Copyright © 2012 John P. T. Mo. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

New business models in complex engineering products have favoured the integration of acquisition and sustainment phases in capability development. The product service system (PSS) concept enables manufacturers of complex engineering products to incorporate support services into the product’s manufacturing and sustainment lifecycle. However, the PSS design has imposed significant risks to the manufacturer not only in the manufacture of the product itself, but also in the provision of support services over long period of time at a predetermined price. This paper analysed three case studies using case study research design approach and mapped the service elements of the case studies to the generic complex engineering product service system (CEPSS) model. By establishing the concept of capability distribution for a PSS enterprise, the capability of the CEPSS can be overlaid on the performance-based reward scheme so that decision makers evaluate options related to the business opportunities presented to them.