The paper proposes a systematic procedure for the development of Product-Service Systems (PSSs) by focusing on the analysis of customer requirements, and the selection of those that can practically enhance the offerings' value. With this goal in mind, the Quality Function Deployment for Product Service Systems (QFDforPSS) method was augmented by means of the Kano model to filter the customers' needs and transform the attractive ones into Receiver State Parameters (RSPs), as the cornerstone of QFDforPSS. Then, to properly assess these parameters and their inherent uncertainty, the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) method was also integrated into the procedure. To validate the proposed procedure, it was implemented in a case study in the medical devices sector, in collaboration with a haemodialysis equipment manufacturer, which operates in a regulated market of product-oriented services.
The shift from product ownership to integrated solutions (Product-Service Systems (PSSs)) is expected to lead to a higher customer satisfaction in many cases compared to providing products and services separately. PSS providers are required to add more value to the products they offer, as well as to augment and diversify the services related to these products. To deal with this complex task, the paper proposes a practical methodology to support manufacturers in designing services related to the proper functioning of their products fulfilling customers' needs and expectations. This approach is based on the synergic use of Quality Function Deployment for PSS (QFDforPSS), Axiomatic Design (AD), and the service blueprint tools, providing a correlation between the customers' expectations, the PSS components, and the PSS modules. The methodology was verified by means of a service modularization for PSS at a company operating in the biomedical sector. While the proposed approach needs to be validated through further studies in different contexts, its positive results in reducing both the risk of overdesigning and the possibility of creating design conflicts can contribute practically to the scientific knowledge on the development of integrated solutions.
Recently, standards and regulations concerning occupational safety have become more and more rigorous. Nevertheless, the number of accidents and victims has not decreased significantly, as reported by official statistics. In Italy, the agricultural sector is certainly one of the most affected by this situation, especially taking into account the occurrence of serious injuries and fatalities related to the use of tractors. The main reasons for such a situation can be ascribed to the peculiarities of agricultural operations. Therefore, when analyzing the root causes of agricultural accidents, a user-centered approach is needed in order to make the development of health and safety interventions easier and more effective. Based on this, the present paper proposes a practical case study research focused on integrating the factor of human error into the risk assessment procedures of agricultural activities in vineyard cultivation. Such an approach allowed us to consider the impact of human error-while performing work activities (e.g., the use of a tractor)-on hazards and related hazardous events in a thorough manner. The proposed approach represents a novelty in the sector of the safety assessment of agricultural activities, providing a first valuable basis for further analysis and implementation by researchers and practitioners.
Purpose Product-service systems (PSSs)’s popularity has expanded significantly throughout recent years. The purpose of this paper is to integrate products and services to achieve functional results that augment the offering’s value. Nevertheless, the intangibility of services hinders the diffusion of PSSs: services are characterized by imprecisions and ambiguities that render the assessment and prioritization of customer requirements problematic. An inadequate evaluation of the latter leads to an inconsistent PSS design that results in the customer dissatisfaction. Design/methodology/approach To address these concerns, the paper proposes an approach integrating the quality function deployment for product-service systems (QFDforPSS) method with Thurstone’s Law of Comparative Judgments. This approach was tested at a manufacturer in the medical sector seeking to improve his market stance through a PSS model. Findings Although the case study is based on a limited sample, the results achieved highlight the importance of the flow of information between the PSS provider and the customers (i.e. the PSS receivers) in the healthcare sector. The proposed approach can facilitate the company in collecting information even in the case of incomplete answers to surveys and questionnaires providing a practical method to handle the uncertainty due to incomplete data. Originality/value The study represents one of the first applications of the PSS approach in the healthcare sector, introducing a novel integration of easy-to-use management tools to augment the understanding of customer needs and expectations.
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