tested with students, PSS and/or DM experts, manufacturing companies and design practitioners through two rounds of workshops in order to evaluate its completeness, effectiveness and usability and define recommendations for improvements. Based on the results, the improved final version of the PSS+DM Design Tool was developed, presenting the potential to support idea generation to improve sustainable PSS implementation through integrating DM features in each PSS lifecycle stage.

Designing S.PSS and DE: New Horizons for Design

“…Various research projects have been funded by the European Union and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 1 over the past decades to develop and test methods and tools for system design, the main ones being SusHouse, 2 ProSecCo, 3 HiCS, 4 MEPSS, 5 SusProNet, 6 LeNS 7 and LeNSes. 8 In this chapter, the Method for System Design for Sustainability (MSDS) is described, together with its tools for System Design for Sustainability for All, i.e.…”

“…The DM applied to PSS design toolkit (Fig. 25) has been tested with students, experts, manufacturing industry professionals and design practitioners through three rounds of empirical application, to ensure its effectiveness and usability [4].…”

A Review of Service Design Pedagogy to Identify Potential Added Value to Product Innovation in Higher Education

“…Much of the research in recent years has focused on sustainability in product service systems (PSS), such as product-service system innovation and product-service systems design methodology [107,108]. There are many research studies that argue that productservice systems represent a promising approach to sustainability [109,110]. Sustainability in PSS establishes relationships among different stakeholders [109].…”

“…There are many research studies that argue that productservice systems represent a promising approach to sustainability [109,110]. Sustainability in PSS establishes relationships among different stakeholders [109]. Furthermore, sustainability in PSS in design has the potential value to limit environmental impact.…”