Designing and Implementing New Services: The Challenges of Integrating Service Systems

The design and implementation of new services is a poorly understood process. The limited prior research has been characterized by the adoption of models that fail to consider important aspects of service planning, nntably the impact that a new service may have on the existing set-vice system. This article addresses many of these deficiencies by: (a) providing an alternate conceptualization of what constitutes a new service, (b) analyzing three case studies to gain additional insights into design challenges, (c) developing frameworks for assessing service design, and (d) presenting and discussing a planning cycle for the integration of new services into an operating service system. Limitations of the study and suggested avenues for research are presented.