Service process control: a method to compare dynamic robustness of alternative service processes

This paper contributes to the service engineering field by developing a procedure to compare the dynamic robustness of alternative service delivery processes. The procedure adapts an existing method for comparing the dynamic robustness of chemical process control systems. It has four steps: (a) characterisation of each type of uncertainty that affects the service plant; (b) Monte Carlo computer simulation of the process flowchart to determine how the service process responds to different combinations of uncertainties; (c) calculation of a quality index for each combination of uncertainties; and (d) plotting of a frequency distribution of these indices. The tighter the resulting distribution, the more robust the system. The procedure can be used to evaluate the effects of design and control changes in the service delivery process. To demonstrate the procedure, a modification to a hospital patient-treatment process is evaluated.