A similarity measurement framework of product-service system design cases based on context-based activity model

•PSS design activities, designer, design object, tools and context, are represented.•Built a PSS design knowledge representation framework and case retrieval methods.•Validated the framework by the combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Design experience from previous design cases could help designers solving current design problems. Therefore, a case-based recommender system can recall suitable design cases for designers based on a similarity measurement mechanism. In the context of Product-Service System (PSS) design, the measurement of similarity between different cases becomes more challenging because of the complex nature of the PSS design. In this research, we propose a similarity measurement framework of PSS design cases based on the context-based activity model. In the proposed framework, a PSS design case is indexed and quantified by design activity element, design process, and function requirement. Ways to measure similarity between design indexes and design cases are also specified. A case study along with an empirical validation was conducted to validate the framework.

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