Understanding a Service versus a Technical Tool: A Guide for PMs

Projects can create both services and tools. Understanding their characteristics and how to design them for ongoing support after the project is over is crucial for project delivery. In this edition of Bob’s Reflections, we’ll examine how difficulties can surface when you don’t distinguish a service, from the tool you use to supply that service. I’ll provide you with the characteristics of both a service and a tool, along with examples. It may seem obvious, but I’ve seen too many instances where a service and a tool were not clearly defined and delineated…and the results weren’t pretty.

So, to describe the difference between a service and a technical tool, let me share a story…

I have an elderly relative that tripped and fell. It scared her enough that she decided to get a “fall alert necklace.” As I discussed the purchase she made, the differences between a technical tool, and a service, became evident. ?

She purchased a service, that is delivered, in part, by a device (technical tool) she wears around her neck. The device is designed to alert the service provider if a jolt occurs to the necklace that may be indicative of a fall. Once activated, a sound is emitted from the necklace, so, in the event the jolt wasn’t from a fall, and help isn’t needed, my relative can deactivate the device.?

Should the device NOT be deactivated, the service provider is to immediately notify emergency services to respond to her home to help.?

While I was reassured that she has this safety net in the event something should happen to her, I believe what she purchased has limited service for her needs. ?

The service should have involved a more sophisticated piece of hardware – a better technical tool - that allowed them to talk with my relative through the device, and determine if, indeed, it was an emergency, or she was just dazed for a moment. As it stands today, if emergency personnel show up, and my relative can’t get up to respond to their door-knocking, they’ll assume it’s an emergency and break the door down. It could be she just needed assistance getting up. If a friend that had a key to her apartment was also notified, then the emergency response call and a broken door could be avoided. Also, if the service provider had information on medical history and the medicines my relative was taking, the emergency response team could respond in a more focused way. So “getting a medical alert necklace” constituted my relative seeking a technical tool, and not fully considering the service that would be most useful for her. ?

Given this story, let’s talk about the differences between a service and a technical tool.?

Here are the characteristics of a technical tool:

·??????Technology, hardware, or other tangible items that are used to deliver a business service, or to improve the efficiency or quality with which that service is delivered.

·??????An electronic, digital, or physical?tool?that supports or expands the ability for individuals to perform tasks, generate a product, or deliver a service.

And here are the characteristics of a service:

·??????A business service directly supports a business process and is offered to customers.?Business services generally have a measurable value to their customers

·??????Business services are activities that benefit companies or individuals without necessarily supplying physical products. These services are relied upon for things such as marketing, production, safety, cost and convenience purposes.?

Thinking first about the services you need to provide, and THEN considering the tools you require to deliver that service is a practice embraced by experienced project managers.?So, consider what value (service) do you intend to provide the customer??You then acquire or build the tools to help deliver that service.?

Additional tips can be found in my project management and outsourcing classes on LinkedIn Learning, including:

·??????Project Management: Technical Projects which can be found at: https://www.dhirubhai.net/learning/project-management-technical-projects-2021/what-is-a-technical-project?autoAdvance=true&autoSkip=false&autoplay=true&resume=false&u=2125562

·??????Outsourcing Fundamentals, the first of six courses on outsourcing, can be found at: https://www.dhirubhai.net/learning/outsourcing-fundamentals/key-components-of-outsourcing?autoAdvance=true&autoSkip=false&autoplay=true&resume=false&u=0

This series of courses focuses on defining services, performing service level management and helping determine what is required to support a business in an outsourcing or service provider scenario. ?

This article is part of Bob’s Reflections newsletter series, which discusses project management, outsourcing and “intelligent disobedience”, a leadership approach. If you want more of this content, you can?subscribe to receive notifications when a new article posts.

Want to learn more about the topics I talk about in these newsletters? Watch my courses in the LinkedIn Learning Library or check out https://intelligentdisobedience.com/