Considerations of safety in the development of industrial services: Matter of course or matter of chance?. (September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nenonen, Sanna; Anttila, Sanna; Hyytinen, Toni; Kivistö-Rahnasto, Jouni
• Is Part Of: Safety science. Volume 129(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-09
• Subjects: Manufacturing -- Multi-employer worksite -- Safety management -- Servitization; Industrial accidents -- Periodicals; Accident Prevention -- Periodicals; Safety -- Periodicals; Travail -- Accidents -- Périodiques; 363.11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2020.104766
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0925-7535

Abstract

Highlights: Safety is typically considered during service delivery, not in service development. Unsystematic development practices hinder safety considerations in decision-making. Systematic development is more common in companies advanced in service-orientation. Safety expertise and defined practices are needed in industrial service development. Abstract: Safety management during the delivery of industrial services has gained a great deal of attention in both research and practice. However, it remains unclear whether the consideration of safety at the service development stage is standard procedure or merely an occasional concern. This paper has approached this issue by reviewing the manner in which safety is addressed during development of industrial services. The research data were collected via interviews (n = 40) with personnel from four companies—three manufacturers and one service company providing industrial services. The data were content-analyzed using a thematic approach and structured coding. The results showed that although safety was managed efficiently during service delivery, best practices were not adopted during the development stage. Further, a lack of systematic service development practices hindered the consideration of safety during development projects. The adoption of a safety-oriented service development mindset may take time and effort in manufacturing companies that have a long goods-oriented history. This change requires the commitment of top management and enhancement of the safety knowledge of service development team members. Additionally, it is recommended that companies optimize their use of safety data in development decisions and identify the business-related benefits of safety-oriented service development.