service design – OM in the News

Amazon Tries On Brick-and-Mortar Clothing

Amazon is opening its first physical apparel store called Amazon Style in Los Angeles, in the latter part of 2022.

The store will have QR-coded clothes racks for customers to see item details, select items to send to a fitting room, and alert customers when a fitting room is ready. The fitting rooms have touchscreens for customers to request more items.

Customers can make purchases in store, buy at a later date, or find items remotely to deliver to the store to […]

By Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.|2022-03-01T23:18:17+00:00March 1, 2022|Tags: competitiveness, customer service, service design, service operations, strategy|

EV Stations: A Vision to Fuel the Future

The winner of an international competition envisions electric vehicle charging stations that offer far more than traditional gas stations.

Since charging an EV can take 20 or 30 minutes, the designer of the winning station included features like exercise equipment, massage therapy, a garden, and stores in additional to traditional gas station fare. He also suggests placing the stations in interesting places, such as near a trailhead or a community site of interest, to offer customers interesting ways to pass the […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2022-02-17T23:51:55+00:00February 17, 2022|Tags: applied research, new product development, product design, product life cycle, service design, sustainability|

Notre Dame’s Makeover Creates a Project Management Challenge

Reconstructing Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris after the devastating fire in 2019 is a major project and is igniting controversy around the world.

Global donations of $950 million dollars have poured in to fund the rebuild. French President Emmanuel Macron’s initial plans to reconstruct the spire in a modern design were scrapped after meeting with much resistance.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church’s plans to redo the interior in what critics have deemed a “Disneyland” experience are still in the works. Up to 12 […]

By Lisa M. Spencer|2022-02-10T05:57:04+00:00February 9, 2022|Tags: ethics, product design, project management, service design|

Reduce Queuing Time with Biometrics

Biometrics will now fast-track some of Delta’s frequent flyers through their international flight experience.

The technology, being tested through June 2022, in the Atlanta, Georgia airport, will use facial recognition for baggage checks, check-in and ticketing functions, TSA security points, and passenger boarding.

Passengers stand in front of a machine which scans their face and compares it to their stored passport photo. Over one quarter of Delta’s Atlanta-based flyers qualify for this program, though they can still opt out if they wish.

By Lisa M. Spencer|2022-02-04T02:29:52+00:00February 4, 2022|Tags: automation, capacity planning, quality, queuing theory, service design, waiting time|