From product to service: exploring the main barriers of the servitization for the Italian footwear manufacturing companies.

The purpose of this study is to explore the existing barriers that the firms encounter in starting the servitization process. In doing so, we adopted a qualitative method in order to better explore and understand this phenomenon. In details, data was collected through 14 in-depth interviews with managers of firms belonging to the footwear industry, an important sector for Italian economy. After this, data analysis was realized through NVIVO software identifying the key elements that provide a first understanding of the drivers and barriers of these potential “servitized companies”. Results clearly showed the existence of several categories of barriers but also drivers that have lead manufacturers to start their servitization process. This paper provides useful implications both for managers and for marketing scholars. At the former it helps to understand the main drivers but also the potential obstacles when beginning an effective servitization process. For academics, the study extends the existing knowledge about factors that influence this organizational and managerial change but also it highlights the main barriers of servitizing companies.