A value-engineering-driven framework for Smart Product-Service System concept evaluation and design steering

Smart Product-Service System (SPSS) represents a core paradigm in the digital transformation of products and services in manufacturing, whose success relies on value co-creation among multiple stakeholders. However, value ambiguity and demand heterogeneity remain two fundamental challenges in early SPSS concept evaluation. To address these challenges, this study develops a transferable framework for domain-specific SPSS concept evaluation and design steering, which functions not only to assess concept alternatives but also to translate evaluation results into actionable concept refinement and synthesis strategies. The framework extends the Engineering Value Assessment (EVA) method to capture and characterise SPSS value factors within the smart mobility domain from a benefit–cost perspective under multi-stakeholder demands, and constructs a hierarchical and quantifiable value evaluation index system (VEIS). In the case study, comprehensive cloud-TOPSIS and digital twin technologies are applied to evaluate smart electric vehicle (SEV) concepts, identifying value bottlenecks and optimisation directions for concept design. The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) then converts these bottlenecks into engineering contradictions and derives concrete design modifications. The framework thereby integrates value engineering, early concept design, and early value evaluation into a dynamic synergistic cycle that supports continuous iteration, and offers a transferable methodological logic for other industrial domains.