Managing industrial service co-design: identifying challenges from technology firms

Abstract

This article investigates how the co-design of industrial services is managed by technology firms. Through multiple-case studies within high-technology semiconductor companies, the article finds that overlapped stages and collective action require considerations on a case-by-case basis as determined by business opportunities, industry standards, existing organisational practice and service level agreements. The major contribution of this article is a connection between recent research emphasising the importance of providing industrial services, and established literature on co-design. Key service operations management challenges are also identified and discussed in terms of the need for studies and frameworks to coordinate negotiations for enhanced service encounters, to critique industrial service co-design, and to integrated information during service design.

Keywords:

• service design
• operations
• goods-services systems
• co-design