Manufacturing companies have traditionally focused their efforts on designing, developing and producing physical products for the market.
Today, global competition, outsourcing and legislation commend that companies take greater responsibility of their products. This is driving some
manufacturers to shift their business strategies from selling products (e.g. photocopying machines) to the provision of services (e.g. document services). Instead of the product itself, the activity and knowledge associated with the use of the product is perceived to be of more value to customers. In the reseach community, service-oriented approaches that embrace this change of business focus from individual products to total integrated customer solutions are termed Product/Service-Systems (PSS) approaches.
The research in this thesis addresses the systematic design and development of PSS solutions in manufacturing firms. Here PSS are understood on three levels in relation to design:
1. PSS solution - a system of integrated products and services that companies develop and deliver to customers.
2. PSS development – the integrated design processes and development activities that result in PSS solutions.
3. PSS approaches – service-oriented business strategies that coordinate PSS development.

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