The process is an essential component of the marketing mix of services and is also an important element of the value chain; the other elements of the value chain are production, marketing, after-sales service, etc.
‘Process’ contributes as a significant part of marketing objectives, then also less attention has been paid to it.
The processes, which add some value to the services without incurring much cost, benefit the organization as well as the customers.
Performing transactions, delivering information, and offering a service in the most suitable way to the customers as well as to the company, is known as the process.
Several disciplines, such as decision theory, operations management, computer programming, etc., define the term process’ in a different way by using different words, but the basic concept behind it remains the same.
All the disciplines believe that a Process should comprise logical sub-processes that can be used for making the process more efficient.
In the case of the manufacturing industry, it is not necessary for the marketers to keep informed about how the physical goods are being manufactured; rather the individuals who own the manufacturing unit are required to know this.
On the other hand, in the case of the service industry, the marketer is expected to keep well-informed about all the services and the process of manufacturing and delivering these services to the end customers.
This is because the customers here are directly involved in the manner in which a service product is created, and they may have some specific requirements regarding the services.
Marketers also need to be involved in the design or the redesign of a service process as the same can influence the consumers. The customer views every service as an experience.
For example, visiting a doctor or lodging a complaint at a call center. On the other hand, organizations view services as a process that needs to be designed so that the required experience is delivered to the customer.
The process is thus the backbone of the service. It is nothing but a method or sequence of activities that service organizations need to undertake and also co-ordinate in order to create a value proposition for the customers.
In today’s customer-oriented business environment, all areas of manufacturing, engineering, and computer programming focus on understanding the process through which a task is undertaken, and the various steps involved in achieving the bottom-line results.
This has given birth to various revolutionary concepts like ‘Just in Time,’ ‘flexible manufacturing,’ ‘lean production’ ‘efficient customer response system,’ etc.
The companies have recently started giving so much importance to the process of delivering services and are using it as a strategic tool in gaining a competitive edge.