A Note on Service Design Methodology

Due to environmental focuses and pursuit for better economic performance, service and product-service systems are gaining interest. While there exist a variety of product design methodologies, there is no design methodology for service. This paper proposes a design methodology of service. First, service elements are discussed such as service environment, service provider, service receiver, service channel, service contents, service goal, and service quality. Then, service is given a formal definition that it is an activity that a service provider offers to a service receiver in a service environment and generates values for the service receiver. Second, service is classified into five different categories and servicification is discussed. Having identified these concepts of service, we then discuss service engineering as a method to increase added value of service. We then introduce three different ways to do so and they are service design methodologies; first to give best fit service, second to increase the service quality, and third to develop a new service. Finally, we illustrate an example of service design.Copyright © 2004 by ASME