VALUE
The idea that services add value is fundamental to IT service delivery and is a key input to the development of service strategy. There is little point in developing services that have no recognised value. In Chapter 1, we discussed how value is created through utility or fitness for purpose, and warranty or fitness for use. We can measure value not only in terms of quantifiable benefits such as
financial savings or increased income, but also in terms of benefits such as service quality, which are less easily quantified and often depend on the perception of the customer or service user. The principle that value depends on customer perception leads us to conclude that effective service strategy requires a way of thinking, a ‘marketing mindset’, which captures the customer’s perspective, through which
we can understand both the customer and the outcomes that the customer really values and why, and to what extent they are valued.