What others are saying about Service Chain Optimization For Dummies:
"I think this is well written. It's very clear and provides a great overview of the subject which will be very helpful for new managers to get a thorough grounding in managing their resources. It also gives helpful checklists and tips which will be invaluable for existing service managers to review and improve their service offerings. Well done!"
Professor Graham Clark - Senior Lecturer in Operations Management, Cranfield School of Management
"An easy to read book for the person new to the service business who wants to understand what is involved in service chain optimisation and why it is so important in today's operations."
Steve Downton- Downton Consulting
"Regardless of how any field service provider has fared in the recent global downturn, the desire to increase efficiency and improve customer service remains high on the agenda. If this is not the case, it does not bode well for the company's survival in the future!
With many service operations now considering what effects a slowly improving economy will have on their business in 2010, the decision by ClickSoftware to publish an advisory booklet on the various aspects involved in optimising the field service operation is well timed. Tapping in to the experience of its own personnel, the company has created an easy-to-read, concise publication that clearly sets out the requirements that need to be undertaken.
Information is presented on a step-by-step basis, allowing readers to either work their way through in a logical progression or focus on the areas most of interest to their business. Due to the compact size of the publication, one would imagine that the majority of readers will subscribe to the former method. There is considerable emphasis on the importance of essential processes such as including the workforce in discussions as early as possible within the project, the importance of improving customer service and the benefits available, along with the potential for reducing cost of service delivery.While the booklet contains explanation of the role that automated scheduling can play within a service operation, the high level of advice on many other aspects ensures that this is not over-emphasised, included as a complementary component of the overall message and avoiding sounding like a sales pitch for the company's products. The statements advising the need to consider service chain optimisation as a journey, not a destination, and that all areas of the service supply chain have to be examined provide further proof that this is a responsible attempt by an industry supplier to assist field service providers in raising their game. While the company's products are mentioned in the closing stages of the publication, the overall message is one of constructive advice. The various bullet points, tick lists and highlights scattered liberally throughout the booklet combine to further emphasise its concise nature. Lack of time is the most common reason given by professionals in all sectors for not investigating or engaging in new projects, so ClickSoftware's decision to focus on brevity will be appreciated by many."
Dennis Flower- Editor, Service Management Magazine
"Service Chain Optimization For Dummies provides easy-to-understand advice for implementation, real-life examples of business benefits, and points out common process inefficiencies that you may not even realize are impacting your company's productivity. This book is a valuable resource for any company seeking to optimize its service chain and interested in tips on how to do so successfully."
Sarah Howland, Editor, Integrated Solutions magazine
"Optimization inherently seems to be and often is a very technical process, but this guide does a good job of stripping out the business process from the technology and getting to the real business changes that need to be made to be truly optimized in the service environment."
Sumair Dutta, Senior Research Analyst, Service Management, Aberdeen Group
"Finally-a truly comprehensive guide to Service Chain terminology, processes and success metrics. Not only does "Service Chain Optimization for Dummies" include a deep-dive on industry "best practices," such as Professor Moshe BenBassat's W-6 scheduling principle, but there is also emphasis on the hottest topics leading the service chain into the future, such as social media, mobile devices, GPS integration and even Green considerations. This book is a must read for new service managers, and one I will be recommending frequently to Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA) members."
John Ragsdale, VP Technology Research at Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA)