A servitização no setor primário: ocorrência e intensidade das ofertas de PSS na cafeicultura de Minas Gerais

Abstract

This thesis aims to understand how the servitization is practiced in the primary sector by identifying the occurrence and intensity of the product-service system (PSS) offerings. For this, we searched for cooperatives and suppliers of agricultural inputs and machinery for the cultivation of coffee in two regions of Minas Gerais: Zona da Mata and Cerrado. These services were categorized into a new typology, the Convergent Typology, which approximates two preexisting PSS categorizations for manufacturing. By means of such typology, there is a greater stratification of the offers, evidencing both the complexity and the orientation of the services made available to the client. In addition, nine opportunities to offer services, in the pre-sale, during the sale, and after-sales moments, were used as a reference for the identification of the services linked to the goods traded. It was also evaluated aspects related to the goods traded in the PSS and the relationship established between service providers and clients as facilitators of the practice of servitization. As a result, there has been a predominance of companies in the field of machinery, equipment and agricultural implements as providers of the greatest number of services to the rural producer, as well as greater use of the opportunities offered by services and greater service. For this branch of business, aspects related to goods that could be a barrier to supply opportunities or limited certain types of services were not identified, which allowed them to have a range of goods-oriented services. On the other hand, for the sector of agricultural inputs, the companies surveyed highlighted limitations on the goods traded for the provision of installation, maintenance, adaptation and improvement services. As for the PSS offerings, it can be seen that there is a predominance of services offered as basic for the two surveyed sectors, as the literature identifies for the manufacturing. However, these offers focus on an orientation to use, which, according to the new Convergent Typology, are more complex than basic goods oriented. Thus, no services considered more advanced, such as operational services oriented to results, were identified in any of the companies surveyed. None of them also had the necessary structure to support it (systems integration, routines and procedures with the client). In addition, the factors related to the relationship that were recurrent in the most served companies were: i) frequent interaction with the client; ii) exchange of information with the client occurring in real time; iii) the role of the client is known and explicit in the relationship; iv) the customer's main role is to be a co-producer for the supply of goods and services; v) the positioning of the company with the client is to promote interaction and develop PSS together; vi) willingness to perform a greater number of adaptations given the customer's needs. The limitations of the study are recognized, given the small number of companies and the selection of only the first stage of the coffee supply chain. However, the study contributes as a guide to managerial practices, especially for companies with limitations related to traded goods.