Page 10 - Design for Six Sigma for Service (Six SIGMA Operational Methods)

viii Preface

Service Product Service product refers to the service output’s
attributes or the service items provided to the customers. For example,
in restaurant service, the service product includes meals, use of dining
utensils, tables, and chairs, music played if needed, and so on. In
healthcare service, the service product includes diagnosis, treatment,
and care items.
Service Delivery Process Service delivery process refers to the
process that delivers or maintains the service products for customers.
For example, in a car rental center, the service process includes all steps
needed to rent a car to renters. These steps include collecting the
driver’s license and credit card, checking car availability, filling and
printing the contract, obtaining customer signature, delivering the car
key and contract to the customer, locating the car, and so on.
Customer-Provider Interaction In a service process, there is also a
human interaction aspect, that is, the interaction between customers
and service providers. The quality of this interaction will greatly
influence customer satisfaction. For example, in the car rental
business, the representative should greet customers politely, ask
customers their preference of cars, and patiently explain all the options.

Clearly, a customer-value-based superior design and planning in a service
product will make services more attractive to customers, and therefore
attract more customers and create more revenue for service organizations.
Superior designs in service delivery processes will increase the efficiencies
of service processes and reduce cost, and therefore increase the profit for
service organizations. Excellent designing, planning, and managing of
customer-provider interactions will also certainly improve customer satis-
faction level and will help to retain customers.

The primary objective of this book is to provide a systematic framework for
implementing DFSS in various service industries. From the above dis-
cussion, it is clear that DFSS in the service industry should support the
following two key activities:
1. Design and planning of service products
2. Design and management of service delivery processes

Chapter 1 of this book begins with the discussion of several key features of
service industries and key success factors for service organizations. Chapter 1
also introduces the concept of Six Sigma and how it should be implemented
in the service industry.