Title: Service designs and mindsets - extracting experiential knowledge from service realisation

Authors: Henri Karppinen; Janne Huiskonen; Kaisa Seppänen

Addresses: Department of Industrial Management, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, FI-53851 Lappeenranta, Finland ' Department of Industrial Management, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, FI-53851 Lappeenranta, Finland ' Department of Industrial Management, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, FI-53851 Lappeenranta, Finland

Abstract: Effective service operations management leans heavily on information systems and humans. In practice, operational decisions require time-consuming information mining, and time is money. If an employee can interpret the environment and operational information without shared rules, the risk of making costly wrong assumptions and decisions is high. We propose that creating better understanding of how an employee experiences an operational event can reveal information that is not currently available. This study focuses on conceptualising the employee experience by designing a method for extracting experiential knowledge from the employee's perspective and using this knowledge during resource configuration. The designed artefact has been field-tested and evaluated in a healthcare system according to design science principles. The results provide an innovative contribution to service operations management when trying to release time for right and productive activities. By utilising the experiential knowledge, service managers will be able to decrease the complexity in service systems.

Keywords: service mindset; employee experience; perceived service; service engineering; service operations management; service design; service realisation; design science; experiential knowledge; healthcare systems; healthcare services.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPM.2013.056172

International Journal of Procurement Management, 2013 Vol.6 No.5, pp.561 - 577

Published online: 30 Jan 2014 *

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