THE SEVENTH P: SERVICE DEVIVERY PROCESS

Process is now regarded as the 7th P. For the service market to achieve his strategic goal. Customers tend to perceive the service delivery system as part of the service itself.

Blueprinting
Blueprinting is flowcharting of a service operation. The service encounter is difficult to describe with accuracy and therefore there is a lot of subjectivity in its analysis. This inconsistency (variability) prevents quality measurement and which seek to map the service process. With such a map and scripts, it is possible to be systematic in the encounter analysis. This process is called blueprinting.

Contd
To facilitate maximum satisfaction to the customers, more inputs were added to the service delivery. Service evolved from very simple steps to complex process, and there arose a need for the marketer to get a bird's eye view of the whole process. This methodology was devised by Lyn Shostack in 1984, to help out new service firms in mapping the sequences before the beginning of service delivery or any encounter.

Prospect/ would-be Student Reached Through ariety of sources

Guide customer in enrolment/admission through personal Counseling, terms and conditions in prospectus/brochure

Display on notice board; clarifying admission criterion etc.

ADMISSION PROCESS 1. Entrance test 2. Group Discussion 3. Personal interview 4. Selection criteria

Take corrective & preventive action

NO
EDUCATION PROCESS

Measure and Monitor Results Qualification of students

Record Evidence Through Mark sheet

Flowcharts seek to identify the following:

The time it takes to move from one process to another; The costs involved with each process step; The amount of inventory build-up at each process step; The bottlenecks in the system.

A customer blueprint has three core elements:

Identification of all those functions that are essential to deliver a service along with the appropriate personnel with requisite responsibility, authority and accountability. The relationships amongst different functions of service components are explained by graphics and charts. The relationship based on time and sequence with each other. For a hotel, the sequence of housekeeping in relation to reception and registration has to be elaborated with a specific time interval. Setting up of standards for each function with tolerance levels and variance from standards. These tolerances for variance should not adversely affect the service quality adversely.

Why blueprinting?
Through Blueprinting, marketing and operations personnel are able to communicate with each other on paper before they do so in real time. It provides check on logical flow of the whole process. Bottlenecks represent points in a system where the consumer waits the longest. This identification would help the service manager understand the reasons for the delay and come out with solutions. Balanced production line: this implies that process times and inventories of all steps are the same. If not, the consumer never waits for the next process. It is an effective tool for managers to recognize the benefits of changing system to process consumer more effectively. It helps the market to set target times initially based on consumers expected level of service.

Steps in Designing a Blueprint

Identify the process to be blueprinted: Map process from the customers point of view: Draw line of interaction: Draw the line of visibility: Map process from customer contact persons view, distinguishing visible activities from those that are invisible. Draw line of internal interaction. Link customer and contact person activities to needed support functions.