Digital Transformation Readiness in University Operations: A Product-Service System Approach to Readiness-as-a-Service

Public service organisations, particularly universities, lack structured methods to evaluate their operational readiness for digital transformation, hindering strategic planning in the Industry 4.0 era. This paper addresses this gap by detailing the development and application of a digital transformation readiness model, conceptualised as a Product-Service System (PSS) for university operations. Following a Design Science Research (DSR) approach, we developed the Digital Transformation Readiness Model for Universities (DT-U). The model comprises 24 factors across four dimensions: strategy, processes, technology, and infrastructure. The model was operationalised as a web-based self-assessment tool, refined through a systematic literature review and expert evaluation, and deployed at a large Brazilian university. The DT-U diagnostic accurately placed the institution at an “Initial” readiness level and successfully identified specific operational bottlenecks. Crucially, the resulting strategic roadmap aligns these digital capability gaps directly with the four fundamental university missions: knowledge transfer, research, industry collaboration, and sustainable socio-economic development. The tool received positive managerial feedback, validating its ability to support continuous performance monitoring. This research provides a significant practical contribution by offering university managers a low-cost, methodologically rigorous diagnostic tool for data-driven decision-making. Its originality lies in transposing Industry 4.0 readiness principles into a public service environment, offering a scalable framework for IT and digital governance within higher education institutions.