Service Engineering: An Interdisciplinary Framework
The concept of service Science, Management, and Engineering (SSME) is an emerging interdisciplinary approach that combines fundamental management, and engineering theories. The objective is to help organizations improve their competiveness in a rapidly changing business environment by exploring the true requirements of their customers, and setting up an effective service process with the support of IT. Despite the significance of SSME, few studies have attempted to develop a methodology to guide and implement SSME research. To address this research gap, we discuss the interdisciplinary nature of the SSME approach. We review related literature and theories, and explore the tools used in various fields relevant to SSME. Then, we propose a systematic three-phase framework for SSME research. Our interdisciplinary review and the proposed framework are designed to help researchers and practitioners utilize available SSME tools and theories. We believe the framework will enable researchers and practitioners to implement their respective SSME processes more effectively and efficiently.