Barriers for the digitalization of servitization

Abstract The use of digital technologies can increase firms’ performance and competitiveness. In product-service system context, digital technologies can improve both the innovation process, by facilitating the orchestration and collaboration, and the outcome, since they can offer new functionalities and deliver value through a digital solution. Although the benefits and possibilities of digital technologies in the PSS have been previously addressed by research, several questions and gaps regarding the barriers encountered in the digitalization of the innovation process and the innovation outcome remain unanswered or unfulfilled. To that end, this article applied a qualitative approach with two focus groups to understand what barriers are perceived by researchers and consultants, and managers. Results show that consultants perceive more strategic barriers, whereas managers perceive more operational barriers. We also found that financial and data security barriers are among the most important for digitalization. Our results show that outcome barriers are perceived to a higher extent than process ones. In this sense, in the innovation process, barriers are more focused on operational and human-resource aspects, such as data security, and competences and training. Whereas in the outcome, the barriers are more related to strategic and operational aspects, namely: market acceptance, financial and short-term vision.