The Service Organization: How to Deliver and Lead Successful Services, Sustainably

The Service Organization is a book that explains that all organizations are becoming service organizations, but most were not built to deliver services successfully end-to-end. It suggests that default working practices need to be transformed to reimagine what the organization does from the perspective of its customers and that practical advice and tools are provided to deliver the best outcomes.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 02 February 2023
Publisher: London Publishing Partnership

The shift towards service-oriented organizations is evident across all sectors, but many were not designed to deliver services seamlessly end-to-end. The consequences of this are readily observable in terms of human, operational, and financial impacts. In the digital age, where services are rapidly evolving, the stakes have heightened significantly. However, the default working practices within large organizations, such as governance, planning, funding, leadership, reporting, program and team structures, have remained largely unchanged. Rather than focusing on modernizing individual services one at a time, the underlying organizational conditions must be transformed. Anything less is an exercise in futility.

The Service Organization is the culmination of years of extensive research and consulting, involving dozens of interviews with executives from various industries. It delves into significant challenges that leaders will encounter and presents them as solvable puzzles through practical advice and tools that reimagine the organization's activities from the perspective of its customers. This book is designed for a wide audience, including designers, technologists, operational staff, policymakers, and leaders. It offers surprisingly straightforward yet often overlooked steps that can be implemented regardless of seniority or pay band, often overlooked by even the most progressive professions, teams, and companies.

Kate Tarling sets a bold, ambitious, and practical agenda for all service organizations. Her book provides insightful examples from global companies, public sector bodies, and non-profits that have successfully delivered and led services. It demonstrates how organizations can reinvent themselves by placing the success of their services at the core of their operations rather than solely relying on technological advancements. By adopting these principles, organizations can achieve sustainable competitive advantage and create a positive impact on their customers and society as a whole.

Weight: 396g
Dimension: 137 x 217 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781913019761