*Purpose – To analyse the role of after-sales services in manufacturing contexts, and the related after sales performance measurement systems.
*Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory case study research was performed in the automotive, household appliance, IT and consumer electronics industries. The sample is made up of 48 firms with after-sales operations in Italy.
*Findings – The role attributed to after-sales activities in the IT and consumer electronics and household appliance industries shows an orientation to improve company image, customer satisfaction and retention (marketing focus). A different situation characterises the companies studied in the automotive industry. In most firms, however, measurement systems are quite simple and short-term oriented, especially in the IT and consumer electronics and household appliance industries. The measurement of non-financial performance emphasises effectiveness rather than efficiency, and the automotive industry, on the whole, presents more advanced measurement systems, together with more integrated strategic management of after-sales. The household appliance industry, on the other hand, due to the significant presence of SMEs, is characterised by less sophisticated performance measurement systems.
*Originality/value – Provides a representation of current empirical practices in after-sales role and performance measurement, a topic insufficiently covered by conceptual and empirical research. |