Service Network
Encyclopedia
A service network is a collection of people and information brought together on the internet
to provide a specific service or achieve a common business objective. It is an evolving extension of service system
s and applies Enterprise 2.0
technologies, also known as enterprise social software
, to enable corporations to leverage the advances of the consumer internet for the benefit of business.
A service network is designed to benefit from the wisdom of crowds
and a human's natural tendency and desire to share information, collaborate, and self organize into communities of common interests and objectives. In business, the value of collaboration is clearly recognized, but the ability is often hampered by rigid organizational boundaries and fragmented information systems. A service network enables businesses to realize the benefits of mass collaboration
despite the constraints of modern organizational structures and systems.
The term service network is increasingly being used within the context of service innovation
initiatives that span academia, business, and government. Some examples include:
had historically not kept pace with its growth.
However, in 2007, momentum and investment in service innovation grew dramatically and the creation and evolution of service networks began in earnest along with many other service initiatives.
solutions.
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
to provide a specific service or achieve a common business objective. It is an evolving extension of service system
Service system
A service system is a configuration of technology and organizational networks designed to deliver services that satisfy the needs, wants, or aspirations of customers.- Scope of the term :...
s and applies Enterprise 2.0
Enterprise 2.0
Enterprise 2.0 is the use of "Web 2.0" technologies within an organization to enable or streamline business processes while enhancing collaboration - connecting people through the use of social-media tools. Enterprise 2.0 aims to help employees, customers and suppliers collaborate, share, and...
technologies, also known as enterprise social software
Enterprise social software
Enterprise social software , comprises social software as used in "enterprise" contexts. It includes social and networked modifications to corporate intranets and other classic software platforms used by large companies to organize their communication...
, to enable corporations to leverage the advances of the consumer internet for the benefit of business.
A service network is designed to benefit from the wisdom of crowds
The Wisdom of Crowds
The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations, published in 2004, is a book written by James Surowiecki about the aggregation of information in groups, resulting in decisions that, he argues, are often better...
and a human's natural tendency and desire to share information, collaborate, and self organize into communities of common interests and objectives. In business, the value of collaboration is clearly recognized, but the ability is often hampered by rigid organizational boundaries and fragmented information systems. A service network enables businesses to realize the benefits of mass collaboration
Mass collaboration
Mass collaboration is a form of collective action that occurs when large numbers of people work independently on a single project, often modular in its nature...
despite the constraints of modern organizational structures and systems.
The term service network is increasingly being used within the context of service innovation
Service innovation
The concept of Service Innovation was first discussed in Miles and has been developed in the past 2 decades.It is used to refer to many things. These include but not limited to:...
initiatives that span academia, business, and government. Some examples include:
- The University of Cambridge and IBM Corporation use the term service network in their discussion paper, "Succeeding through Service Innovation" and describe it within the context of service systems networks.
- Ingres Corporation uses the term service network as a new paradigm in software service to enable Enterprise 2.0 IT service management.
- Openwater Corporation uses the term service network to help describe and brand their product offerings and solutions.
History
The world's economy is shifting rapidly from agriculture and manufacturing to services. When the United States declared independence, 90% of the world's economy was on the farm. Today, the services sector accounts for approximately 80% of the U.S. economy. But unlike traditional disciplines like computer science and engineering, innovation and investment directed towards service innovationService innovation
The concept of Service Innovation was first discussed in Miles and has been developed in the past 2 decades.It is used to refer to many things. These include but not limited to:...
had historically not kept pace with its growth.
However, in 2007, momentum and investment in service innovation grew dramatically and the creation and evolution of service networks began in earnest along with many other service initiatives.
Investments in service innovation
Investments in service innovation include, but are not limited to, service networks.- Business Week magazine, in an article dated, March 29, 2007, cited Service Innovation as the Next Big Thing.
- IBM is investing heavily in Service Science, Management, and Engineering (SSME)Service Science, Management and EngineeringService science, management, and engineering is a term introduced by IBM to describe service science, an interdisciplinary approach to the study, design, and implementation of services systems – complex systems in which specific arrangements of people and technologies take actions that provide...
as a means to bring academia, industry, and governments to become more focused and systematic about innovation in the services sector. - Universities are beginning to create degree programs around Service Science. Missouri State University and IBM announced on September 19, 2007, the first Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in IT Service Management in the U.S.
- High Tech software companies are beginning to roll out next generation service platforms using service networks.
- Several service consortiums and communities to help drive service innovation across the high technology industry continue to grow. These include the Consortium for Service Innovation as well as the Service, Research & Innovation Community.
- Hillary Clinton's Innovation Agenda, announced October 10, 2007, includes a Service Innovation Initiative, modeled after the National Nanotechnology Initiative, to help support research and development in services.
Delivery and usage
Service networks are typically delivered as an online or hosted solution, also referred to as software as a service (SaaS)Software as a Service
Software as a service , sometimes referred to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over the Internet.SaaS has become a common...
solutions.
Other sources
- Andrew McAfee.Enterprise 2.0: The Dawn of Emergent Collaboration (http://www.wikiservice.at/upload/ChristopheDucamp/McAfeeEntrepriseDeux.pdf) MIT Sloan Management Review Spring 2006, Vol.47 No.3
- Don Tapscott. Wikinomics (How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything) Penguin Books Ltd, First Published in 2006 by Portfolio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
- Consortium for Service Innovation. The Adaptive Organization Operational Model (http://www.serviceinnovation.org/included/docs/library/programs/ao_opmodel_v1.4.pdf)