Challenges of lean thinking application in product-service system

Lean thinking is claimed to be as important to services as it has been to manufacturing. However, there is yet a lack of empirical research examining the possibility of applying lean thinking in Product-Service System (PSS). This paper aims to bridge this gap by focusing on the challenges of applying lean thinking in PSS. To achieve this aim, twenty interviews were conducted with participants that have a good experience in lean implementation. Those participants are working in UK manufacturing companies that implement PSS. Also, a comprehensive review of the published literature was executed to achieve a depth understanding of the various challenges already identified by other researchers. The findings highlight a number of challenges that emerge during the application of lean thinking in PSS, among them: understanding of lean, limited communication and leadership, and defining waste.