Research on integrated product service system driven by customer value based on ontology technology

Purpose - With the customers' increasing expectation on the product value, manufacturing enterprises around the world have made significant efforts to provide high value-added services in addition to their traditional product development and manufacturing business. For this reason, it is of great importance to research product service system. The purpose of this paper is to research on the key problem of integrated product service system (IPSS) design. Design/methodology/approach - A value-oriented IPSS is developed, which is set up based on requirements-functions-processes-structures mapping model to give full consideration to customer value and service functions. An extended product-service blueprint, which stems from the service blueprint, is developed to describe product behaviors, service deliver processes, stakeholders' activities and supporting activities. An ontology-based design support system is proposed to improve design efficiency and help designers making better-informed decisions. A computer-aided prototype system has been developed, and an initial attempt has beenmade to demonstrate the role of IPSS in the aerospace industry. Findings - Many traditional design methods cannot effectively address the objects and processes integration problem of products and services. Moreover, both product and service should be considered in IPSS design, and both of them extremely depend on designers' own experience and knowledge. Thus, a broader range of knowledge is required to understand product-service system (PSS) design. Research limitations/implications - This research provides a solid foundation for PSS C and promotes an effective means for PSS design. Originality/value - A customer value-oriented IPSS is presented. Customer requirements are considered during the design phase of PSS as well as both product and service knowledge.