Standardization as a Catalyst for Extending Resources and Capabilities in Service Systems Engineering: Findings from the omlox case

Abstract

(Smart) service systems have inspired the emergence of a new research area that builds on smart, connected products and networked business models with smart services and brings together various social-science and technological disciplines. However, the factors that lead to successful service systems engineering initiatives have remained under-explored, despite their increasing significance in industry. In particular, the role of standardization is unclear, even though it seems to be central to making smart products interoperable and to establishing innovative (smart) service systems. In an exploratory case study of the standardization initiative omlox, we set out to identify and investigate empirically the effects that standardization can have on engineering (smart) service systems. Our focus is to determine how standardization can assist a company in accessing external resources and capabilities for recombinant service innovation. The results reveal that compliance with a standard enables companies to tap into compatible solutions, data, and knowledge from external stakeholders and that participation in standardization initiatives can be a platform for identifying potential collaboration partners. We conclude that standardization plays a major role in all phases of service systems engineering, from analysis to design and implementation.