Service Management for Dummies®

Chapter 2. Getting Inside Service Management

In This Chapter

• Understanding inputs and outputs

• Using assets and tools to deliver services

• Looking at a standardized process model

• Providing flexibility with skilled participants

• Overseeing the service

In this chapter, we introduce a very simple model of a service, looking at it from the inside. By providing some examples and figures, we help you understand how just about everything around you can be viewed as a service or a component of a service. To create a strategy for service management, you need to start by understanding some basic principles of service delivery and management. This chapter provides this basic level of information about managing services. To keep things simple, we ignore the fact that every service has a consumer and consider just what makes up a service from the inside.

Note

Keep in mind one simple but important principle: The customer doesn't really want to know what makes the service tick. He wants a service that provides a valuable result or outcome.

Building a Foundation for Service Management

In Chapter 1, we stake a huge claim and say that everything is a service. Although we're a little cavalier in defining the term that way, we don't have much choice, because what we're really doing is focusing on every activity to which you can apply service management, such as delivering food in a restaurant, responding to customer service queries, or producing manufactured goods.

Note

Think of every activity within a commercial ...