Integrated solutions as a new perspective for eco-efficient services - a cross-industry exploration

Over the past forty years many methods have been developed to reduce the environmental impacts of lifestyles of the Western world. A concept that has emerged in academic and policy making circles is that of ‘eco-efficient services’. This concept is still in the process of being developed and as yet has not successfully been taken up by industry. The research project upon which this thesis reports was initiated to address these concerns. In order to contribute to the research on eco-efficient services, gaining knowledge of a different but successful business concept was considered constructive. The main focus of this research was a novel concept that has parallels with eco-efficient services — namely ‘integrated solutions’. The central research question was how knowledge of this concept could support the development of eco-efficient services or solutions. The overall aim of this research was to provide those that wish to promote the development of eco-efficient services and solutions, with an understanding of a useful business design framework and an understanding of factors that might lead to increased eco-efficiency of these offerings. To this end, two stages of research were initiated and completed. The first stage was the Pilot Study in which a more detailed understanding of the concept of integrated solutions was sought. During this stage, data was elicited from a variety of sources so as to provide a robust foundation of knowledge upon which subsequent inquiry could be initiated. On the basis of the findings from a review of substantive literatures on integrated solutions and the findings of the Pilot Study, a framework and a model were developed. The integrated solutions framework describes the features of an integrated solution and the eco-efficient solutions model shows the elements that can influence the eco-efficiency of a solution. In the second stage, both the framework and the model were validated. These findings were then analysed and incorporated in the initial framework and model, which resulted in a refined eco-efficient solutions model. This research explored how knowledge of the concept of integrated solutions can support the development of eco-efficient services and solutions in a business-to-business context. Nine distinctive features of an integrated solution were identified and described in the refined integrated solutions framework. Furthermore, nine elements that might influence the eco-efficiency of a service or solution have been identified and described in the refined eco-efficient solutions model. Environmental legislation will play an important part in operationalising the model. A number of companies that took part in the research project were interested in taking these ideas forward. The intention of this work was not to refute current trajectories of research in the eco-efficient services domain, but rather to provide an additional body of knowledge that can allow those authors in the eco-efficient sendees domain, to realise the opportunity that the eco-efficient services concept provides to significantly improve resource efficiencies.