Sustainable Service

CHAPTER 7

From Single Service to Whole Service

The transfer of a service from provider to customer via a value co-creation process comprises a set of activities that can be performed in series or in parallel and that together build the service’s value chain (Porter 1985) (Figure 7.1). The various links in that chain require both physical and nonphysical values (e.g., energy and materials and effort, and tasks and knowledge, respectively) and involve people and technologies. In addition, the provision of each service usually also relies on other internal and external values, resources and stakeholders (e.g., suppliers and supplies and other businesses as well as shareholders or governmental authorities), and the service itself is co-produced via ...