Digital transformation af serviceoplevelser: Et eksplorativt litteraturreview af digitalisering i servicens fysiske møde

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this literature review is to investigate the digital transformation of service experiences, undertaking both the service companies and the customers perspectives on the incentives for integration of technology within the physical encounter of customers and service companies. Design/methodology/approach – This thesis undertakes an exploratory approach to examine how service companies respond to the digital transformation of society and the change in customers preferences towards more digitization in customer-to-business interactions. The methodology involves a systematic literature review, conducted across the databases Business Source Premier, Emerald Insights, ProQuest, Scopus and Aalborg University Library. This leads to the systematic review of 79 articles published in peer reviewed journals from 2020-2023, resulting in organization into topics and the identification of connections and synthesizing of insights in existing research. Findings – The literature review identifies that digital transformations are initiated by the service companies for efficiency gains through technological advancements along with the opportunities for improving and personalizing services to the shifting customer behavior, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-service technologies such as ordering tablets, QR codes, and mobile apps have become widely accepted, while physical robots continue to gain prominence. Technology, being faster, more precise, and possessing superior memory capacity, ensures consistent service quality and personalized experiences, contributing to unique escapist service experiences. However, diverse attitudes and preferences persist, especially among older generations struggling to keep pace with digital advancements. Research implications – The findings of the literature review contribute to the research field by offering a holistic understanding of service design, considering both business and customer perspectives in the context of digital transformation of physical encounters in service experiences. The study extends the 7 Ps of Kotler et al. (2019) by specifically outlining digitalization possibilities across all Ps, accentuating the interplay and synergy between interpersonal and digital interactions, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach in future service design. Digital tools should serve as supplementary value creators, extending the reach of personal service and introducing digital processes in the service experience. The implications extend to businesses seeking to create value through digitalization while considering the diverse preferences of their customers. Furthermore, the future 7 Ps for service experiences, bridging the physical and digital environments, can serve as a guide for businesses initiating digitalization, indicating where to start and how digitalization should manifest. Additionally, researchers can utilize this framework to further test the findings in practice and explore future avenues of research. Limitations – The limitations of this study includes the absence of a geographically constraint in the literature search, insufficiency due to the use of the service sector keywords instead of a more precise search for escapist service experiences, and the lack of a critical follow up on references through the snowball technique.

A master thesis from Aalborg University

Digital transformation af serviceoplevelser: Et eksplorativt litteraturreview af digitalisering i servicens fysiske møde

[Digital transformation of service experiences: An exploratory literature review of digitalization in the physical encounter of services]