Servitization in an airplane company: the relation between services and new product development

Abstract

The importance of the inclusion of services in manufacturing companies has grown over the last decades due to several changes in the business environment. Among the aspects related with the offer of services by manufacturing companies is the fact that services are influenced by the decisions taken during the product development process (NPD). However, the literature is scarce when it comes to comprehend how this relationship occurs. In this sense, the objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between the NPD process activities and services through a case study in a manufacturing company from the aircraft industry. This work summarizes the phases of NPD, the selected services, and the relationship between NPD and these services. The results confirmed that the services are influenced by the decisions in taken the NPD phases. The relationship influence several aspects of services related to the product development process, scope of services, and existing infrastructure. The managerial implication of this work is the need to formally include requirements of services in the new product development since the earlier stages of this process.