Service Management: An Integrated Approach to Supply Chain Management and Operations

8. Design and Development of Services and Service Delivery Systems

8.1. Introduction

Service design and development is an important step in creating value and satisfaction for the customer. In Chapter 2, “The Nature of Services and Service Encounters,” service encounters were defined as “any episode in which the customer comes into contact with any aspect of the organization and gets an impression of the quality of its service.” It was also emphasized that a service organization is made, or “created,” in the minds of customers during a service encounter. The most important service encounters are those during which a service is delivered. These involve the customer, the service provider (employee), the delivery system, the physical evidence, ...