Requirements for a Simulation Tool of Services-Based Business Model Transformations

Manufacturers are confronted by increasing competition and lower product margins, which requires strategic reorientation. A profitable option is a transformation from selling products to providing services, i.e., servitization of manufacturing. However, this transformation process is characterized by high complexity through changes in the organization and its supply network relations. These uncertainties complicate the decision-making, which leads to a concrete need for the development of decision support systems for servitization. Although various research has analyzed servitization, literature remains scarce in terms of decision support systems for servitization. Based on a systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews, this paper investigates content-related and conceptual requirements for a simulation tool of servitization in manufacturing firms. We identify 43 content-related and five conceptual requirements for a simulation tool that supports decision-making. Identified requirements serve as a basis for tool development and ultimately support the servitization of manufacturing firms