Product-Service Engineering Process: Theoretical and Empirical Evidences

The transition from a product manufacturer into a provider of knowledge-intensive systemic solutions requires a shift of the business focus from designing and selling physical products, to design and sell a system of products, services, supporting networks and infrastructures. In this context it is becoming relevant to design and engineer these solutions, in a proper and structured way. For this purpose, it is necessary to have a well-framed product-service engineering process. Though the flourish of theoretical contributions in this field, several inadequacies still exist. Aim of the paper is to identify the industrial and the theoretical evidences in the product-.service engineering process in order to single out their current limitations and provide suggestions and priorities for a future research agenda.