Data-driven Decision Making for Product Service Systems

This book is a compilation of theoretical and practical contributions aimed at facilitating the servitization of manufacturing companies, specifically focusing on data-driven decision-making within the context of Product-Service Systems (PSS). Providing a comprehensive overview, it discusses the latest breakthroughs in operational, tactical, and strategic decision-making for PSS, leveraging data-driven processes, methodologies, and tools. Therefore, the book significantly contributes to strengthening the knowledge on the use of data-driven decision-making methods and tools all the phases of the PSS lifecycle.

From extended warranties and leasing to pay-per-use and other innovative configurations, manufacturing companies are increasingly adopting servitized business models and PSS to create additional value for their customers and users and create robust relationships with them, ensuring more reliable cash flows. In this setting, effective information management and the utilization of aggregated operational data have become essential for guiding strategic, tactical, and operational decisions.

This book not only consolidates theoretical frameworks but also offers practical insights into data-driven decision-making in PSS, providing deep knowledge on how complex decisions can be taken along the various phases of the PSS lifecycle using data-driven methods and tools. Key areas of focus include: 

1. In the Beginning of Life, introducing new services tailored to customer needs, disclosing new business opportunities in terms of revenues, and extending the PSS Middle of Life.

2. Designing or re-designing assets and/or services, thereby influencing the PSS Beginning of Life.

3. Enhancing daily decisions related to asset management to improve the PSS Middle of Life.

4. Optimizing daily decisions related to service delivery and management, aimed at enhancing the PSS Middle of Life.

5. Facilitating informed decisions on recycling, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and revamping, impacting the PSS End of Life.

This book will be of interest to researchers and managers in industry as it offers insights that bridge the gap between theory and practical application in the evolving landscape of PSS.

Prof. Giuditta Pezzotta is Associate Professor at the University of Bergamo, also serving as Vice Chancellor for Quality Assurance. She earned her PhD in Management, Economics, and Industrial Engineering from Politecnico di Milano in 2010, spe-cializing in Service Engineering and Product Service System fields. During her studies, she was a visiting researcher at various institutions including the Universi-ty of Cambridge, University of Botswana, Tokyo Metropolitan University, and Blekinge Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on product-service sys-tems, process modeling, and simulation for both production and service delivery. Working extensively with the University of Bergamo, she has led numerous pro-jects in the Product-Service domain. With over 100 papers published in interna-tional and national journals and conferences, she's been actively involved in IFIP's Special Interest Group (SIG) in Service Systems Design, Engineering, and Management since 2019. Additionally, she contributes to the Scientific Committee of the "Centro interuniversitario di ricerca sull’innovazione e la gestione dei servizi nelle imprese industriali"

Prof. Roberto Sala is Assistant Professor at the Department of Management, Infor-mation and Production Engineering of the University of Bergamo (Italy) where he is also member of the CELS Research Group on Industrial Systems Engineering, Logistics, and Service Operations. He received his PhD in Technology, Innovation, and Management at the University of Bergamo in 2021 with a thesis on data-driven decision-making processes to improve the maintenance service delivery. His research interests gravitate around data-driven decision-making, mainte-nance, Industry 4.0, and product-service systems. He has participated into multi-ple projects at Regional, National and European level in these research areas.

Pr. Dr. Ing. Xavier Boucher Professor in Industrial Management at Center for Bi-omedical and Healthcare Engineering – Mines Saint Etienne. His main research orientations are focusing on Territorial Healthcare Systems. Active member of several scientific societies in the field of Industrial Engineering (IFAC, IFIP, SAGIP, SOCOLNET), he has participated to several EU projects, with the role of Coordinator for CODEMO (2023-2026), scientific coordinator for Mines Saint-Etienne for FA 4.0, DIGIFoF, OMIKA2. Prof. Boucher serves as Associated Editor for Journal of Decision Systems and member of Editorial Board for International Journal on Information Technology Management. He has published more than 50 articles in international & national scientific journals or book chapters, as well as more than 100 communications in international conferences. He publishes no-tably in Computers in Industry, CIRP Journal of Manufacturing Science and technology, International Journal of Computer Integrated Systems, Journal of Decision Systems.

Prof. Marco Bertoni owns a Ph.D. from Politecnicodi Milano in Italy and boasts over 15 years of academic expertise in product development, design thinking, system engineering, and knowledge management. He has participated and coordinated research activities at European level, mainly in the frame of the VIVACE (EU FP6 2004-2007), CRESCENDO (EU FP7 2008-2012), RESIST (HE 2023-2027) projects. He was also responsible for the Value-Driven Design research track within the MD3S Research Profile (2013-2022) funded by the Knowledge Foundation in Sweden. Currently serving as Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Blekinge Institute of Technology, he co-chairs the ‘Design of Product-Service Systems’ Special Interest Group hosted by the Design Society, and conducts research on the application of modelling and simulation to facilitate cross-functional decision-making in the initial phases of PSS design. He describes himself as an ambidextrous thinker that loves to observe situations and people's behaviors, making sense of them to explore opportunities for in-novation across boundaries and disciplines. Marco has co-authored more than 100 scientific contributions and has coordinated 60+ student projects targeting the development of PSS solutions in the Blekinge region.

Prof. Fabiana Pirola is Associate Professor at the Department of Management, Infor-mation and Production Engineering of the University of Bergamo (Italy) and Rec-tor delegate for international research in economic and engineering area. She holds a master’s degree in Management Engineering and received her PhD in Lo-gistics and Supply Chain Management at University of Bergamo in 2011. In 2008, she joined the International Logistics Program – Master of Engineering in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at MIT-Zaragoza Logistics Center in Spain. In 2010, she has been a PhD visiting student at the Bowling Green State University (Ohio, USA). She is a member of the CELS – Research Group on In-dustrial Engineering, Logistics, and Service Operations atthe University of Ber-gamo. From teaching point of view, she holds the courses in Operations Manage-ment, Production Management, Healthcare Operations, and Healthcare Planning and Control at the University of Bergamo. Her research interests are Product Ser-vice Systems (PSS) engineering and operations, mainly focused on data-driven services and on decision-making processes supporting their delivery (with particu-lar reference to maintenance service delivery), and smart manufacturing, mainly focused on modeling and simulation. In these areas she has been involved in sev-eral industrial and research projects, funded at Regional, National and European level. She is author of more than 50 refereed international and national journals and conference papers.