Embrace services to thrive post-Covid, top manufacturing bosses to say at major virtual convention

Top bosses from companies including Rolls-Royce, Goodyear, Alstom and Tetra Pak are set to share their tips on driving business growth and resilience through services as businesses look at recovery options in the post-pandemic economy.

The ‘World Servitization Convention’, organised by The Advanced Services Group, part of Aston Business School, will see leading industry experts join academics to demonstrate the way that servitization can be used to transform the future of manufacturing through keynote speeches, roundtable discussions, developmental workshops and a virtual exhibition.

Servitization refers to a business model in which products are sold as a continued service, rather than as a one-off, product-only sale. 

Examples include Rolls-Royce’s ‘Total-Care’ service, which provides its engines and their ongoing maintenance on a fixed-cost-per-flying-hour basis to airlines, Goodyear’s ‘Proactive Solutions’ service, whereby tyres sold by the company are monitored over time to help truck fleet managers better handle how their vehicles are used, and Alstom’s ‘Train-Life Services’, which provides not just trains, but the assured availability, reliability and performance of passenger transport.

Some of the keynote speakers attending the event include Andy Harrison, Engineering Associate Fellow for Life Cycle Engineering at Rolls-Royce, Marc Preedy, Managing Director of Truck Replacement Sales in Europe at Goodyear, Mike Hulme, Managing Director of Trains and Modernisation at Alstom, Antony Bourne, President of IFS Industries and Maria Krasilowez, Global Program Director, Commercial Operations at Tetra Pak.

Professor Tim Baines, Director of The Advanced Services Group, believes the event comes at the right time: “The pandemic has caused a rapid acceleration in the trends that are shaping industry, such as society’s consumption of services over products, the greater use of IT, a greater awareness of the importance of the physical environment in which we live.

“It has demonstrated that a lot of UK businesses were and are unprepared to respond to these trends. For most sectors, servitization and embracing service-led strategies means resilience and survival.”

Marc Preedy, Managing Director of Truck Replacement Sales in Europe at Goodyear, feels that the company’s diversification into services helped during the COVID-19 crisis: “We work with supermarkets, pharmaceutical and parcel delivery companies – all those sectors that were essential during the lockdown or saw a massive increase due to the pandemic. With our advanced services solution we were able to offer them something different, prolong the life of their asset and ultimately help them avoid unnecessary delays or break down.

“The days of selling somebody something, shaking their hand and walking away are gone. As manufacturers, we have to look more and more at selling a whole package, not just a product.”

Professor Tim Baines added: “What will set the World Servitization Convention apart from other conferences is the exhibition – with businesses at the forefront of the business model.

“These businesses will be showcasing exhibits of advanced services and the technologies that enable them in our virtual exhibition hall. It’s as close as you can get to a physical event in our new normal, with exhibition stands that allow you to network with real people in real time.”

Keynote speaker Andy Harrison, from Rolls-Royce, said: “The World Servitization Convention provides an excellent opportunity for businesses to network and learn about the benefits of advanced services from those already offering them.

“Servitization is quite prolific in the business world, but relatively few people recognise what it is. This event will be a great way to address that and encourage more companies to adopt the model.”

The three day event, sponsored by IFS, Blueprint AMS, DLL, Servitly and supported by Field Service News, will take place on 14, 15 and 16 September in a virtual conference environment.

To register, visit The Advanced Services Group website