An Indicator-based Framework for Comprehensive Sustainability Evaluation of Product–Service Systems Across Life Cycle Phases
182 evaluation indicators collected from a systematic literature review (SLR) of 32 studies. Refined from 538 initial indicators by eliminating overlaps and duplicates.
Planning — concept viability | Development — business model validation | Implementation — running PSS verification | Operation — long-term monitoring
Step 1: Identify phase → Step 2: Select elements → Step 3: Extract indicators → Step 4: Customize → Step 5: Score & Submit
Economic — costs, profit, efficiency | Environmental — emissions, resources, waste | Social — worker rights, community, legal compliance
What is a Product-Service System (PSS)?
The basic idea behind this dashboard, explained simply
In short: a PSS is a business that sells the RESULT a product gives you, not the product itself. Normally, when you buy something, you own it forever and you're responsible for maintaining it. With a PSS, the company keeps ownership of the product and takes care of it — you simply pay to use what it does for you.
Why does this matter for sustainability? Because when a company still owns the product, they have every reason to make it last as long as possible, fix it instead of throwing it away, and use it as efficiently as possible — since the cost of waste and repairs falls on them, not the customer. This naturally pushes businesses toward less waste and smarter resource use, which is why researchers see PSS as a strong path toward a more circular, sustainable economy.
So why does a PSS need to be evaluated at all?
Switching to a PSS doesn't automatically make a business more sustainable or more profitable — it has to be designed and run well. Mitake et al. (2026) point out that most businesses only check their PSS at one single moment (usually only when designing it), and they often use whatever method is convenient rather than one built for PSS specifically. This creates blind spots: a business might look fine on paper but quietly struggle once it's actually running, or vice versa. That is exactly the gap this framework — and this dashboard — is built to close: a single, consistent way to check your PSS at every stage of its life, not just once.
The 4 Stages of a PSS's Life — and Why Each One Needs a Different Kind of Check
Your business is never evaluated the same way twice — here's why
A PSS business doesn't stay the same forever — it grows through stages, just like a person grows from a child into an adult. Mitake et al. (2026) identified 4 such stages, and the question you should be asking about your business is different at each one. This dashboard asks you 4 simple questions in Step 1 of the evaluation wizard to figure out which stage you're at right now.
Planning
Question: Is this idea worth pursuing?You only have an idea or concept. Evaluation here is a rough estimate since real data doesn't exist yet.
Development
Question: Does this plan actually make sense?You have a detailed plan but haven't launched yet. Evaluation checks if the design will deliver real value.
Implementation
Question: Is it running the way we planned?Your business is running but still new. Evaluation compares reality against your original plan.
Operation
Question: How are we doing over time?Your business has run a long time. Evaluation here is ongoing monitoring to stay sustainable long-term.
What's Inside This Framework?
3 simple building blocks that power this dashboard
A Map of What to Check
A simple map connecting your business stage to what to check, from whose viewpoint, and using which criteria.
A Ready-Made List of Questions
182 ready-made evaluation questions covering money, environment, and people — no need to invent your own checklist.
A Clear Step-by-Step Process
A simple 5-step walkthrough from "where am I?" to a finished score and clear strengths/weaknesses.
Understanding "Sustainability" in This Dashboard
What we actually mean when we say your business is "sustainable"
When this framework talks about "sustainability", it doesn't only mean being environmentally friendly. Following the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) concept, a truly sustainable business must do well in 3 areas at once — money, environment, and people. A business that's profitable but harms the environment isn't sustainable. Neither is one that's eco-friendly but loses money or mistreats workers. All 3 have to be balanced.
Economic
Is the business making financial sense? Looks at cost efficiency, profit, reliability and durability.
Environmental
How much does the business take from and give to nature? Looks at resources, energy, emissions, waste.
Social
How does the business treat people connected to it? Looks at worker rights, fair pay, safety, legal compliance.
How does the 1–5 scoring actually work?
Instead of asking for complicated technical measurements you probably don't have data for, this framework uses a simple relative scale: for each question (indicator), you compare your current situation to your old way of doing business (or to a basic expectation), and pick a number from 1 to 5. This is intentional — Mitake et al. (2026) chose this "relative scoring" approach specifically so that small businesses without big data systems can still evaluate themselves meaningfully, without needing complex measuring equipment or spreadsheets full of numbers.
5-Step Evaluation Procedure
How this dashboard puts the framework into practice for you
Identify Your Stage
You answer 4 simple questions about your business's current condition — this tells the system whether you're in Planning, Development, Implementation, or Operation.
Choose Your Viewpoint
You pick whose perspective the evaluation should focus on — your business (Provider), your customers (Customer), or both at once.
Get Your Matching Questions
Based on your answers in Steps 1–2, the dashboard automatically pulls the exact set of relevant questions for you from the 182-indicator database — no manual searching needed.
Remove What Doesn't Apply
Quickly skim the list and uncheck any question that genuinely doesn't apply to your specific business — everything is selected by default so you only need to remove, not add.
Score & Get Your Results
Give each question a score from 1 to 5 (with a plain-language description to guide you), then submit. The dashboard instantly turns your answers into charts and a clear list of strengths and weaknesses.
Indicator Database Overview
Distribution of all 182 indicators across phases and aspects