Critical Analysis of the Article from both POSITIVE and NEGATIVE aspects - Essay Example

The article “How to design a Service” has been written by Shostak, L and was published in European Journal of Marketing 2007) in volume 16 issue The author basically aims at developing the understanding of how services and products combined together to provide a different and unique experience to the customers. As such the focus is on visualizing a service in such a manner that it undertakes into account a complex combination of services and products. The basic premise of this article therefore is to see services as well as products as complex and dynamic variables rather than static variables and their nature therefore shall be measured accordingly.

The so called molecular approach is therefore advocated in order to indicate the complex and inter-connected nature of the marketing as a whole. The author therefore does not see products and services as two different acts but visualize it as a combination of complex processes that must be undertaken together in order to deliver something of value to the customers.The author has also provided a visual representation of the molecular model and how it can integrate with marketing processes to provide a comprehensive view of how marketers should view services and other aspects of marketing jointly.

This approach therefore provides a visual picture of the different relationships and proportions of the elements. Further, author has attempted to consider services with evidence as it is the evidence only which can effectively provide a comprehensive understanding of how one can actually measure the effectiveness of the services.The author therefore provides modeling as well as blueprinting as two important methods that can effectively provide marketers an opportunity to design services in such a manner that it can offer relatively better opportunity to understanding marketing in larger context and design the overall offering in such a manner that achieve the objectives.

It is however, critical to note that the author has fall short on different occasions. Services essentially are of perishable nature therefore effectively they cannot be dynamic as assumed by the author. The dynamic nature of the services can only be assumed when they are provided on the consistent basis and the customers have the ability and opportunity to provide effective feedback about the overall quality of the services. Further, services can be separated from the products as it depends upon the overall nature of the offering made by the firm.

Since some products are delivered with minimal service promise therefore services essentially cannot be considered as important for designing an effective product.Lastly, the overall argument is not supported by empirical study and most of the arguments are based on the hypothetical assumptions. Business world is more dynamic than undertaking some assumptions and as such to provide a direction for future, it is important that any set of recommendations and model shall be based on concrete empirical research which can effectively provide a theoretical ground for undertaking any such steps.

Overall, author has successfully demonstrated that the products and services shall be designed together in a manner that provides the results.