Page 339 - Design for Six Sigma for Service (Six SIGMA Operational Methods)

Chapter
10

Design and Improvement
of Service Processes—

Process Management

10.1 Introduction
There are two key aspects in delivering service to customers: the service
product and the service process. Designing and improving the main service
process and other supporting processes is a key task in achieving superior
service quality.

What is a process? Caulkin (1989) defines it as being a “continuous and
regular action or succession of actions, taking place or carried on in a definite
manner, and leading to the accomplishment of some result; a continuous
operation or series of operations.” Keller et al. (1999) defines the process as
“a combination of inputs, actions and outputs.” Anjard (1998) further defines
it as being “a series of activities that takes an input, adds value to it and
produces an output for a customer.” This view is summarized in Fig. 10.1.

Processes involve a series of steps by which the inputs are converted into
outputs, which may be goods, information, or services. The quality of
outputs is entirely dependent upon the quality with which the processes are
executed. In the manufacturing industry, the quality of a manufactured
product depends on the quality of the process used to manufacture it. In a
restaurant, the taste of a meal, the time from order to delivery, the cost, and
customer satisfaction are all highly dependent on the quality of the service
process. The quality of processes implies that the correct steps are used in
the right order, the correct tools are used in the process, the correct technique
is applied, and everything is performed at the right time.
A process that achieves maximum quality and efficiency and uses minimum
cost to run is often said to have achieved process excellence. The process

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