Empirical Assessment of Cyber-physical Systems Influence on Industrial Service Sector: The Manufacturing Industry as a Case Study

摘要

This study examines service innovation in the manufacturing sector which is largely due to the adoption of digitalization and cyber-physical systems. It assesses their influence on the service environment and the long-term effect, based on unprecedented rapid automation witnessed since the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution. Besides the normal business of selling manufactured goods, manufacturing firms are becoming more competitive in their services by engaging in product-related after-market services all through their product lifecycle. The study was carried out using an exploratory method and the findings were primarily qualitative. The study findings showed that the emergence of cyber-physical systems and smart technologies have completely revolutionized and catalyzed more opportunities in the service business rendering throughout product lifecycle. The opportunities created are not limited to maintenance, repair and overhaul service business, but other emerging services, enhanced by cyber-physical systems. Based on the case studies examined in this study, the affordance that could realistically utilize the emerging services were identified.