Journal of Service Science and Management, 2019, 12, 697-713
https://www.scirp.org/journal/jssm
ISSN Online: 1940-9907
ISSN Print: 1940-9893
DOI: 10.4236/jssm.2019.126048 Sep. 16, 2019 697 Journal of Service Science and Management
Systems Approach to Develop a Conceptual
Model of the Service Enterprise
Zaida Alarcón-Bernal
1
, Ricardo Aceves-García
2
, Arturo Fuentes-Zenón
2
1
Department of Biomedical Systems Engineering, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, México
2
Department of Systems, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, México
Abstract
Considering the characteristics and particularities of services such as insepa-
rability, perishability and variability, which make them ephemeral and little
tangible, non-storable, and non-patentable, we can have a clear idea of the
complexity that exists in planning, operating and solving problems in service
companies. This situation demands the use of a different vision to analyze
and study these companies and their problems. Therefore, the systems ap-
proach is presented and used for the construction of a conceptual model, as a
support framework to situate and organize our perceptions, fix the structure
of the problem, delimit the area of interest and define the relevant and
non-relevant aspects. With the systems vision, we have been able to use the
three basic forms of planning for decision making (strategic, tactical and
operative) in the construction of a conceptual model. The methodology used
that integrates these three basic forms of planning is presented in a logi-
cal-formal guide for the construction of the conceptual model of the service
company. This representation identifies the basic elements of a business
model such as customers, value proposition, infrastructure and information
for decision making, as well as their interactions. The model obtained is sim-
ple, relevant, and easy to understand and at the same time does not oversim-
plify the complex operation of a service company.
Keywords
Conceptual Model, Service Companies, Systems Approach, Service Science,
Service System
1. Introduction
Services have gone from being a peripheral activity in an economy focused on
How to cite this paper: Alarcón-Bernal,
Z., Aceves-García, R. and Fuentes-Zenón,
A. (2019) Systems Approach to Develop a
Conceptual Model of the Service Enter-
prise. Journal of Service Science and Man-
agement, 12, 697-713.
https://doi.org/10.4236/jssm.2019.126048
Received: August 14, 2019
Accepted: September 13, 2019
Published: September 16, 2019
Copyright © 2019 by author(s) and
Scientific Research Publishing Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative
Commons Attribution International
License (CC BY 4.0).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Open Access