Methodological approach for a process-orientated Lean Service implementation

Abstract

Manufacturing companies are increasingly focusing on the field of the After Sales Service. In the primary product sector, margins are often very low for these companies due to stricter business conditions. This is due to the fact that more and more new competitors are operating on the market and price pressure is dominating. Therefore, new distinguishing features must be identified. The After Sales Service is a possible instrument for this purpose. By providing After Sales Services, primary product manufacturers can differentiate themselves from competitors. In addition, excellent After Sales Services can also increase customer loyalty and customer satisfaction. The importance of After Sales Service can be seen, for example, in the fact that manufacturing companies generate a high percentage of the profit with the After Sales Service. In order to design the After Sales Service efficiently in the future, methodological approaches must be identified and implemented. This paper presents a process-oriented approach based on process characteristics to identify suitable principles of Lean Production Systems based on process characteristics in the After Sales Service. For this purpose, process characteristics are analyzed for the core processes in the After Sales Service and principles are identified on the basis of these process characteristics.