Abstract

The service sector is now the dominant economic sector in developed countries, typically responsible for over half of gross domestic product and a large percentage of the workforce. Manufacturing organisations are increasingly enhancing or extending their product offerings through supplementary services ranging from product information services to life-time service and performance delivery agreements. In Cambridge, there is already a substantial amount of research being undertaken in this area – ranging from service system design, to service information systems to industrial support solution strategies and service organisational issues. An opportunity exists for a forum to draw together these activities, identify common interests and determine whether areas for collaboration exist. Additionally, the need for a greater coverage of service systems technologies, operations and strategies within Cambridge’s educational offerings has been encouraged and this forum can help shape these offerings.