ISS 2020 Vision Future of Service Management | Seite 41

Technology is changing quickly, but humans are not. Individuals require time to adapt and the
appropriate mechanisms that consider this should be built into the HR approach of service
firms. 34 Accordingly, “in services, we partly see autonomous robots and in addition we will
see ‘cobots’, who work hand-in-hand with people. 34 ” In order to deliver the most value at
the highest efficiency.
This will test managements’ current abilities and require new management styles. It will
demand much more open and consistent communication with employees than face-to-face
communication. Managers will have to develop new ways to drive engagement as there
are no water coolers to gather around on breaks. As a result, remote and virtual workers
can become isolated from a company’s culture, and managers must make added efforts to
engage and integrate them into the company’s culture. 35
Managers will also have to develop new means for developing workers’ career paths. Physical
absence from an office can significantly hinder a worker’s potential career path. The London
Business School and the University of California Davis discovered that virtual workers are
typically passed over for promotions, receive lower employee evaluations, and receive fewer
and smaller wage increases than traditional workers. 35
Finally, service providers should be diligent in their research and development and avoid
making investments in obsolescence; that is, developing solutions based on technologies
that are quickly replaced with new systems. Indeed, service providers should be careful
not to develop a dependency on any one particular technology, but instead, work closely
with partners and suppliers to create agile systems. At the same time, the industry will be
challenged in ensuring technological competencies and skills among service professionals
continuously updated in order to maintain service excellence in a changing environment.
5.1.2 Individualization & democratization
Social trends are some of most important drivers for the future of service (see figure 12).
Specifically, the trend towards greater individualization continues to spread in both developed
and emerging economies, and is closely connected to the widespread application of the
principles of empowerment, accessibility and transparency across personal and professional
spheres. Users will be increasingly empowered to participate in the service provision. Service
providers will have to determine the degree of user involvement that best suits their end-
users’ needs. At the same time, users are becoming less loyal towards brands, constantly
asking themselves: “How has the interaction with the service provider benefited me?” If they
cannot answer this question or answer it negatively, they will move on to another provider.
34 Coenen, C., ISS 2020 Vision: Future of Service Management, 2016.
35 ISS World Services, How to integrate virtual workers into your office culture, Servicefutures, 2015.
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