The mode of digitization, the circular effects of digitisation and the impact on the elements of servuction (the process of producing services) differ from one type of process to another. We refer to the process types: Promotional, Transactional and Relational. The essential elements of servuction are the spaces, scenarios, and physical supports of the service, the staff, the participation of the client in the service, the tools for service provision and management, and the servuction rules themselves (which regulate the interaction of the elements of servuction).
Digitalisation, with its central impact on service processes, presents a world of potential benefits. Beyond its effects on sustainability and the human dimension of services, digitalisation introduces several potential sources of benefit to the service process. These benefits, when fully harnessed and managed, can lead to a significant increase in the value generated. The four primary benefits drivers brought by digitisation are flexibility, agility, ubiquity and reach. In the graph below, we can see the promising transformation in the user's perceived value of each of these drivers.
Different Processes within a Small Tourism Business: promotional, transactional and relational ones.
A business is a set of processes that transforms resources into results and business objectives. To reach the results, the company must, to some extent, deploy and execute three different types of processes: Promotional, Transactional and Relational ones. All of them should be digitalised to contribute circularity.The activity of all companies takes the form of processes. In the context of digitization, these processes can be broadly categorized into three types: promotional, transactional, and relational. In these processes, tasks and interactions are carried out to obtain results. The types of results determine the typology of the processes.Before embarking on the digitisation of our company's operations, it's crucial to grasp the purpose of the process we're about to digitise. Understanding the specific objective, the actors involved (which could include employees, customers, suppliers, or other stakeholders), the physical context, the duration, and the expected results (which could be information inputs for other processes) is key. This understanding ensures the digitisation process aligns with our company's goals and objectives and takes into account the needs and expectations of all stakeholders.
Briefly, those different types of processes are:
Promotional Processes
These processes aim to publicise the offer, acquire knowledge of potential customers, and propose specific proposals for contracting one or more of the services offered.
Examples of these processes are advertising, posting on social media, public relations events, Point-of-Sale promotional actions, fidelity programs, peer-to-peer recommendation programs, prescription programs, etc.
Transactional ProcessesThese processes aim to close the commercial operation and service provision, with all that this may entail in each different business category materializing. Examples of these processes are supplier orders, customer orders, warehouse management, staff management, capacity booking, invoicing, payment, etc.
Relational ProcessesThese processes aim to monitor our relationship with the customer. They include all the objectives set with a customer or customer segment and the results obtained with the actions aimed at achieving them. Examples of this kind of process are customer satisfaction research, customer feedback management, lead qualification processes, post-sales and complaints service, customer clubs management, etc.
When we digitise a process, it's essential to consider its unique characteristics, the involved parties, and the timing. Digitisation not only enhances the overall business impact of the process but also aids the specific process in achieving its desired outcome more effectively and with reduced effort. This underscores the exciting benefits of digitisation in improving process efficiency and effectiveness, paving the way for a more streamlined and productive future.
