Operations Management: Processes and Supply Chains, 12th Edition

Process Structure in Services

One of the first decisions a manager makes in designing a well-functioning process is to choose a process type that best achieves the competitive priorities for that process. Strategies for designing processes can be quite different, depending on whether a service is being provided or a product is being manufactured. We begin with service processes, given their huge implication for workforce resources in industrialized countries.

A process strategy that gets customers in and out of a fast-food restaurant quickly would not be the right process strategy for a five-star restaurant, where customers seek a leisurely dining experience. To gain insights, we must start at the process level and recognize key contextual variables ...