The contribution of Smart Glasses for PSS

Servitization is considered as a strategic option for manufacturers who need to develop higher-value offering. As a result, a manufacturer can include service to its product offer, in order to obtain different types of product service-systems (PSS). Several companies have been relying on digital technologies to enhance the PSS, especially those that allow data collection and sharing. Smart Glasses are one of the wearables digital tools that can provide more advanced service solutions. However, this technology is still emerging and, therefore, empirical research on its use for servitization is still scarce in the literature. Thus, this paper aims to provide empirical evidences of the contribution of Smart Glasses for the provision of maintenance services in manufacturing companies, as a part of the PSS offer. Using a case study approach, we analyze in a multinational manufacturer of elevators the difference in performance of maintenance technicians before and after adopting the use of Smart Glasses. The assessment is made by means of operational and managerial perceptions provided through semi-structured interviews. Our findings show that the performance of almost half of the technicians was improved with the use of Smart Glasses, however some technicians had a decreased performance. The technology was more effective for technicians with less experience in maintenance services. Other external factors, as the aptitude for the technology, were relevant for the evolution in performance of these operators. Our results provide initial evidence that Smart Glasses can support the development of PSS, supporting a more advanced service offering. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.