Dynamic Supply Chains, 3rd Edition

CHAPTER 15

Service sector supply chains

How to apply proven supply chain principles in the service sector

I have been waiting for years, perhaps decades, for the service sector to catch on and apply some of the supply chain principles and techniques proven so successful in many product industries. Instead, old practices have continued, with procurement and process improvement commanding the most attention, at the expense of real innovation. In this chapter we consider how service industries vary in character to product industries, and look at examples of service enterprises grappling with the transformation of their supply chains. Yes, it has to be said that service supply chains can be tricky to manage because their ‘product’ – a service – ...