A Task Management Method for Product Service Systems Design

Product service systems (PSS), which generate higher value by integrating physical products and services, have attracted much attention in the manufacturing industry. To design a PSS, initiating companies need to explore various PSS options at the conceptual design stage. However, our PSS design workshops have revealed that traditional product-selling manufacturers rarely include PSS options because a PSS, which includes many service elements, is far from their traditional business. This study proposes a task management framework that enables manufacturers to develop various PSS options from their product-selling business. The proposed framework provides designers with viewpoints and checklists for a PSS design. The effectiveness of the framework is demonstrated through an example case.