Designing Services With Function Analysis

Abstract

Services exist to perform certain functions. Service functions may entail some action that the consumer wants performed orbe intended to give sensory satisfaction to the consumer. This paper describes a structured process for designing services that maps customer requirements to required functions and means. Examples are given in the nightclub industry for entertaining and protecting guests, creating excitement, and facilitating guest interaction. The process structure comes from quality function deployment and the analytical tools come from function analysis. The result is a design methodology with the capacity to engineer even intangible service qualities into delivery systems. The key is using function analysis to specify and objectify service design concepts. While traditional approaches to service design focus on means and technologies, function analysis forces the designer back to the functions. This is done because no amount of examining means can make truly innovative change possible.

Keywords

Key words: function analysis quality function deploy ment nightclubs

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