Emphasizing a Service Phase Perspective for Machine Manufacturers Seeking Digital Servitization - a Taxonomy for Industrial Service Phases

Abstract

The ongoing shift to solution-oriented business models and growing digitalization lead to an increasing importance of services in manufacturing industry. Machine manufacturers in particular struggle to grasp the extent of transformational impact enabled or required by service developments. This is due to a narrow perspective on specific service characteristics, but not on the entire service process. Therefore, a service-dominant perspective is essential in the value creation of manufacturers, placing relevant service phases in the foreground. However, the process-related character of services is rarely considered in the literature. For this purpose, this study provides a taxonomy that classifies services based on phases. In addition to a systematic literature analysis, this study builds on practical insights by conducting eight expert interviews. The applicability and usefulness of the taxonomy is then demonstrated through exemplary application based on a case study, enabling practitioners to adopt a phase-oriented perspective on digital servitization.