This paper discusses the impacts new and evolving technologies are having on product services and the management of the service lifecycle. Multiple technologies are enabling companies to significantly change how they are delivering service and are creating new, innovative, and profitable service business models.
Product service operations and the overall approach to service lifecycle management are undergoing significant changes. New and emerging technologies are having major impacts on service delivery, service lifecycle management (SLM), and service business models. These new technologies and the information being created and visualized are enabling companies to provide significantly better service to their customers and create new service business models in which service rather than the product is the focus.
Historically, service has mostly been reactive, primarily repairing products when there is a problem or failure or providing regular maintenance operations. Products were standalone entities and service personnel used standard repair kits and static, often dated or generic paper-based, technical service manuals. But products of every type are becoming increasingly complex, incorporating more electronics and software to the point that differentiation in product models and capabilities is primarily driven by software, not just mechanical capabilities or options. Products are moving from standalone items to complex electro-mechanical systems that may be a part of a systems of systems. This is having impacts on how products are designed, as well as is on how products need to be serviced.
The technology landscape continues its rapid evolution and every aspect of a product and its lifecycle is being impacted. The IOT, smart, connected products, big data and analytics, augmented and mixed realities, digital twins, and digital threads are providing new capabilities in all areas of a product’s lifecycle and no area is being more affected than service and service lifecycle management.
These new capabilities are improving how service is being delivered but more importantly, they are:
- Helping service organizations better meet customer needs and expectations
- Reducing the cost and time for service
- Helping customers get more use from their product investments
- Enabling the creation of new service-related business models
The Impact of Technology on Service: Changing the Face of Service is an 8-page white paper.
