Overcoming Challenges in Implementing Condition Monitoring Services: Recommendations from an Expert Elicitation Exploratory Study.

BACKGROUND: Condition Monitoring Services (CMS) have emerged as an important digitally enabled service offering within manufacturing servitization, allowing Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to remotely monitor equipment, improve maintenance performance, and create new service-based revenue streams. Despite the technological maturity of condition monitoring technologies, many OEMs continue to struggle with the successful implementation of CMS. This study aims to identify the challenges limiting CMS implementation, the solutions used to overcome these challenges, and the recommendations that can support successful CMS implementation. METHODS: An exploratory expert elicitation approach was adopted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 experts from OEMs, universities, research centres, and business consultancy organizations who possessed substantial experience in CMS implementation, digital servitization, and Industry 4.0. The interview data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: The findings reveal that the principal barriers to CMS implementation are socio-technical rather than technological. Three interrelated groups of challenges were identified: challenges related to CMS value propositions, challenges associated with CMS design processes, and challenges concerning organizational and customer readiness. To address these challenges, experts proposed solutions centred on value quantification, co-creative and iterative service design, and service-oriented organizational capability development. The study further identified recommendations emphasizing customer-value-driven CMS design, dedicated and legitimate service units, and proactive management of organizational change. CONCLUSIONS: Successful CMS implementation depends less on the sophistication of condition monitoring technologies and more on the ability of OEMs to align technological resources, organizational capabilities, customer requirements, and value creation mechanisms. By providing empirically grounded insights into the challenges, solutions, and recommendations associated with CMS implementation, this study extends both CMS and digital servitization literature and offers actionable CMS-specific guidance for OEMs seeking to transform condition monitoring technologies into sustainable service businesses.