ABSTRACT
The application of service science to the analysis and improvement of a business processes is introduced, concentrating on those processes that are not given sufficient attention in traditional operations management textbooks. This book’s mantra is that every professional employee has two jobs – to do their work, and to improve how their work is done. It is the latter idea that the book addresses by introducing the reader to concepts and tools that apply to any business process, in any firm, as long as the process provides a service. Service science is a systematic approach that creates knowledge about service processes by developing underlying explanations for observable phenomena. By establishing a scientific foundation, problems can be solved more quickly and without significant effort to “reinvent the wheel.” A business process manager should apply the framework described in this book to ensure that a business process operates as planned, with sufficient capacity to serve customers, and little or no time wasted on activities that do not add value for customers. Process improvement is motivated by deviations in performance or the introduction of new problems.
