Perturbing manufacturers to embrace services. Contributions and limitations of consulting engagements during service transitions in large manufacturing companies.

Large manufacturing companies are investing in the development of service offerings to fend of emerging competitors and enter unsaturated markets. To create service offerings and transition from product to service-centric business models, manufacturers need to overcome organisational challenges in relation to strategy, organisational structure, processes, and culture. To overcome given challenges, manufacturing companies are working with consultants specialising in the emerg- ing domain. Complementing previous research examining internal servitization processes, this study examines how service design consulting projects support organisational service transition processes from the outside. Based on fourteen interviews with service design consultants and client stakeholders, a qualitative, abductive analysis of client-consultant relationships is conducted. The theoretical lens of the study is derived from Niklas Luhmann’s organisational theory and previous research on the subject of servitization. The study’s findings suggest that consulting engagements can aid service transition processes of large manufacturing companies in regard to their servitization strategy making. However, given in- herent communication challenges in the client-consultant relationship, changes in organisational structure, processes, and culture are unlikely to result from consulting engagements