Study
Innovation & DesignHigh ImpactStrong effect

Servitization Accelerates Digital Transformation and Resilience in Manufacturing Crises

During disruptive crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturing firms that embrace service-led growth and digital transformation demonstrate enhanced resilience and adaptability.

Industrial Marketing Management · 2020

01

Key Findings

  • 01Disruption of field-service operations and supply networks was a major effect of the pandemic.
  • 02Servitization business models and digital transformation became increasingly important for navigating the crisis.
  • 03A four-stage crisis management model (calamity, quick & dirty, restart, adapt) can guide firms through disruptive events.
  • 04Servitization enhances resilience for future crises.
02

Application

Design takeaway

Integrate service offerings and digital capabilities into the core design and business strategy to build resilience against future disruptions.

How to apply

When designing new products or services, consider how they can be supported by a service ecosystem and enhanced by digital technologies to provide value even during operational disruptions.

Project actions

  • 01Consider how your design project could incorporate a service element.
  • 02Think about how digital technology could enhance your design's functionality or user experience, especially in challenging situations.
03

Method & Evidence

AimHow can service-led growth and digital transformation strategies enable manufacturing firms to navigate disruptive crises and foster long-term resilience?
MethodMixed-methods research combining survey data and in-depth interviews.
ProcedureExecutives from industrial firms in Northern Italy, a region heavily impacted by COVID-19, were surveyed and interviewed to understand the effects of the pandemic on their operations and strategies. A crisis management model was developed based on these findings.
ContextManufacturing sector in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Variables

IV["Adoption of servitization business models","Level of digital transformation"]
DV["Firm resilience during crisis","Adaptability to new operational conditions"]
CV["Industry sector","Geographic location (Northern Italy)","Severity of pandemic impact"]
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Real-world data from a significant disruptive event.
  • +Combines quantitative survey data with qualitative interview insights.
  • +Proposes a practical crisis management model.

Limitations

The findings are specific to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy; other crises or regions might yield different results.

Reliability & validity

The study's reliability is supported by the use of a survey and interviews. Validity is enhanced by focusing on a specific, impactful event and region, providing context-specific insights.

Think critically

To what extent can a focus on servitization and digital transformation truly compensate for fundamental product-level failures during a crisis?

05

Design Principles

"Embrace servitization and digital transformation to enhance operational resilience and adaptability in the face of disruptive events."

This research highlights a critical strategic shift for manufacturing businesses. By integrating advanced services and digital technologies, companies can not only mitigate the immediate impacts of crises but also build a more robust and adaptable operational framework for the future.

06

What This Means for Your Design

When big problems happen, like a pandemic, companies that offer services along with their products and use digital tools are better at surviving and bouncing back.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Use this research to justify the inclusion of service components or digital features in your design project, especially if you are addressing a problem that could be exacerbated by a crisis.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

(2020). Navigating disruptive crises through service-led growth: The impact of COVID-19 on Italian manufacturing firms. Industrial Marketing Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2020.05.017 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/930c208d-0cd4-4e62-b3a0-9f92f64d2c56/servitization-accelerates-digital-transformation-and-resilience-in-manufacturing-crises

Paragraph starter

This research indicates that during disruptive crises, manufacturing firms that adopt service-led growth and digital transformation strategies exhibit greater resilience. By integrating advanced services and digital technologies, companies can better navigate immediate impacts and build more robust operational frameworks, a principle applicable to the design of durable and adaptable products and systems.

09

Source

Industrial Marketing Management

Navigating disruptive crises through service-led growth: The impact of COVID-19 on Italian manufacturing firms

journal · 2020

View source

Questions about this research

What does the research say about servitization accelerates digital transformation and resilience in manufacturing crises?
Integrate service offerings and digital capabilities into the core design and business strategy to build resilience against future disruptions. Evidence: Industrial Marketing Management (2020).
Why does "Servitization Accelerates Digital Transformation and Resilience in Manufacturing Crises" matter for design?
This research highlights a critical strategic shift for manufacturing businesses. By integrating advanced services and digital technologies, companies can not only mitigate the immediate impacts of crises but also build a more robust and adaptable operational framework for the future.
How can designers apply this research?
Integrate service offerings and digital capabilities into the core design and business strategy to build resilience against future disruptions.
What were the main findings?
Disruption of field-service operations and supply networks was a major effect of the pandemic.. Servitization business models and digital transformation became increasingly important for navigating the crisis.. A four-stage crisis management model (calamity, quick & dirty, restart, adapt) can guide firms through disruptive events.. Servitization enhances resilience for future crises.
What research method was used?
Mixed-methods research combining survey data and in-depth interviews..
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2020 journal from Industrial Marketing Management.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When designing new products or services, consider how they can be supported by a service ecosystem and enhanced by digital technologies to provide value even during operational disruptions.
What are the limitations?
The study focuses on a specific region (Northern Italy) and a particular crisis (COVID-19), which may limit generalizability to other contexts or types of disruptions.
Is there evidence that services digital affects design outcomes?
The pandemic severely disrupted manufacturing operations, but firms that focused on services and digital tools were better equipped to cope and adapt, suggesting these strategies build resilience. This research highlights a critical strategic shift for manufacturing businesses. By integrating advanced services and digi Source: Industrial Marketing Management (2020).
Where does this build resilience research apply?
Manufacturing sector in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic. It sits within innovation & design research on designdex.org.

Related research topics

services digital design research · evidence on services digital · does services digital improve design outcomes · build resilience studies for designers · services digital and build resilience findings · innovation & design research evidence