In search of 'product-service': Evidence from aerospace, construction, and engineering

Abstract

It has been argued that integrating tangible products with complementary through-life services into a high-value 'product-service' (P-S) solution is increasingly central to the business strategies of traditional 'product-dominant' organisations. This paper explores P-S strategies in three leading organisations in the aerospace, construction, and engineering industries. Specifically, the paper explores the meaning of P-S in each organisation, the rationale for P-S provision, as well as the distinctive manifestations and characteristics of P-S offerings. The paper highlights the complexities of concurrently enacting different strategies for P-S integration across different business streams. These appear disconnected from the nostrums and overly simplistic models which pervade the current solutions discourse.