This thesis investigates the design of inclusive services by integrating theory and approaches from the domains of Service Design and Inclusive Design. This integration was used to evaluate bus service use by younger and older people and the role of other stakeholders. The research was carried out through the case study of the bus service in Guadalajara, Mexico. As a result of this research, an inclusive service design approach and a tool are proposed to guide the design of inclusive services. Using an inclusive service design approach led to the application of a mixed methodology for data collection, which included: 1) a series of individual and group interviews with stakeholders as well as a document analysis; 2) structured focus groups with younger and older people; 3) observation of younger and older passengers using the service; and 4) accompanied journeys with older people. Data were analysed using both qualitative and quantitative techniques, and the results facilitated 1) the understanding of the service operation; 2) the identification of the main barriers for interaction with the service along a door-to-door journey; and 3) the determination of the gap between what younger and older users need and desire and what bus operators actually provide. The research then focussed on visualising and communicating the findings to stakeholders. An inclusive service blueprint was developed to graphically represent the level of difficulty in using the service by younger and older people across the door-to-door journey, and to highlight areas for service improvements. A final study was undertaken to assess the usefulness of the inclusive service approach and the blueprint in improving the bus service. Collectively, the findings indicate that integrating inclusive principles along with a Service Design approach provided several benefits in investigating and improving the bus service. The uniqueness of data generated by younger and older users and the understanding of inclusive principles by the stakeholders already shows the potential to lead to a more inclusive service given the activities now happening in Guadalajara. This research contributes to the discussion of how the design of services can evolve through the incorporation of inclusive principles in the design process. Whilst the research was undertaken in the context of the bus service in Guadalajara, the approach and some outcomes from this research may be applicable for designing inclusive services in other contexts around the world.

In Unternehmen mit wissensintensiven Wertschöpfungsprozessen werden oft innovative und einzigartige Produkte hergestellt, die eine enge Zusammenarbeit mit dem Kunden erfordern. Das bedeutet einen hohen Entwicklungs- und Abstimmungsaufwand innerhalb des Unternehmens. Vor allem für kleinere und mittlere produzierende Unternehmen sind praktikable Werkzeuge wichtig, mit denen unter Einbezug der Mitarbeiter solche Dienstleistungsanteile analysiert und passende Dienstleistungsprozesse gestaltet werden können. / Enterprises with skill-intensive value added processes in many cases manufacture innovative and unique products. This requires a close collaboration with the customer, a high development effort and a high level of coordination within the company. Especially small and medium size enterprises need practicable instruments to involve their staff into analyzing refering service contents and into designing the related processes.

The thesis "Service Design of Zátiší Catering Group, a.s." is focused on the management of innovations and service design. The aim is to analyse and identify possible potential and opportunities for improvement of catering services in Zatiší Catering Group, a.s. Content of the thesis includes research of service design and innovation process, study based on application of the design service approaches, introduction of the study outputs, actual project of a new service design and recommendations. Following methods and techniques were used in research: persona, contextual interview, service safari, benchmarking, service blueprints, empathy map, product box. The thesis should contribute to the theoretical determination of service design and its following aplication in the design of a specific service. Final outcome of the study is a service proposal for a canteen in Lycée Français de Prague.

The aim of this research was to specify and develop a service that is capable of delivering personalisable running shoes with mass appeal. Current sports footwear personalisation services focus primarily on aesthetic design via the internet. Aesthetics do not appear to be the consumers primary interest when purchasing running shoes and a large number are also reluctant to purchase online; preferring to purchase from specialist running stores where they receive the advice needed and can directly interact with the product. After reviewing the literature, it was hypothesised that the implementation of a primarily comfort and performance running shoe personalisation service with an in store fitting element, utilising additive manufacturing as an enabling technology, would give the greatest opportunity for success. Survey methods and store visits were employed that targeted both qualitative and quantitative data, exploring consumer running shoe purchase preferences, running shoe use and opinions of current personalisation services. The findings from these studies supported the previously stated hypothesis and enabled the specification of a suitable service. Subsequently, the focus of this research was the development of a toolkit, a computer-based system that enables the consumer to make their selections, the core of most of the current services. Experts in biomechanics and additive manufacturing were consulted to ensure that a feasible yet innovative solution was delivered. The resultant toolkit prototype (www.yourstep.co.uk) was tested formatively, using multiple methods and summatively with a large sample. Using the toolkit was considered an enjoyable, intuitive experience; a large percentage (69%) of summative testing participants would consider purchasing personalised running shoes using this method. The approach adopted to specify and develop this service provides a framework, based upon empirical research, for those looking to implement a practical running shoe personalisation service that meets their consumers requirements.

Electric car sharing is gradually expanding as an innovative and more sustainable mobility alternative to private cars. Though, the use of such mobility service has not yet reached the desired levels worldwide despite attracting large number of customers. For car sharing operators, thus, it is imperative to understand the users and their needs beyond the existing demographics and quantitative data in order to design more desirable and useful services that expand customer acceptance and usage rate of such alternative. This thesis is an exploratory study about users’ needs, behaviors, and experiences toward electric car sharing and the service requirements resulting from these dimensions. Using user- centered service design approach, the study focuses in obtaining qualitative insights about users through workshops with focus groups in regards to LEV-pool, a research project that intends to field test a new approach to car sharing by offering small size electric vehicles for local mobility at a large workplace. Based on three user-centered service design methods: customer journey map, personas, and stakeholder map, a visual mapping of users, their needs, behaviors, and experiences, and service requirements is developed. The findings point at different user types with distinct purposes of using car sharing, whose needs for mobility (at work) are affected by external factors such as work activities and job occupation. Their mobility behavior differs in terms of how they interact with car sharing service and is partly influenced by the service offering. In general, users show various experiences toward car sharing systems, and many relate it to technical aspects of the service. In terms of service requirements, the results highlight available vehicles at the needed time, simple and easy booking system with many features responsive to users’ needs, maintenance and cleanliness of vehicles, effective communication of service offering, and simple pricing schemes. The underlying user dimensions explored show as relevant in shaping the users’ evaluation of a service and their decision to use a certain mobility alternative. / Electric car sharing offers a more sustainable mobility alternative to private cars. Though, the use of this service has not yet reached the desired levels worldwide despite attracting large number of customers. For car sharing operators, thus, it is imperative to understand the users and their needs in order to design more desirable and useful electric car sharing services. This thesis is an exploratory study of the users and the service of electric car sharing systems. Using user-centered service design approach, the study focuses in obtaining qualitative insights about users in regards to LEV-pool –a research project that intends to field test a new approach to car sharing by offering small size electric vehicles for local mobility at a large workplace. The study applies three user centered service design methods to capture and present a holistic understanding of users, their needs, behaviors, and experiences toward electric car sharing and the service requirements resulting from these dimensions. The findings suggest that users are distinct and have different needs for mobility (at work), which are shaped by the external factors such as work activities and job occupation. Their mobility behavior differs in terms of how they interact with car sharing service and is partly influenced by the service offering. In general, users have various experiences toward car sharing systems, and many relate it to technical aspects of the service. By exploring the users, the results point directly to different requirements that the service shall meet for it to enhance usage such as available vehicles at the needed time, simple and easy booking system with many features responsive to users’ needs, maintenance and cleanliness of vehicles, effective communication of service offering, and simple pricing schemes.

User-Centred Design (UCD) was proposed in the 1980s and, since then, its philosophy has helped to solve design problems, regardless of the advances in technology over time. The standard ISO 9241:210 (2010), formerly ISO 13407, provides guidance in human-centred design principles and activities undertaken throughout the design lifecycle to further support UCD. In addition, since it was mentioned in ISO 9241:210, UCD has also utilised User Experience Design (UXD) in recent years. There are many approaches that support UCD to ensure it is more attainable when designing. In addition, large firms, such as HP, IBM and Microsoft, use anthropologists in their user research in order to make products more user-centred. However, the concept of UCD should, theoretically, be more widely used in all product design and it is intriguing as to why it is not as popular as it should be. As noticed in the real world, imperfect designs still frustrate us everywhere. The aims of this thesis were to investigate the difficulties of practicing a UCD approach in idea generation and to design solutions for idea generation that would encourage further practice of UCD/UXD. In the first part of the thesis, there is an exploration of the problems encountered when practicing UCD idea generation. When examining the process, a multitude of problems were found, with most blamed as being costly, time consuming and requiring complex skills. In addition, it was suggested that a systematic solution was required to overcome such difficulties. Therefore, later in this research, a systematic model is proposed and evaluated using participants (both designers and target users). Due to the fact that design practitioners are not usually researchers, further help to implement the model in the form of persona application software is needed. Hence, the concept of service design was employed to further assist with the use of the model. In the end, computer-aided development was introduced, together with the integration of the systematic UCD model. The UCD model and the software have been evaluated as effective from both the responses of product design practitioners and end-users. Future recommendations and the research limitations are also discussed in each chapter and the overall results are given in the last chapter. This thesis successfully provided the complete process during the exploration of the low usage problems of UCD, and solutions were presented to assist designers with their UCD/UXD in the future.

The objective of this thesis is to explore the design of operational processes in information-intensive service delivery systems. Empirical data is presented which builds upon existing literature within the Business Process Management (BPM) and Service Operations Management (SOM) disciplines. Adopting a theory building mode, the thesis concludes with the formulation of several research propositions which specify the design characteristics of the processes that provide the service concept to the customer. The research addresses a number of gaps in the literature. First, there is little empirical evidence concerning the relationship between the service concept, customer inputs, and process design. Second, service classification schemes promote homogeneous thinking in the design of service systems delivering diverse service concepts. Third, the BPM literature provides generic process design principles which offer limited theoretical insights into the design requirements of operational processes. Finally, there is a need for process design research in information-intensive service organisations. A research framework that integrates theoretical models addressing service process design is investigated using a single case study approach. Fieldwork was carried out over a sixteen-month period in a large electricity supplier in the UK. In contrast to the macro-orientation found within the literature, this study employs a more granular level of analysis to address the unique requirements of ‘service concept – processes’ pairs. This approach results in a number of important findings which, in several instances, are in contradiction to current thinking. First, the results empirically validate the theoretical relationship between service concept, customer inputs, and process design. Different service concepts lead to different process designs, and the more customised the service concept, the more the process is uniquely designed. Significant differences in the design of the individual processes that collectively provide the service concept to the customer are highlighted. The results also provide some new insights into the design of front office – back office activities as well as into the design characteristics of processes characterised by low customer contact. In addition, the study refutes the view that generic process design principles are universally applicable irrespective of the context in which the processes operate. Finally, the research findings show that a process-based view of service systems allows for heterogeneity; that is differences in the design of service delivery processes within the same organisation.

Shaya Solutions AB verksamma inom IT-säkerhet, webbutveckling och digitalt strategiarbete ska ta fram ett digitalt system för hantering av internutbildningar med tillhörande verifikationsfunktion till finans-, kredit- och försäkringsbranschen. Målet är att underlätta hanteringen av internutbildningar och genom verifikationsfunktionen säkerställa att informationen når fram till de anställda. Detta examensarbete undersöker och definierar det tilltänkta tjänstens funktioner och utseende genom tjänstedesignsmetoder. Genom tjänstedesignmetoden kundresa och kvalitativa intervjuer med de inblandade aktörerna undersöks och definieras funktioner och utseende. Utifrån deras behov, krav och önskemål utformas sedan funktioner och utseende för att tillgodose alla inblandade aktörer. Resultatet är en kundresa där interaktioner och funktioner mellan personas är inritade. Utifrån kundresan har UX-design och visuella kommunikationsteorier använts för att skapa ett förslag på utformning och utseende för den framtida tjänsten.

Swedish agencies are obligated to collaborate in order to fulfil their respective missions. One of the largest agencies, The Social Insurance Agency, collaborates with several agencies, employers and care providers. Collaboration that needs synchronous dialogues andexchange of information, requires people to coordinate calendars, but since the organizations’ technical systems are separated, problems occur. The meeting organizers have to face the time-wasting problem of searching for suitable meeting occasions, without access to the calendars of their external meeting participants. Meetings across organizational borders are, therefore, difficult to arrange. This study has enlightened this problem, using methods for deeper understanding of the user’s point of view, searching for alternative solutions and with an experimental approach evaluated four different alternatives, all with their own unique pros and cons. One solution based on a WebDAV/CalDAV concept is recommended, due to its potentials. It is superior to the other alternatives, because of its strength in functionality. Moreover, it has great potential to develop into a broader collaboration service, offering a digital work space with functions for document sharing, discussion boards etc. / Svenska myndigheter är skyldiga att samarbeta med varandra, inom ramen för sina respektive uppdrag. Ett exempel är Försäkringskassan, som samarbetar med flera andra myndigheter, arbetsgivare och vårdgivare. Samarbete som kräver synkrona dialoger och informationsutbyte försvåras av att de olika organisationernas tekniska system är separerade. Utan tillgång till deltagarnas kalendrar tvingas mötesarrangören lägga ner mycket tid i sökandet efter passande tider, och mötesdeltagarna behöver manuellt koordinera sina kalendrar. Möten över organisationsgränser blir därmed svåra att boka. I denna studie fördjupas förståelsen för problemet utifrån ett användarperspektiv, för att därefter söka efter på marknaden tillgängliga lösningar. Med ett experimentellt angreppssätt har fyra alternativ studerats, alla med sina respektive för- och nackdelar. Resultatet blir en rekommendation om att gå vidare med WebDAV/CalDAV som med sin funktionella styrka är det mest kraftfulla alternativet. Detta koncept kan, utöver mötesbokningsfunktionaliteten, utvecklas till en bredare samarbetstjänst för Försäkringskassan och dess externa parter, med potential att erbjuda digitala arbetsytor och funktioner för dokumentdelning, diskussionstavlor mm.

Arbetets övergripande syfte har varit att kartlägga ­företagsinkubatorn Movexums kundresa, lokalisera eventuella problem och hitta ­­­­­­­­­­­förbättringsmöjligheter. En företagsinkubator hjälper entreprenörer och idébärare med att göra sina innovativa idéer att bli framgångsrika ­produkter och tjänster. Data samlades först in genom research för att sedan fyllas på med data genom observationer av det dagliga arbetet på Movexum och vid ­tillfällen där kontakt med kund sker, till exempel vid coachmöten, en kunds första intervju eller en av deras främsta tjänster, Boost Chamber. Även intervjuer med både personal på Movexum och med sju av deras kunder genomfördes, plus kortare samtal med nyblivna medlemmar i Boost Chamber. I det stora hela upplever kunderna sin resa hos Movexum väldigt positivt. Jag möttes av stor nöjdhet från dem, framförallt gällande personalen på Movexum och det bemötande och engagemang de ger kunderna. Men efter att ha analyserat den inkomna datan lade jag märke till att det rådde lite problem, förvirring och oklarheter gällande ­­­­informationen från Movexum. Exempelvis kunde kunderna uppleva svårigheter att veta om aktiviteter och information var relevant för just dem, men ­också att ­information ibland kom med för kort varsel. Dessutom rådde det ­­oklarheter hos kunderna om vad vissa tjänster faktiskt innebär för dem. Resultaten av detta blev tre förslag på verktyg. Det första är själva ­­­­kartläggningen av kundresan. En visuell kartläggning som på ett ­tydligt sätt förklarar den resa kunden gör från det att en idé föds till att man blir ­utskriven från inkubatorn som alumniföretag. Det andra ­verktyget blev beteendetyper. Ett verktyg med syftet att öka förståelsen för ­kunden och dess upplevelser under resan. Det sista verktyget blev en ­introduktionsguide. Tillsammans skapar de tre förslagen ett förbättrat ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­samarbete och underlättar arbetet för både Movexum och kunderna.