A service positioning matrix

Abstract

The service positioning matrix shows how the desired nature of the customer’s service encounter activity sequence translates into a recommended service system design. The matrix helps managers think about marketing and operations linkages, roles of the customer and service‐provider in creating and delivering services, facility design and process choice, and the different types of management challenges at each position in the matrix. Concepts such as the service encounter activity sequence and the degree of repeatability in the activity sequence are defined and used in the matrix. Examples are given to illustrate the positioning of service entities within the matrix. An empirical evaluation provides statistical support for the logic of the service positioning matrix. The criteria used in the matrix are meaningful to survey participants. Future research directions and issues are discussed.

A Delphi study to explore the adoption of servitization in UK companies

“…Work to classify service offerings as models, matrices and frameworks is provided by a range of authors (e.g. : Bowen et al, 1989;Silvestro, 1992;Collier and Meyer, 1998;and Oliver and Kallenberg, 2003). Authors such as Vandermerve and Rada (1988); Galbraith (2002); Brax (2005); Slack (2005); Martinez et al, (2010) and Maull et al, (2013) explore motives, processes, ideas and challenges around changes to business unit structure supporting servitization.…”

“…) (Vandermerwe et al ., 1989) (Bowen et al, 1989) (Silvestro R 1992) (Boyt & Harvey 1997) (Collier & Meyer 1998) (Wise & B'gartner 1999) (Mathieu 2001) (Foote et al, 2001) (Galbraith, 2002) (Mont 2002) (Galbraith 2002) (Oliva & K'berg 2003) (Sawhney et al ., 2004) (Tukker 2004) (Davies, 2004(Windahl et al, 2004) (Brax, 2005 (Malleret 2006) What is the phenomina?…”

Should we try out for the major leagues? A call for research in sport operations management

“…Two studies by Collier and Meyer (1998; proposed a framework for service system design in which two axes were developed detailing the number of pathways allowed by the design of the system and the degree of customer discretion in selecting the sequence of service encounters. Golf was used to illustrate how the dominant sequence of playing holes 1-18 is defined by the design of the process, yet the golfer has some discretion within this to decide how she plays the course.…”

Process design principles in service firms: Universal or context dependent? A literature review and new research directions

“…High-contact processes deal with customer-induced variability, while low-contact processes, the technical core, are focused on possible economies of scale and maximising process efficiency. The view that processes devoid of customer contact can be made as efficient as assembly lines in manufacturing operations is widely supported by the existing OM literature (Levitt, 1972;McLaughlin et al, 1991;Silvestro et al, 1992;Collier and Meyer, 1998;Verma and Young, 2000).…”

“…Similarly, service factory processes supporting standardised offerings are assumed to follow a fixed and predetermined sequence of steps, while professional service processes delivering customised services are executed with greater flexibility and adaptability (Kellogg and Nie, 1995). According to Collier and Meyer (1998), in certain service environments, such as parks, museums, and health clubs, customers are given the opportunity to design their own activity sequence in any order they choose. They define the activity sequence as "all the process steps and associated service encounters necessary to complete a service transaction".…”