Product-Service System development with Discrete Event Simulation modeling dynamic behavior in Product-Service Systems

An ongoing trend in product development is to extend traditional products with appropriate services. This concept of Product-Service Systems (PSS) rises attractive opportunities for customers and companies. Based on literature an introduction into PSS development is given. PSS modeling and the dynamic behavior of PSS are discussed. Three suitable modeling methods are identified: Agent-Based Modeling (ABM), System Dynamics (SD) and Discrete Event (DE) Simulation. In this paper the well-known DE approach is transferred from its traditional applications to PSS development. Characteristics of DE simulation and its benefits and limitations in context of PSS are presented. A major advantage is the forecast and evaluation of different scenarios. This contribution identifies possible application areas to support PSS development with DE simulation in context of both development process and PSS type. Three examples show the applicability of the DE approach in a wide range, one from literature and two academic ones. The results are discussed and an outlook to future modeling methodology is given.

I. Introduction

Product-Service Systems (PSS) expand the traditional functionality of a product by additional services. Customers do not mandatorily possess the product, they pay for functionality. The focus is on the usage of the product. PSS rises attractive opportunities for the stakeholders. For instance, customers can profit from added value at cheaper prices and companies can benefit from long-term customer relations. Additionally PSS can lower the environmental impact because of long-term product lifecycles [1].