TOWARDS SERVICE EXCELLENCE IN HEALTHCARE
Key characteristics of service
Organizations offer services when they apply specialized skills and knowledge with the ultimate goal
of creating value
Services= the application of specialized competences (knowledge and skills) through deeds, processes
and performances for the benefit of another entity or the entity itself
- It involves the application of knowledge or skills
- Service is a series of deeds(actions) with specific performances (outcomes) that culminate in
a process
- Goal: to create value for other entities and the entity itself => service should be sold in
proportion to their value-in-use ( the value that services generates for stakeholders that make
use of these services)
There is an interaction when service are delivered: within a service ecosystem = multi actor area in
which the delivery of service takes place, it allows different actors to co-create value by exchanging
resources with another => every actor can play an active role in the creation of value
From service to excellent service: economic value is a changing subject
Activities that are creating value: producing goods => providing services => creating experiences
- The main focus of value creation processes is subject to commoditization (= the activities are
central turn into a commodity, menselijke handelingen krijgen economische waarde), service
is no longer enough to differentiate organizations from each other => now by creating
experiences
Experiences= multi-dimensional responses to interactions with other actors in service
ecosystems: cognitive, emotional, and behavioral
- Value creation processes are cumulative: every step needs to be excellent
Vb measure PROMS (patient reported outcome measures) and PREMS (patient reported
experience measures), for the delivery of service there is need for high quality goods
Managing for service excellence
Each actor can fulfil an active role in the creation of value like time, money, effort,….
But there are limited resources so its imported that these resources are managed in function of value
creation (studied by the operations management)
Service excellence in healthcare organizations = a function of managing 5 P’s
- Positioning (de proloog): the way in which the organization present themselves to customers
and stakeholders
- Performance (de epiloog): keeping track of their performance by 5 performance objectives
- Processes: sequence of actions that contribute to the creation of value.
- Place: the environment in which the service happens
- People: human actors who produce services and consume it (organization and customers)
But innovation is necessary to adapt the P’s to changes in the dynamic context to stay ahead of
competitors and meet the customers expectations: innovation = driver of service excellence
, ! each of the 5 Ps and the I need to be balanced in such a way that they reinforce each other to
achieve service excellence.
POSITIONING
A service concept = concrete description of what costumers and other stakeholders can expect from
the organization
Importance of a clear service concept
Positioning starts with developing a strategy and then position itself in terms of service by a service
concept, it needs to be a clear understanding of what the service is offering (same mental picture for
all stakeholders, communicate it to each other)
≠ vision, mission, strategy (are related to their values, future oriented)
= focused on the concrete aspects of service delivery, picture what they can expect, integration of
operational element, marketing element and HRM (but it is shaped by the mission, vision and
strategy)
Importance of a shared service concept
Four worlds within hospitals: clinical treatment, world of care, management and administration, the
society: raad van bestuur) + customers also need to share the service concept (it’s very important to
gain a good understanding of the costumers needs and expectations: with interviews and focus
groups)
But it’s not easy to serve all these different customers prefers with the same service concept=> It
leads to much higher operational costs (vb hospitalized patients and daycare separate)
Solution: healthcare institutions focus their treatment on a certain patient population
Developing a clear and shared service concept
STEP 1: describe all elements of service delivery that has benefit for all stakeholders
By the service triangle => three components
- Base of the triangle: human capital
The attitudinal of behavioral components (individual values)
Professionalism (skills)
- Top of the triangle: physical and process components (belong to the organization itself)
! Every competitive positioning needs to have a good balance between the three components
STEP 2: make clear how these elements must be perceived by the customer
STEP 3: making the effort necessary to integrate these services into the design
The customers perception of the service experiences should match with their service
perceptions = service concept waarmaken: the gab model shows when it doesn’t match
Key characteristics of service
Organizations offer services when they apply specialized skills and knowledge with the ultimate goal
of creating value
Services= the application of specialized competences (knowledge and skills) through deeds, processes
and performances for the benefit of another entity or the entity itself
- It involves the application of knowledge or skills
- Service is a series of deeds(actions) with specific performances (outcomes) that culminate in
a process
- Goal: to create value for other entities and the entity itself => service should be sold in
proportion to their value-in-use ( the value that services generates for stakeholders that make
use of these services)
There is an interaction when service are delivered: within a service ecosystem = multi actor area in
which the delivery of service takes place, it allows different actors to co-create value by exchanging
resources with another => every actor can play an active role in the creation of value
From service to excellent service: economic value is a changing subject
Activities that are creating value: producing goods => providing services => creating experiences
- The main focus of value creation processes is subject to commoditization (= the activities are
central turn into a commodity, menselijke handelingen krijgen economische waarde), service
is no longer enough to differentiate organizations from each other => now by creating
experiences
Experiences= multi-dimensional responses to interactions with other actors in service
ecosystems: cognitive, emotional, and behavioral
- Value creation processes are cumulative: every step needs to be excellent
Vb measure PROMS (patient reported outcome measures) and PREMS (patient reported
experience measures), for the delivery of service there is need for high quality goods
Managing for service excellence
Each actor can fulfil an active role in the creation of value like time, money, effort,….
But there are limited resources so its imported that these resources are managed in function of value
creation (studied by the operations management)
Service excellence in healthcare organizations = a function of managing 5 P’s
- Positioning (de proloog): the way in which the organization present themselves to customers
and stakeholders
- Performance (de epiloog): keeping track of their performance by 5 performance objectives
- Processes: sequence of actions that contribute to the creation of value.
- Place: the environment in which the service happens
- People: human actors who produce services and consume it (organization and customers)
But innovation is necessary to adapt the P’s to changes in the dynamic context to stay ahead of
competitors and meet the customers expectations: innovation = driver of service excellence
, ! each of the 5 Ps and the I need to be balanced in such a way that they reinforce each other to
achieve service excellence.
POSITIONING
A service concept = concrete description of what costumers and other stakeholders can expect from
the organization
Importance of a clear service concept
Positioning starts with developing a strategy and then position itself in terms of service by a service
concept, it needs to be a clear understanding of what the service is offering (same mental picture for
all stakeholders, communicate it to each other)
≠ vision, mission, strategy (are related to their values, future oriented)
= focused on the concrete aspects of service delivery, picture what they can expect, integration of
operational element, marketing element and HRM (but it is shaped by the mission, vision and
strategy)
Importance of a shared service concept
Four worlds within hospitals: clinical treatment, world of care, management and administration, the
society: raad van bestuur) + customers also need to share the service concept (it’s very important to
gain a good understanding of the costumers needs and expectations: with interviews and focus
groups)
But it’s not easy to serve all these different customers prefers with the same service concept=> It
leads to much higher operational costs (vb hospitalized patients and daycare separate)
Solution: healthcare institutions focus their treatment on a certain patient population
Developing a clear and shared service concept
STEP 1: describe all elements of service delivery that has benefit for all stakeholders
By the service triangle => three components
- Base of the triangle: human capital
The attitudinal of behavioral components (individual values)
Professionalism (skills)
- Top of the triangle: physical and process components (belong to the organization itself)
! Every competitive positioning needs to have a good balance between the three components
STEP 2: make clear how these elements must be perceived by the customer
STEP 3: making the effort necessary to integrate these services into the design
The customers perception of the service experiences should match with their service
perceptions = service concept waarmaken: the gab model shows when it doesn’t match
