Abstract

Rolls-Royce is a frequent example of a company that has adapted well to the shift to a service economy. This however, tells us little bout how they go about designing the Service offering for a specific engine, airframe, and customer combination; nor what qualities (such as customer focus and collaboration) are associated with such endeavours. Within the IPAS project the opportunity arose to undertake a study of how Rolls-Royce’s Mission Ready Management Systems Group (MRMS) undertook the creation of the ROCET (RB199 Operational Contract for Engine Transformation) Availability program for the RB199 engine. We present a background and overview of the ROCET programme and its context, as well as the key themes and implications that emerged from the interview data. These include issues such as: the need for customer focus; the need for deep collaboration; the need to fully understand market differences and the need to treat service differently, from but interrelated to products.