From After-Sales to Advanced Services: A Network Analysis on the Impacts of Digital Servitization Evolution

Serena Galvani, Elisa Carloni, Roberta Bocconcelli and Alessandro Pagano
Additional contact information
Serena Galvani: Department of Economics, Society and Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, 61029 Urbino, Italy
Elisa Carloni: Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Roberta Bocconcelli: Department of Economics, Society and Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, 61029 Urbino, Italy
Alessandro Pagano: Department of Economics, Society and Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, 61029 Urbino, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 14, 1-19

Abstract: The B2B context has experienced a push toward digital servitization (DS), i.e., the development of services by means of digital technologies. There are three levels of DS: (1) product provision, (2) after-sale servicing, and (3) advanced services taking after-sales to the next level. At level 3, DS evolves from a product and service-oriented strategy to a service-centric one. The literature has acknowledged the changes provoked by levels 1 and 2 of DS. Yet, further changes at level 3 still have not been explored. This research aims to understand the impact of DS’s evolution after the DS setup, with an intra- and interorganizational focus. To reach this aim, the case of Beta, an Italian mechatronic manufacturer implementing IIoT-based DS, is analyzed. The adopted framework is the ‘developing’, ‘producing’, ‘using’ (DPU) framework, formulated within the industrial marketing and purchasing (IMP) approach. Results are summarized in three propositions, showing how: (1) DS complexity unfolds intra- and interorganizationally and is gradually embedded in the three settings of the framework; (2) integration of settings and resources becomes essential; and (3) processes of resource procurement, development, and integration allow the evolution toward a service platform. Theoretical and managerial implications are provided.

Keywords: digital servitization; Industry 4.0; network; DPU framework (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/14/8308/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/14/8308/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:14:p:8308-:d:857508

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().