Revising Portfolio of Port Agency Services : Blueprint for the Service
Luoma, Linda (2016)
Luoma, Linda
Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu
2016
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201605198579
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201605198579
Tiivistelmä
This study focuses on designing a new service to include to the existing service portfolio of a port agency service provider. It explores possibilities to improve the current service offering of a port agency company that is seeking continuous improvement in their port agency services. The demand for a new service design is driven by a need to differentiate from the group of vendors and simultaneously aim to constant value creation. Differentiating from 'standard' enables to expand the customer base and secure the financial stability of the company.
This study is commenced by conducting the current state analysis of the company and the industry and identifying elements that have room for improvement. Legislation steers the industry fairly much, which causes limitations to elements that are suitable for new service design. Identified elements are then defined and narrowed in co-operation with the case company stakeholders. Existing knowledge on designing a new service is then searched from literature and best practice in order to find tools suitable for service design in this specific context.
The research design comprises five steps that include, first, a definition of the objective and, second, building a research design. Third, the study collected and analyzed data that mainly came from personnel interviews and company internal documentation. Fourth, it scrutinized the available knowledge on the problem, and fifth, built and validated the proposal for the new service.
The outcome of this Thesis is a new service design, which has been executed by utilizing a service blueprinting tool. The case company can benefit from the new design by utilizing the proposed service in a convenient form of a blueprint, coupled with a service manual for arriving vessels. If successful, the approach behind the designed service can also be utilized in other case company services.
This study is commenced by conducting the current state analysis of the company and the industry and identifying elements that have room for improvement. Legislation steers the industry fairly much, which causes limitations to elements that are suitable for new service design. Identified elements are then defined and narrowed in co-operation with the case company stakeholders. Existing knowledge on designing a new service is then searched from literature and best practice in order to find tools suitable for service design in this specific context.
The research design comprises five steps that include, first, a definition of the objective and, second, building a research design. Third, the study collected and analyzed data that mainly came from personnel interviews and company internal documentation. Fourth, it scrutinized the available knowledge on the problem, and fifth, built and validated the proposal for the new service.
The outcome of this Thesis is a new service design, which has been executed by utilizing a service blueprinting tool. The case company can benefit from the new design by utilizing the proposed service in a convenient form of a blueprint, coupled with a service manual for arriving vessels. If successful, the approach behind the designed service can also be utilized in other case company services.