Process Identification for Customer Service in the field of the After Sales Service as a Basis for "Lean After Sales Service"

Original Equipment Manufacturers have recognized that offering After Sales Services enables high revenues. Above this, the offer of After Sales Services combined with primary products is an appropriate instrument to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. But due to the noticeable increasing competitive pressure in the After Sales Service, a possible solution is the implementation of Lean principles to optimize the customer service-processes. These processes all pursue the target to satisfy the customer's needs. But due to the variety of these processes and difficult, changeable conditions in customer service (varying workload, required material and tools, changing working environment.), there is no valid framework concerning the general conditions and objectives of customer service-processes or no holistic approach for process structuration in these processes. But the framework identification of general conditions as well as a holistic process structuration in customer service is the necessary basis for the implementation of Lean principles. Within this paper (based on a research project funded by the German Research Foundation), the development of a methodical approach to identify general conditions, customer service-objectives and to create a holistic process structuration will be described, which should help the OEMs offering customer services to identify and structure these processes. By the use of this methodical approach, OEMs will be enabled to create a structured process landscape. In the future, this process landscape provides an initial point to implement Lean principles, such as Continuous Improvement or Waste Reduction, in customer service. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V