Building and managing modern e-services

This chapter addresses the development cycle of recent ‘services’ models. It considers that all products involve services and consequently maybe be considered as service systems. First, the issue of ‘services’ is described; next, the enhancement of ‘services’ via value creation is described, along with the progression from supply and demand chains, to value chains, to service value chains, and finally to service value networks. This progression pathway has developed over time, and has enabled ‘service’ and ‘e-service’ businesses to deliver and further develop competitive business solutions. The combinations of integrated, highly competitive, e-supply chains delivering the final ‘services’ suite to the frontline business seller moves the e-supply chain model to a more advanced level. Today, the recent concept of utilizing service value networks offers a key to future competitive solutions. Service value networks house fully integrated e-demand and e-supply chains working in harmony to the deliver both services and e-services. They are also highly agile and offer customer-induced flexible business solutions to customer requests. This chapter highlights the progression to service value networks. In addition it also offers the manager a balanced scorecard structural mechanism via which management controls over e-services and service value networks may be developed and maintained