Servitization as a key driver for Digital Transformation of manufacturing companies’ Spare Parts Service

The increasing service orientation of manufacturing companies places new requirements on traditional business areas such as the Spare Parts Service. The development of Servitization is a driver of Digital Transformation, especially in the After Sales Service. For the front-end processes between customer and customer service, the Digital Transformation acts as a technological vehicle that makes it possible to satisfy the new requirements demanded by the customer. For the back-end processes between Customer Service and Spare Parts Service, on the other hand, the Digital Transformation is an opportunity to face the internal efficiency and cost pressure resulting from Servitization in line with requirements. Especially the selection of implementation projects of the technologies of Digital Transformation with regard to high investment costs as well as a vague benefit transparency face companies with huge challenges. Against this background, 743 use cases are analyzed on the basis of a network analysis in order to identify possible causal chains between target values, process characteristics and technologies used. On this basis, target figure profiles are derived that can help manufacturing companies in the Spare Parts Service to select and implement technologies that meet their individual goals in order to meet the challenges of Servitization.