Industrial firms venturing into services is a common phenomenon in B2B markets. However, companies are often unable to monetize many such services, thus incurring high costs of service provision without benefiting from revenue generation in return. To address this critical but little-studied problem, we investigate how industrial firms can transform existing free services into for-fee offerings. Employing a theories-in-use approach, we explore leading global firms via a cross-section of B2B industries, including automotive, maritime, material handling, medical equipment, mining and construction tools, and petrochemicals. Contingent on the empirics, we precisely characterize and define free industrial services. Based on the internal and external challenges that firms face in free-to-fee (F2F) transformations, we develop a typology classifying free services into four distinct categories: Front-runners, Tugs of War, In-house Shackles, and Dead Ends. For each category, we provide empirical illustrations and identify critical actions and activities that firms deploy to successfully implement F2F transformations along the dimensions of structures, processes, people, and rewards. Thus, we offer guidance on how to overcome both external and internal challenges. Our findings demonstrate that F2F transformations of industrial services are not isolated marketing, sales, or pricing activities but require a concerted effort among all organizational functions involved.

工业企业涉足服务业是 B2B 市场的普遍现象。然而，公司往往无法将许多此类服务货币化，因此在没有从创收中获益的情况下产生了高成本的服务提供。为了解决这个关键但很少研究的问题，我们调查了工业公司如何将现有的免费服务转变为收费产品。我们采用理论在用的方法，通过 B2B 行业的横截面探索领先的全球公司，包括汽车、海事、材料处理、医疗设备、采矿和建筑工具以及石化。根据经验，我们精确地刻画和定义了免费的工业服务。基于公司在免费（F2F）转型中面临的内部和外部挑战，我们开发了一种类型学，将免费服务分为四个不同的类别：领跑者、拔河比赛、内部枷锁和死胡同。对于每个类别，我们提供实证说明并确定公司部署的关键行动和活动，以沿着结构、流程、人员和奖励等维度成功实施 F2F 转型。因此，我们就如何克服外部和内部挑战提供指导。我们的研究结果表明，工业服务的 F2F 转型不是孤立的营销、销售或定价活动，而是需要所有相关组织职能部门的共同努力。我们提供实证说明并确定公司部署的关键行动和活动，以成功实施沿结构、流程、人员和奖励等维度的 F2F 转型。因此，我们就如何克服外部和内部挑战提供指导。我们的研究结果表明，工业服务的 F2F 转型不是孤立的营销、销售或定价活动，而是需要所有相关组织职能部门的共同努力。我们提供实证说明并确定公司部署的关键行动和活动，以成功实施沿结构、流程、人员和奖励等维度的 F2F 转型。因此，我们就如何克服外部和内部挑战提供指导。我们的研究结果表明，工业服务的 F2F 转型不是孤立的营销、销售或定价活动，而是需要所有相关组织职能部门的共同努力。