Lean Sigma for Services

Think about the service industry. You might be thinking about banking, or hotel and restaurant management, or the training department for an organization. Consider what products these companies produce and their qualities. This list of examples for services is to provide a stimulus for your thinking when you are analyzing your organization. When applying Lean Sigma to services, remember that services have qualities that are not the same as the qualities for a measurable product from a manufacturing process.

Lean Sigma Service Examples and Traits

Let's look at hospitality and customer service. These services are intangible in that good hospitality and customer service cannot be quantified. A smile, a courteous gesture, and a good-tasting meal are all examples of intangibles. Each is based upon a perception by the customer or client, a perception that cannot be seen, felt, or touched, yet it can be measured in return customers and customer satisfaction.

The banking industry produces services that are consumed immediately: A customer writes a check, and it clears the customer's bank account. This type of transaction is inseparable, meaning that the production and consumption of the service are simultaneous. The education industry provides services that are produced and consumed simultaneously: A teacher interacts with a class, and the class listens or responds to questions.

The restaurant industry has services that are perishable. Consumption of the service (which in this case refers to the food being served) is completed when the service is offered, and this type of service cannot be stored for later consumption and retain its original level of service. Synchronous teaching could be labeled as a perishable service due to being completed when offered and lack of storage for later consumption; the interaction in the class is not the same in the asynchronous environment. The level of engagement in a synchronous class can be perishable because it not likely to be stored for later review and consumption in the form where it occurred in the synchronous class.

The application of a service is variable and dependent upon the person delivering the service and the person receiving the service. The same service is also perceived differently by different people; one person may think the service is exceptional, while another thinks that same level of service is poor. Consider the healthcare industry, where the same procedure and protocols might result in complete recovery for one patient and loss of life for another patient.

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