Rodolfo de Castro Vila

An evaluation of the value stream mapping tool

Purpose – The value stream mapping (VSM) is a tool created by the lean production movement for redesigning the productive systems. Since, it was theoretically developed, some cases have been published where the mentioned tool has been used; however, there is a need to see how it is put into practice, that is to analyze the level in which theory is able to adapt to real practice, the strengths, weaknesses and the key aspects to be taken into account by the applicant teams to obtain the highest performance of the VSM. This paper aims to discuss all of these aspects.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology used is a case study of a company in which the process of application of the VSM has been thoroughly analyzed. A team created to improve the productive system of a manufacture for plastic casings for mobile phones has carried out this application.Findings – The research shows that the VSM is a valuable tool for redesigning the productive systems according to the lean system. Nevertheless, there are so...

Toward Joint Product–Service Business Models: The Case of Your Energy Solution

The revolution generated by the emergence and spread of information and communication technology (ICT) has spawned a series of new technologies, novel applications, and ultimately innovative business models. This chapter presents a case study of a new technology business venture focusing on energy management systems and its evolution over the period of a decade. Transforming technology into functional products, which unite science and the marketplace, is the first challenge to any new technology-intensive business venture. The firm that is the subject of this study has a trajectory that passes through different stages, from pure product orientation to pure service orientation, to developing product–service joint modes of operating and finally to continuously evolving product-related services. Rec-ommendations for practitioners refer to aspects related to business model analysis and reconsideration of value generation in the form of holistic solutions, including technology-based products complemented with complex, value-added services that emerge in response to ever-changing sophisticated customer demands. The case is also rich in the different types of innovation discussed: ecology, product, service, and business model innovations being the key types.