The Service Automation Framework
Have you ever wondered why some organizations are successful and others – despite good products and services – never achieve the breakthrough that they so aspire to? What is it that makes ‘exponential’ organizations such as Uber, Netflix and Google attract such a devoted group of followers or, in modern terminology, why do so many people ‘like’ these brands so much? How did they come to be at the center of attention, attracting loyal customers from the South Americas to the north of Asia? The answer is that all of these companies deliver automated services.
It is not a secret that these ‘exponential’ organizations all thrive through Internet technology and their ability to reach millions of potential customers with just a few clicks. The Internet has an impact on society that is beyond imagination, but I’m sure you are already aware of that. New leaders in the market, however, have added an extra dimension to Internet technology, which makes them stand out from any other competitor: customer service. These organizations apply the concept of Service Automation knowing that customer loyalty is the foundation of any organization and that, especially in the fast and open Internet market, it is much more difficult to retain a loyal customer than to acquire a new one.
Overview of the Service Automation Framework
The Service Automation Framework® will give individuals and organizations deep insight into the theory and methods of Service Automation, the concept by which you can automate services in any organization. By applying the concepts of Service Automation, companies will see both employee and customer satisfaction levels rise. The Service Automation Framework provides the design elements and processes to systematically optimize user experience by delivering automated services.
The Service Automation Framework is the first comprehensive and practical approach that provides a comprehensive model, as well a practical techniques to enable the design and delivery of automated services. The framework builds on existing best practices in design thinking and service management, with the core objective to deliver automated services.
Components of the Service Automation Framework
The Service Automation Framework consists of six main capabilities that can be subdivided into a a focus on ‘design’ (the first three block) and a focus on the ‘delivery’ (the last three capabilities) of automated services:
- The User. The first capability defines the key characteristics of the groups of people a service provider aims to serve.
- Service Design. The business function that designs and defines the service offering of a service provider. It is the concretisation of the service concepts into an actual design, including the relevant support structures and digital interfaces;
- Technology. The building block that defines the setup and usability of the digital interfaces, connecting service providers with their users. This capability focus on the design of self service-technology and interfaces;
- Automated Deployment. The processes that enable a user to start using a service based on his or her own action. Automated deployment processes are used to onboard new uses, and are crucial for determining the user experience;
- Service Delivery Automation. The service delivery automation processes enable user to change or resolve any aspect of the service based on his or her own action. Service Delivery automation deals with day-to-day aspects of service delivery;
- Serendipity Management. The processes that facilitate a planned and continuous approach in order to constantly exceed the expectations of users.
Each of the six capabilities equally contributes to the design and delivery of automated services.
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