Title: An analytical framework for the design of service delivery systems: a co-production approach

Authors: Truong Hong Trinh; Voratas Kachitvichyanukul

Addresses: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand ' Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology, Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to develop an analytical framework for the design of service delivery systems. The framework employs co-production approach and develops a bi-level multi-objective model for developing service delivery strategy. For the upper level, co-production approach is employed to develop channel strategy that requires an objective trade-off between total cost and total utility. For the lower level, the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method is used for planning allocation policy with capacity constraints, in which output-oriented CCR models are employed to measure customer efficiency and productivity index. In order to deal with the objective trade-off problems, multi-objective partial swarm optimisation (MOPSO) algorithm is used to identify non-dominated feasible solutions (Pareto front) for the hypothetical service system. The experimental study is carried out to assess strategic approaches and allocation behaviours in service delivery systems. The results provide strategic options for the design of service delivery systems.

Keywords: co-production; customer efficiency; productivity index; data envelopment analysis; DEA; multiobjective optimisation; objective trade-off; service delivery systems; channel strategy; allocation policy; capacity constraints; partial swarm optimisation; PSO; system design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOR.2013.053190

International Journal of Operational Research, 2013 Vol.17 No.1, pp.125 - 144

Published online: 29 Jul 2014 *

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