Hervé Mathe

Successful global strategies for service companies

Abstract As much as companies the world over recognize and indeed are participants in the acclerating pace of investment in services, numerous firms find themselves grappling with fundamental questions about whether, and how, to offer their services globally. Companies need to address certain basic issues to help assess international competition in their sector to clarify their motivations and identify appropriate strategies for globalizing. This process further entails making organizational adjustments, determining whether a service is best standardized across all markets or differentiated, and choosing the best mix of services. This paper offers frameworks to guide the globalization process, as well as concrete examples of the various options firms have chosen.

Harnessing technology in global service businesses

Abstract Services are currently experiencing dramatic global expansion. This article examines the contribution of technology to the success of the implementation of international strategies in three service industries: commercial banking, retailing and health care. Finally, it discusses the lessons that can be drawn from a comparison among these industries.

Managing the Service Mix: After Sale Service for Competitive Advantage

More and more, customer service is proving to be a source of competitive advantage for manufacturing firms, enabling leaders to remain ahead of the pack and providing the added thrust to allow a challenger to attack and overtake the leader. The articulation of the role of service must take place during the formulation of business unit strategy. Defining the mix of services to be provided requires the understanding of customer needs throughout the entire life cycle of the customer/supplier relationship. To be successful in providing those services, management must recognize that service is a corporate‐wide activity, requiring careful cross‐functional coordination.

Living Innovation:Competing in the 21st Century Access Economy

Living Innovation: Competing in the 21st Century Access Economy explores how the digital revolution has empowered customers, and how organizations have to innovate to gain a deeper understanding of user needs. Stepping away from the traditional mindset of products being the foremost concern of an organization, this book elaborates on how service value and the management of customer relationships are some of the new goals of an experience-driven economy. The ten chapters of this book provide insights and different perspectives into this new economy, including the consequences of the shift away from a product-based mindset, the role of the physical space as a stimulator of innovation and the keys to making service innovation a success.