Question

The growth of the service economy has seen even traditional product-focused companies aggressively pursuing a service design to add value to their product offering. Explain the differences between a product design and a service design.

1.  Compare the product and service design processes and explain why the two are different.

Manufacturing layouts can include the process, project,and product layouts.

2.  What are the differences between the three layouts? Which companies use these layouts? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each layout.

Answer 1

1. The differences between product design and service design process come from the difference in the characteristics of the two. Products are tangible whereas services are intangible. Products can be stored once produced and services are immediately used when purchased or needed. The quality of the products is examined and controlled by comparing with the data whereas the quality of the services are controlled and improved with experience. The product design is measured with the output and the service design is measured with the outcome of the service.

Product design is repeated because the same products are manufactured in bulk and over a period of time. Service design cannot be repeated as the service delivered by the same person at different times or by many people at the same time can be different. Products can be patented but it is not practical to patent services. The product and service design and design process vary based on these differences between the two. The process has to be designed for the product or service based on their individual characteristics but these are the characteristics of the two which make their designing different.