Service Operations Management - Essay Example

Running head: Case Study: NHS Direct Case Study: NHS Direct s Part B NHS DIRECT With chalking the core skills and services provided by the Physicians need is felt to steps to be taken for the future of the profession (Golledge, 1998; Brown and Greenwood, 1999). The part two of the article indicates towards the multidimensional duties of the of formulating a credible information database for the new comers and developing a see of a standard ethical codes which can be helpful in understanding and serving the needs of patients. In case of health services provision absence of reliable literature relating to health problems in the NHS for the customers has been felt since many years. The library provision of standard material regarding the health services education and practise has always been severely needed the NHS took steps in order to fulfil this need by providing an online database and made the clinician’s enable to make the most of it. In a study conducted by (Taylor, Ellis, & Gallagho 2002) the scope of telephonic advice to patients was examined. It was found that the patients were very much satisfied with the advice given to them, this not only helped the patients but also helped the management in managing the primary care workload. In the same way the internet presence of NHS in shape of NHS Direct also enabled the physicians to educate their patients about their treatment, do’s and don’ts and their diet schedule in a more effective, consistent and timely manner. NHS Direct also helped the physicians to consolidate their relationships with other institutions in order to share their ideas about different discoveries and enhancements in their related field. This process is under way in some parts of the world. Williams & Ropert, (2004) under taken a project in the Universities of Australia and Philadelphia in which eighty-four students were brought together, The main purpose of the project was to determine whether Internet is an effective tool in exchanging ideas and discoveries in a useful manner. The result determined that the use of Internet was useful in exchanging the ideas about a topic, it not only enhanced the knowledge but also opened new dimensions for inquiry and research. The self-service technology or also termed as SST, has so much to do with the efficiency and the effectiveness of the NHS Direct. What really is SST and how does it work as an element of e-business? Cheryl Nakata’s book entitled “Self-Service Technology failure: Understanding the Customer Perspective” talks about the necessary factors regarding self-0service technology that could contribute to either the success or the failure of ‘click and mortar’ organisations such as health assistance organisations. According to her, the necessary parts or mediums of the implementation of self-service technology are phone based Internet or Online Based, freestanding kiosks, and the combination of the said technologies. According to Troy Janisch in his article “Technology spurs great service, full service and self-service” these elements of media communication are indeed a part of the developmental processes in the Internet systems. The said elements listed above are to be defined: Web: “The big daddy of self-service. CRM-savvy companies let customers order products, make reservations, buy tickets and find customer support answers online.” Kiosk: “An effective point of sale weapon. Ideal for making transactions more efficient and for providing a high level of customised pre-sale information to prospective customers. Transactional Kiosks are best separated from informational kiosks. You don’t want customers in line with their chequebook behind someone who’s browsing.” Phone: “A simple solution for small data is the Interactive Voice Response or IVR that does work on many situations where small amounts of data are gathered for more accurate delivery” (source: Janisch, Troy. (2004). Technology Spurs Great Service, Full Service and Self-Service) Through these factors, the health services provision companies are able to give service to their clients regardless of the distance of the customers, hence, making it easier for both parties to work things out on their own convenience. The promise of this system are broken down to four major divisions which are listed as follows: Increased speed, efficiency, and accuracy- Because of the fact that the Internet could be easily updated every now and then in a fast pace, the information posted through the Internet sites for specific agencies and virtual organisations of existing businesses. Expanding Sales through more information and choice- through the use of an effective programming system, any web host or web providers as well could post the necessary choices, which they think could be useful for Internet surfers and other prospect clients. In this way, they are able to increase their sales revenues through time. Lower costs for providers and receivers- since the information through the Internet are rather considered cheaper than that of the choices present in televisions and other mediums of communication, the costs of expenses are rather lowered down with its normal rate. On the other hand, the consumers are also able to save the expenses they are supposed to spend on transportation expenses. This way, clients are able to stretch their budget into purchasing the products over the Internet. Higher customer loyalty or retention- since the internet providers could hold the attention of the consumers through promotions and other special offerings especially for VIP’s or the regular clients at that, business companies are able to hold the loyalty of their consumers and retain the attention they get from Internet surfers. In addition, considering that the clients are easier to reach through the Internet, special ways of taking care of the consumers’ needs could also be applied for greater customer satisfaction. These factors as said by Nakata have strong influence in the cyber market for clients to be mainly attracted to what the sites have to offer them. However, since many companies are able to advertise and post their marketing strategies through the Internet, there is indeed a tight competition when it comes to attracting prospect consumers to view the sites that different companies prepared for public viewing. In this regard, other points of consideration will also need attention as they are opted to provide the best service that they are expected to provide. References Brown, G. and Greenwood, J., 1999. Occupational therapy and Physiotherapy: Similar but Separate British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62(4), 163-170. Gplledge, J., (1998). Is there unnecessary duplication of skills between occupational therapists and Physiotherapists? British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61(4), 161-162 Taylor, S., Ellis, I., Gallagher, M., (2002). Patient Satisfaction with a New Physiotherapy: Telephone Service for Back Pain Patients, Physiotherapy, 88 (11), 645-657 Williams, M., Robert, F., (2004). Physical Therapy Education: The Feasibility of International Collaborative Assignments Using E-mail, Journal of Physical Therapy Education, Spring 2004, [online], Available from: URL http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3969/is_200404/ai_n9399081 Read More