Driving organisational change in SMEs using service design

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to present a service design (SD)-based methodology developed to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) undertake organisational change.Design/methodology/approachThis research used the design science research methodology, which enabled the creation of the Service Design for Organisational Change (SD4OCh) methodology. A real case study of a small service company specialised in neuropsychological disorders was used for the definition and validation of SD4OCh.FindingsThe main outcome of this study is the SD4OCh methodology, which is based on three key stages: diagnosis (knowing where to begin by detecting the organisation's strengths and weaknesses), innovation (improving the structure/processes and designing/redesigning services by employing a customer-centric approach), and implementation (enabling the definition of the route towards organisational change). There is also a transversal evaluation stage, which quantifies the organisational changes.Research limitations/implicationsThis study adds valuable knowledge to the service science research field and contributes to the awareness of the usefulness of SD theory within companies, especially those which are small and medium-sized, since those companies lack the tools and methods required to tackle organisational change, signifying that the challenges the companies confront are different to those of larger companies.Originality/valueAlthough this is a SD-based research, the SD4OCh methodology was developed in order to enable companies to make holistic changes, namely, to innovate their services, structure, and processes, thus supporting and guiding organisational change.

Influence of managerial practices, productivity, and change management process on organizational innovation capability of small and medium businesses

“…Hence, a balance needs to be maintained between the changes required to be made and the routines to be followed. This balance facilitates the methodology for change management (Salgado et al, 2022). CMP includes diagnosis, which means identifying the starting point after assessing an organization's weaknesses and strengths.…”

“…Thereafter comes innovation, which is concerned with improving the structure as well as designing the services through a customer-centric approach (Bruhn and Schnebelen, 2017). Finally, comes the implementation process through which management decides the route through which such changes can be implemented in their organizations (Salgado et al, 2022). The MGS of small and medium businesses needs to change as business dynamics change so that employees become more creative and more innovative for their organizations (Oxman, 2017).…”

Incremental Innovation: Long-Term Impetus for Design Business Creativity

“…However, generating new concepts when focusing on existing products can be challenging. SCAMPER is a straightforward tool for divergent thinking, providing a quick, simple, and straightforward method for creative brainstorming [90] (see Figure 9). Different perspectives on an existing product, service, or situation help designers innovate.…”