Title: Antecedents and consequences of servitisation in the office printing industry

Authors: José Castro Oliveira; António Azevedo

Addresses: School of Economics and Management, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal ' School of Economics and Management, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal

Abstract: This paper aims to investigate a gap in the literature by analysing how the digitisation and paperless office movement are affecting the office printing industry. To comprehend the emergence of servitisation in office printing industry, two exploratory interviews with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Xerox Technology were conducted. Furthermore, the top 11 manufacturers from a universe of 15 manufacturers were consulted and five answered an online semi-structured questionnaire script. The CEOs of four photocopier manufacturers said that the servitisation process is in the implementation phase, which started between 2012 and 2015, and all firms reported the process has not ended yet. Economic reasons are the major driver of servitisation, while investigation and development (I&D) is the area more affected. The managers perceived positive impacts on the company's image, and global performance of the company. However, 40% of firms stated that there was a downsizing on the headcount ranging from 5% to 15%. The managerial implications and recommendations are discussed.

Keywords: servitisation; office printing industry; digitisation; paperless office; product service system; PSS; rebound effect.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2018.093315

International Journal of Business Environment, 2018 Vol.10 No.1, pp.52 - 74

Received: 26 Dec 2017
Accepted: 04 Apr 2018
Published online: 24 Jul 2018 *

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