Page 57 - Design for Six Sigma for Service (Six SIGMA Operational Methods)

38 Chapter Two

point of view (value engineering), the service functions performed from menu
delivery to order taking include the following:

1. (Customers) obtain information on available food items
2. (Customers) select food items
3. Record selected food items
The corresponding functional requirements are
1. Customers can obtain information on available food items easily, quickly,
clearly and with full explanation.
2. Customer can select food items easily, quickly, and with explanation.
3. Selected food items can be recorded easily, quickly, and mistake-free.
The service functions performed from order taking to meal delivery include the
following:
1. Transmit (ordered food items) information to kitchen.
2. Prepare food items (in kitchen).
3. Cook food items.
4. Put food items in container.
5. Deliver cooked food items to the right customer.
The corresponding functional requirements are
1. Ordered food items’ information can be transmitted to kitchen quickly
and mistake-free.
2. Food items can be prepared quickly, and correctly.
3. Food items can be cooked correctly and quickly.
4. Food items will be put in correct containers and in the right way.
5. Cooked food items can be delivered to customers quickly, in the right
condition and mistake-free.

Step 2: Generate Design Alternatives for the Services
After the determination of service product functions and functional
requirements, we need to generate design ideas to satisfy these functional
requirements. There are two possibilities; one is that there are existing ideas
that can be used to develop this design. The other possibility is that brand-
new creative design ideas can be generated. The value engineering technique
(Chap. 7) and the theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) (Chap. 9) are
good techniques to develop creative designs. The type of design alternatives
generated and the design requirements should also take into consideration
the company’s brand development strategy and the company’s desirable
brand image. Brand development is discussed in Chap 8.

Example 2.4: Restaurant Service
This example (adapted from Ramaswamy 1996) is a continuation of Example
2.3. Of course, all the service functions and functional requirements can be