Science as Service

The second volume of this successful handbook represents varied perspectives on the fast-expanding field of Service Science. The novel work collected in these chapters is drawn from both new researchers who have grown-up with Service Science, as well as established researchers who are adapting their frames for the modern service context.

This book presents a general conceptual framework to translate principles of system science and engineering to service design. Services are co-created immaterial, heterogeneous, and perishable state changes. A service system includes the intended benefit to the customer and the structure and processes that accomplish this benefit. The primary focus is on the part of the service system that can reproduce such processes, called here a Service Machine, and methodological guidelines on how to analyze and design them.

This book explores the different ways in which human-factors engineering influences organizations’ and enterprises’ well-being and competitiveness. It covers a wealth of interrelated topics such as service engineering, service science, human–computer interaction, service usability, attitude and opinion assessment, servicescape design and evaluation, and training for service delivery. Further topics include service systems modeling, anthropology in service science, and customer experience, as well as ethical issues and the impact of an aging society. Based on the AHFE 2017 International Conference on The Human Side of Service Engineering, held on July 17–21, 2017, in Los Angeles, California, USA, the book provides readers with a comprehensive, general view of current research and challenges in the important field of service engineering.

by Per Kristensson (Editor), Peter Magnusson (Editor), Lars Witell (Editor)
Service innovation is a concept that, for the last decays, has received increased attention both among academics as well as practitioners

This book showcases state-of-the-art advances in service science and related fields of research, education, and practice. It presents emerging technologies and applications in contexts ranging from healthcare, energy, finance, and information technology to transportation, sports, logistics, and public services. Regardless of its size and service, every service organization is a service system.