

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to support effective business services provision along the life cycle of complex service-enhanced products, such as the case of solar power plants, and to explore collaborative approaches for multi-stakeholder business services. Design/methodology/approach - Design and implementation of adequate collaboration strategies and cloud-based support mechanisms to facilitate creation and management of collaborative networks in this sector. For this purpose, a conceptual framework, a cloud-based platform and a set of collaboration support tools are proposed. Validation is based on a pilot implementation and interactions with a large group of end users. Findings - Validation results confirmed the suitability of the collaborative networks approach in this sector, which often involves multiple small and medium size enterprises. Originality/value - The interplay between long-Term strategic networks and goal-oriented collaborative networks and their interaction with the various phases of the product-services life cycle correspond to a novel approach in this sector, traditionally focused on a sub-contracting model. This opens new opportunities for enhancing the value of complex products through collaborative value-Added services. Of particular relevance is also the adoption of collaborative approaches for service co-creation.
| Engineering controlled terms: | Complex networksSolar energySolar power plants |
|---|---|
| Engineering uncontrolled terms | Business serviceCo-innovationCollaborative approachCollaborative networkCollaborative servicesDesign and implementationsDesign/methodology/approachSmall and medium-size enterprise |
| Engineering main heading: | Life cycle |
Camarinha-Matos, L.M.; Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidade Nova de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, Caparica, Portugal;
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