Based on examples from ICT-based improvements in service productivity in the service organisations of three manufacturing firms, this article argues for a service-centred approach towards productivity. When improving the productivity of industrial services, one of the three profitability-generating strategies, cost efficiency, revenue effectiveness, and capacity utilisationor a combination-can be used. Increased standardisation and automation is a consequence of technological development,

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... capacity less a constraint in services and even if ICT applications often primarily improve cost efficiency, the elements improved vary depending on the solution implemented. Thus, ICT can enhance existing service processes and enable new service offerings to increase overall profitability. A productivity model for ICT-based services is presented and it is suggested that central coordination is often required in order to develop ICT-based services. Keywords: service productivity, information and communication technology, service offerings, cost efficiency, revenue effectiveness, capacity utilisation, front office, back office. Biographical notes: Christian Kowalkowski, Licentiate of Engineering, is a doctoral student in Industrial Management and Marketing at Linköping University, Sweden. His research focuses on industrial service offerings and on challenges and possibilities connected to enhanced offerings in terms of organisational requirements, service processes, customer 2 relationships, and new technology. He graduated with an MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management from Linköping Institute of Technology and defended his licentiate thesis in June 2006. A Swedish licentiate degree is equivalent to two years of fulltime research.