{"id":8171,"date":"2011-02-07T06:18:00","date_gmt":"2011-02-07T13:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/?p=8171"},"modified":"2014-10-18T16:11:11","modified_gmt":"2014-10-18T21:11:11","slug":"intangible-aspects-in-service-operations-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/intangible-aspects-in-service-operations-management\/8171\/","title":{"rendered":"Intangible Aspects of Service Operations Management"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"a296a24fa2fc69ef5487857f02f111e8\" data-index=\"9\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Single Post readerboard -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8207522353004717\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1144967431\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>Not all things that are important can be counted. There are many intangible aspects of service operations management that likely more important than &#8220;countable&#8221; things.<\/p>\n<p>Today, we continue our series on defining the unique aspects of Service versus Manufacturing, especially in how we apply the concepts of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma. Previously, I argued the <a title=\"service versus manufacturing, lean six sigma\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/lean-difference-between-manufacturing-service\/7773\/\">critical aspects between service and manufacturing<\/a> and talked more in-depth about the concept of <a title=\"consumption in service, consumption in manufacturing, lean six sigma\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/lean-in-service-manufacturing-production-consumption\/8032\/\">consumption in service and manufacturing<\/a> and how that is an important aspect that characterizes their difference.<\/p>\n<p>Today we&#8217;ll discuss the concept of the &#8220;intangible&#8221; and how that characterizes a major difference between service and manufacturing.<\/p>\n<h2>Critical Aspects of Services are Intangible<\/h2>\n<p>When we buy something that is manufactured, it has a size, shape, weight, and texture. We can touch it, see it, and it is very tangible in nature.<\/p>\n<p>In a service business the atmosphere, the attitude and the feelings that are part of the whole experience are intangible <em><strong>AND <\/strong><\/em>are critical aspects of the service. How you are treated in a restaurant, how you are treated on an airline &#8211; these are all important parts of the service delivery, which is part of the product and are not tangible.<\/p>\n<h2>Series on Difference Between Service Versus Manufacturing<\/h2>\r\nGo here for details on applying <a title=\"lean for service operations articles and case studies\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/lean-services\/\">Lean for Service Operations<\/a>. For other posts in this series, please refer to the table below:\r\n<BR><br>\r\n<div align=\"center\">\r\n<table border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"5\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"middle\" valign=\"top\" width=\"52%\">\r\n<h3><strong>Service Business <\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"middle\" valign=\"top\" width=\"47%\">\r\n<h3><strong>Manufacturing Business<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\"><a title=\"lean, simultaneous production and consumption\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/lean-in-service-manufacturing-production-consumption\/8032\/\">simultaneous production and consumption (co-creation between producer and consumer)<\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\"><a title=\"lean, production and consumption at different stages\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/lean-in-service-manufacturing-production-consumption\/8032\/\">consumption and production at different stages<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\"><a title=\"service operations lean six sigma\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/intangible-aspects-in-service-operations-management\/8171\/\">many critical aspects are intangible<\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\"><a title=\"service operations, lean service\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/intangible-aspects-in-service-operations-management\/8171\/\">many critical aspects are tangible<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\"><a title=\"inventory in service versus manufacturing\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/inventory-management-service-manufacturing\/8172\/\">concept of inventory may not be material, but can be virtual such as requests and, in healthcare, patients waiting for service can be considered a type of inventory<\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\"><a title=\"inventory in service, inventory in manufacturing\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/inventory-management-service-manufacturing\/8172\/\">usually has inventory and buffers<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\"><a title=\"variability, variation in service\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/service-and-manufacturing-variation-and-variability\/8389\/\">considerable variability in service delivery<\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\"><a title=\"variation, variability in manufacturing\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/service-and-manufacturing-variation-and-variability\/8389\/\">some variation<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\"><a title=\"variety in service operations\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/service-and-manufacturing-the-concept-of-variety\/8392\/\">open universe in variety of service cases<\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\"><a title=\"variety in manufacturing operations\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/service-and-manufacturing-the-concept-of-variety\/8392\/\">closed set in variety in product manufacturing<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\"><a title=\"customer benefits from service operations\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/substantive-peripheral-benefits-service-manufacturing\/8395\/\">substantive and peripheral benefits<\/a><\/td>\r\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" valign=\"top\"><a title=\"customer benefits from manufacturing\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/substantive-peripheral-benefits-service-manufacturing\/8395\/\">mainly substantive product benefits<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<BR>\n<div align=\"center\"><\/div>\n<h2>Service Examples<\/h2>\n<p>These examples will ring true to you.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The quality of and the speed at which you receive your coffee is important, but how you are treated by the <a title=\"barista\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/starbucks-lean-change-management-resistance\/7766\/\">barista<\/a> is equally important.<\/li>\n<li>At a restaurant, <a title=\"restaurant operations\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.opexlearning.com\/resources\/lean-thinking-and-restaurant-operations\/2845\/\">restaurant operations<\/a> are often focused on efficiency but people&#8217;s smiles and kind words and thoughtfulness in how service is provided makes a big positive difference in the experience.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>It&#8217;s Your Turn<\/h2>\n<p>What are some examples from your experience? Do you agree or disagree?<\/p>\n<!--CusAds0-->\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Not all things that are important can be counted. There are many intangible aspects of service operations management that likely more important than &#8220;countable&#8221; things. Today, we continue our series on defining the unique aspects of Service versus Manufacturing, especially in how we apply the concepts of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma. Previously, I argued [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12327,"featured_media":8314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[613],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Intangible Aspects of Service Operations Management<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Not all things that are important can be counted. 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