When Hair Splitting Matters: Services as Supported Facilities

I admit when I first heard Jan van Bon talk about a service as a supported facility, and then get into functionality and functioning, my initial response was WTF?!

But in order to really understand and appreciate this hair-splitting you need to understand why the USM method attempts to decompose the definition of a service in this way. Without an unambiguous and universal definition of a service --- that can be logically decomposed for any and all services --- management across complex service supply chains will remain elusive at best.

When it comes to enterprise service management, defining and specifying a "service" is often a convoluted affair. Frameworks like ITIL, ISO, and COBIT offer insightful but abstract definitions. Many practitioners grapple with this ambiguity, struggling to logically and repeatably identify (and specify) what a service really is.

USMs definition of a service as a supported facility is a game-changer for enterprise service management. So, let’s unpack this idea and explore why this definition is not only logical but also crucial for managing services across diverse industries.

What is a "Supported Facility"?

In the USM method, a service is a combination of two key components:

• The Facility: The goods and/or actions that the service provider makes available to the customer.
• The Support: The assistance provided by the service provider to help the customer use the facility effectively.

The Facility: Goods + Actions

The facility is a blend of goods and actions. Goods can be tangible (e.g., computers, vehicles) or intangible (e.g., software applications, data). Actions, on the other hand, are the tasks performed by people—like the consultant advising a business or the masseur providing relaxation.

The facility’s components can vary widely depending on the context:

• Goods: These may be consumable (e.g., printer ink, groceries) or non-consumable (e.g., smartphones, furniture).
• Actions: These are often visible but intangible—like a babysitter’s care or a lawyer’s counsel.

The Support

Support is what bridges the gap between the facility and the customer’s needs. It encompasses reactive processes—like responding to incidents, service requests, or requests for changes—and ensures the customer can effectively use the facility.

USM organizes support through structured workflows, making it manageable and repeatable:

• Wish
• Request for change
• Incident
• Service request

These workflows align with customer interactions, forming the backbone of service delivery.

Why This Definition Works

The brilliance of USM’s definition lies in its logical repeatability and its universality across industries. Here’s why:

1. Logical Structure

By separating a service into facility and support, USM eliminates ambiguity. This decomposition:

• Ensures all aspects of a service are accounted for.
• Clarifies what the customer receives (the facility) and how they are helped (the support).
• Makes it easier to specify, manage, and evaluate services.

For example, in a catering service:

• Facility: The food and drinks provided.
• Support: The waitstaff ensuring the guests are served.

2. Applicability Across Domains

The definition transcends IT, applying to any service-based discipline:

Healthcare:

• Facility: Includes medical equipment (e.g., MRI machines, surgical tools) and procedures (e.g., diagnostic tests, surgeries) made available to patients.
• Support: Involves patient care, such as nursing, answering patient queries, and addressing incidents like adverse reactions or requests for additional tests.

Government:

• Facility: Legal frameworks (e.g., tax codes, zoning regulations) and administrative tools (e.g., online portals for filing forms).
• Support: Guidance in applying these frameworks, including help desks, consultations, and resolution of incidents like disputes or errors in documentation.

Telecom:

• Facility: Includes networks (e.g., fiber optics, cellular infrastructure) and devices (e.g., routers, mobile phones) provided to customers.
• Support: Technical assistance for troubleshooting issues, processing requests for upgrades, or addressing incidents like service outages.?

3. Customer-Centricity

USM’s definition recognizes that the service’s value lies in its usability. Customers evaluate services based on:?

• Functionality (i.e., Utility): What the Facility and the Support enables them to do.
• Functioning (i.e., Warranty): How well the Facility and the Support performs.

This dual evaluation mirrors real-world decision-making and ensures alignment with customer expectations.

The Evolution from Goods to Services

Historically, companies focused on selling goods, with services relegated to "after-sales support." But in today’s service-dominant economy, continuity and relationships drive value. Goods are often inseparable from the actions and support that accompany them.

Consider a mobile phone:

• Without the network (an intangible good) and support (technical assistance), it’s just a paperweight.
• The service agreement (e.g., a warranty or maintenance contract) transforms the good into a service, creating an ongoing relationship.

This shift underscores the need for a precise definition of a service. USM’s focus on the facility–support relationship addresses this evolution head-on.

Why Logical Repeatability is Key to Enterprise Service Management

Managing services at an enterprise scale demands consistency and clarity. A logically repeatable definition, like the one USM provides, ensures:

1. Efficient Design and Delivery: By clearly defining the facility and support, organizations can design services systematically and avoid gaps.
2. Consistent Evaluation: Customers can assess services using standardized criteria (functionality and functioning), ensuring alignment between expectations and delivery.
3. Scalability: Logical repeatability allows organizations to scale their service management processes across diverse departments and domains.
4. Alignment with Modern Business Needs: In a service-driven economy, clear definitions enable organizations to respond flexibly to changing demands while maintaining quality.

Conclusion: From WTF to WOW

The USM method’s definition of a service as a "supported facility" might seem like a WTF moment at first, but it’s a revelation in disguise. By offering a logically repeatable structure, USM cuts through the ambiguity that plagues other definitions, providing a foundation for consistent and scalable enterprise service management.

So, the next time you’re wondering how to define or manage a service, remember: it’s all about the facility and the support. With this clarity, you’re not just managing services—you’re mastering them.

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