The PDMA Handbook of New Product Development

7.3. The Service Development Process

Perhaps the single most important aspect of service development, one that is absolutely imperative for success, is a staged development process that hinges on the involvement of and input from customers and employees. A staged development process (see Figure 7.1) is one that manages new services as they move through various phases of development, from problems and ideas to concepts and launch. While the overall strategy for new service development should closely mirror that used for developing new products, service development requires a unique, hands-on approach due to the complex, variant nature of service delivery. After a foundation is set that links the overall corporate strategy to the creation of new services, the development process differentiates itself from that used in new product development in both subtle and extreme ways.

7.3.1. A Corporate Innovation Strategy

NOTE

A new services strategy lays the strategic platform upon which to create new services.

While many executives would view creating a new services strategy a "no brainer," it is surprising how many fail to execute this step properly. Just as the foundation of a structure lays the base upon which to build, a new services strategy lays the platform upon which to create new services. If you don't know what strategic roles you want new services to play within your organization, this will lead to haphazard and disjointed service creation, and it will be difficult to evaluate ...