Developing and implementing product-service-systems in the IT-sector

Status

ongoing

Summary

The goal is to develop, evaluate and implement marketable and sustainable IT-solutions (information technologies) for enterprises referring to the idea of product-service-systems (PSS). Starting point is a critical reflection of present and future needs of IT in different sectors. Based on this process new business opportunities and more sustainable solutions of meeting these needs will be developed. Putting special emphasis on so called "Thin-Client-Concepts" these approaches will be further developed to a sustainable PSS by initiating an innovation process with the participating industry partner. Thin-Client-Concepts (server based computing) describe a specific way of how PCs could be connected within a company network. Several clients are connected to a powerful server whereby all applications and savings run on the server. Following the "triple bottom line" the goal of the project is to meet the IT-needs considering economic, ecological and social aspects and to define and implement holistic solutions.

The project therefore consists of a scientific and a practical part. An in-depth analysis of PSS and their potential use for the IT sector is followed by a practical testing phase of new business solutions with selected customers of the industry partner. Finally the theoretical and practical experiences will be summarised to a new model for sustainable PSS in the IT sector. This model should act as a sort of pilot case demonstrating the developing process from the idea to marketable solutions.

The project contents can be described as follows:

• Analysis of the needs area "information and communication within enterprises", identifying the IT-needs in industry and market research with a special focus on "Thin-Client-Concepts"
• Analysing and assessing the present IT-solutions and screening of the companies vision and overall goals
• Innovation process (workshop series) with the participating industry partner for generating, evaluating and further evolving "Thin-Client-Concepts" to a more sustainable PSS
• Technical and organisational realisation and testing the new business model with selected customers coming from different sectors
• Evaluating the testing phase and the new PSS. Summarising the project results to a "lighthouse-model" for sustainable PSS in the IT-sector (including dissemination strategies)

The expected results are:

• A PSS model for more sustainable IT-solutions in the b2b-field
• Dissemination strategies for sustainable IT-solutions including strategies for decision makers
• Tested, marketable PSS for IT-solutions in companies
• Improved analysis-,and evaluation tools, improved research services