Integrating QFD for product-service systems with the Kano model and fuzzy AHP

Abstract

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.

Keywords:

• product-service system (PSS)
• service design
• quality function deployment (QFD)
• customer requirements
• medical devices
• regulated market

Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by the Mistra REES (Resource Efficient and Effective Solutions) program (No. 2014/16), funded by Mistra (The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research). The authors would like to thank Mr Giuseppe Palladino PhD for his effort and contribution to the case study development.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by the Swedish funding body called Stiftelsen för miljöstrategisk forskning (Mistra) (The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research in English) through their research program named the Mistra REES (Resource Efficient and Effective Solutions) (No. 2014/16) .