Product Service Systems (PSS) and Prognostic Health Management (PHM) have so far been researched individually in different domains and as unrelated research theme. However, to guarantee the availability of the asset, which is a typical demand in some PSS contracts, it is fundamental for PSS providers to be able to properly manage the asset's lifetime variability in order to avoid unscheduled downtimes and contract penalties. This paper describes part of a research project to investigate how PHM can support more effective fulfilment of some PSS contracts. In particular, this paper aims to present a novel framework to link PHM and PSS using online simulation. The paper also presents a prototype of the online simulation model and three experimental cases comparing the outcomes of the online simulation model against those obtained from the traditional simulation model.

Advancement in packaging technology has played an essential role in reducing food waste and losses; however, most of this technology relies mostly on the use of plastics. Thus, there is an imminent need to think seriously about the transition towards a circular bioeconomy of innovative biobased materials with biodegradability potentials. This paper examines the driving forces behind the changes in food plastic packaging regimes and specifically seeks to understand how socio-technical configurations may influence niches to transition to a circular bioeconomy, particularly biobased biodegradable plastic materials. By employing a systematic review of the literature, we find that coordination with other back-end socio-technical systems that provide valorization of packaging waste is crucial to enable the transition. The literature indicates that one possible transition path is that the biobased biodegradable materials serve as “carriers of food waste”. The paper contributes to the discussion on the dynamics of food packaging in the transition to a bioeconomy viewed through the lenses of a socio-technical system (niche–regime–landscape), which continues to reinforce future actions, leading to better management of packaging end-of-life.

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Remanufacturing is a critical enabler of a resource efficient manufacturing industry that has long been associated with high value products. Over time, the commercial relationship between customers and service providers has been made through the fulfilment of rights and obligations under remanufacturing service contracts. Nonetheless, financial analysis to evaluate the contract terms and conditions are becoming increasingly difficult to conduct due to complex decision problems inherent in remanufacturing systems. In order to achieve better and safer decisionmaking to shape the business strategies, remanufacturers often employ computer-based simulation tools to assess contractual obligations and customers' needs. This paper discusses the roles of a symbiotic simulation system (SSS) in supporting decision-making in remanufacturing systems. An industrial case study of power transformer remanufacturing illustrates how SSS can support contract remanufacturers in managing service contracts planning and execution. By linking the simulation model to the physical system, it has been demonstrated that the capabilities of the remanufacturers to make critical decisions throughout the entire service contract period can be extended.

PurposePrognostics and health management (PHM) can support product‐service systems (PSS) contracts, especially in the case of high technology products where their condition and performance can be monitored. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how PHM can support effective execution of some PSS contracts and to set out the future research agenda for the development of an online simulation modelling framework that will further harness the interaction between PHM and PSS.Design/methodology/approachThe research methodology commenced by collating facts and figures from the existing body of knowledge, from which a set of key findings is presented from both technical and business perspectives. Analysis of the key findings highlights the current state of PHM‐PSS interaction, the capability of existing tools and techniques and a comprehensive analysis of PSS performances, with and without PHM.FindingsIncreased demand for total asset performance from the customers has been the main driver for PSS providers to adopt PHM technology. In the case of high value assets, PHM is used to capture the condition of the assets and to feed this information back to the PSS operations management which, in turn, will be used to plan a maintenance regime, spare parts provision, as well as to mitigate the dynamic behaviour which commonly occurs in PSS. Simulation modelling, driven by asset health condition, shows a considerable potential as an effective tool to control the execution of the PSS contract. In addition to the benefits from the maintenance services, the PHM‐PSS interaction can increase the controllability of the PSS contract execution and allow future modifications to PSS contracts.Originality/valueThe value of this paper lies in the comprehensive analysis of the interaction between PHM and PSS, especially focusing on the interaction during the PSS contract execution. This paper demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of existing research in the research domain, and highlights the opportunities for future research.