The Supporting Facility
Creating the Right Environment
Learning Objectives
 Discuss
the impact of the “servicescape” on the
behavior of customers and employees.
 Describe the critical facility design features.
 Identify the bottleneck operation in a product
layout and rebalance for increased capacity.
 Use operations sequence analysis to minimize
flow-distance in a process layout.
 Prepare a process flowchart.
 Recommend facility design features to remove
anxiety of disorientation.
Servicescapes
Designing Physical Surroundings to Affect
Employee and Customer Behavior
 Ambient Conditions: background
characteristics such as noise level, music,
lighting, temperature, and scent.
 Spatial Layout and Functionality: reception
area, circulation paths of employees and
customers, and focal points.
 Signs, Symbols, and Artifacts: selection,
orientation, location, and size of objects.
Typology of Servicescapes
Who Performs in
Servicescape
Physical Complexity of the Servicescape
Elaborate
Lean
Self-service
(customer only)
Golf course
Water slide park
Post office kiosk
E-commerce
Interpersonal
(both)
Luxury hotel
Airline terminal
Budget hotel
Bus station
Remote service
(employee only)
Research lab
L.L. Bean
Telemarketing
Online tech support
Facility Design Considerations
 Nature
and Objectives of Service
Organization
 Land Availability and Space
Requirements
 Flexibility
 Aesthetic Factors
 The Community and Environment
Environmental Orientation
Considerations
 Need
for spatial cues to orient visitors
 Formula facilities draw on previous
experience
 Entrance atrium allows visitors to gain a
quick orientation and observe others for
behavioral cues
 Orientation aids and signage such as “You
Are Here” maps reduce anxiety
Walk-Through-Audit
Service delivery system should confirm to
customer expectations
Customer impression of service influenced
By use of all senses.
Service managers lose sensitivity due to
Familiarity.
Need detailed service audit from a customers
perspective.
Product Layout
Line-balancing Problem
 Automobile
In
Driver’s License Office
Review
Payment
Violations
Eye Test
Photograph
1
2
3
4
5
15
240
30
120
60
60
Activity
numbers
Time
in seconds
40
90
Flow rate
per hour
20
180
Issue
6
30
120 Out
Automobile Driver’s License
Office (Improved Layout)
In
1,4
55
65
3
60
60
2
30
In
1,4
55
65
3
60
60
120
5
20
180
Out
6
30
120
Process Layout
Relative Location Problem
 Ocean
A
A
B
7
8
World Theme Park Daily Flows
C
D
E
F
20
0
5
6
6
10
0
2
15
7
8
10
3
B
C
10
6
D
0
30
5
E
10
10
1
20
F
0
6
0
3
Flow matrix
A
Net
flow
B
C
D
E
15
30
0
15
6
12
40
10
8
20
8
8
30
6
6
F
10
4
Triangularized matrix
Description of attractions: A=killer whale, B=sea lions, C=dolphins, D=water skiing,
E=aquarium, F=water rides.
Ocean World Theme Park
(Proposed Layout)
(a) Initial layout
A
B
C
D
E
F
(b) Move C close to A
Pair Flow distances
AC
30 * 2 = 60
AF
6 * 2 = 12
DC
20 * 2 = 40
DF
6 * 2 = 12
Total
124
(c ) Exchange A and C
Pair Flow distances
A
AE
15 * 2 = 30
C B
CF
8 * 2 = 16
AF
6 * 2 = 12
D E
F
AD
0*2= 0
DF
6 * 2 = 12
Total
70
Pair Flow distances
CD
20 * 2 =40
A B
CF
8 * 2 =16
D E
F
DF
6 * 2 = 12
AF
6 * 2 = 12
CE
8 * 2 = 16
Total
96
(d) Exchange B and E and move F
Pair Flow distances
A
F
AB
15 * 2 =30
AD
0*2=0
C
E
FB
8 * 2 = 16
D
B
FD
6 * 2 = 12
Total
58
C
Process Flow Charting Symbols
Category
Symbol
Operation
Customer
contact
Travel
Delay
Inspection
D
Description
An operation performed by the server off-line or customers
self-service. A possible service failure point.
An occasion when server and customer interact. An
opportunity to influence customer service perceptions.
The movement of customers, servers, or information
between operations.
Delay resulting in a queue and a need for waiting space for
customers.
An activity by customer or server to measure service quality.
Credit Card Processing (Before)
Distance
30 ft.
30 ft.
30 ft.
30 ft.
30 ft.
30 ft.
30 ft.
30 ft.
30 ft.
Time
0.5 min.
0.5 min.
0.5 min.
0.25 min.
0.5 min.
0.5 min.
0.5 min.
0.25 min
0.5 min.
0.5 min
0.5 min.
1.0 min.
0.5 min.
0.25 min.
0.5 min.
0.5 min.
0.5 min.
0.25 min.
0.5 min.
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
Activity
Customer requests check
Server walks
Server prepares check
Server walks
Server presents check
Server walks
Customer inspects, puts card out
Server returns to table
Server picks up card
Server walks to process
Server fills out slip
Server processes slip
Server obtains preauthorization
Server walks
Server presents slip
Server walks
Customer signs (leaves)
Server walks
Server picks up slip
(Customer leaves) Server walks
Total time: Server:9 min. (270 ft.) Customer: 7.75 min.
Credit Card Processing (After)
Distance
30 ft.
30 ft.
30 ft.
30 ft.
30 ft.
30 ft.
30 ft.
Time
0.5 min.
0.5 min.
0.5 min.
0.5 min.
0.25 min.
0.5 min.
0.5 min
0.5 min.
0.25 min
0.5 min.
0.5 min.
1.0 min.
0.5 min.
0.25 min.
0.5 min.
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
Activity
Customer requests check
Server walks
Server prepares check
Server fills out slip
Server walks
Server presents check and slip
Server returns to table
Customer inspects, puts card out, signs slip
Server returns to table
Server picks up card and slip
Server walks
Server processes slip an card
Server obtains authorization
Server walks
Server presents card and receipt
Server walks
Customer leaves
Total time: Server: 7.5 min. (210 ft.) Customer: 6.75 min.
Topics for Discussion
 Compare
the attention to aesthetics in waiting
rooms that you have visited. How did the
different environments affect your mood?
 Give an example of a servicescape that supports
the service concept and another that detracts.
Explain the success or failure in terms of the
servicescape dimensions
 Based on your work experience, contrast a
supportive servicescape with a poor one in terms
of job satisfaction and productivity.