Developing new product service systems (PSS): methodologies and operational tools

The co-evolution of industrial production and social patterns calls for systemic solutions that can only be provided by partnerships between companies and other stakeholders, including final users. Such partnerships are defined as Solution Oriented Partnerships (or SOP). Product Service Systems (PSS) are the catalyser of such solutions. The capability of PSS to become an attractive solution depends on factors that are commonly considered to belong to the design domain. The role of designers is therefore essential to the definition of effective and attractive PSS. Designers are now urged to find their own methodological approach to the design of PSS. This paper addresses this need by proposing methods to define a map of the actors involved in PSS, methods to define requirements and structure of a PSS and methods to represent and blueprint a PSS.