Strategies for Integrating Capacity With Demand in Service Networks
研究了服务网络中能力与需求管理策略的组合效果，通过整合营销与运营模型，以滑雪场数据测试发现排队信息标识最能提升利润，而改变客户组合反而降低利润。
Service managers face the problem of simultaneously developing and implementing both capacity and demand management strategies. Often they must chose between marketing options, for shifting or increasing demand, or operations management options such as adding additional capacity via more equipment or employees. The interaction of these two functional area strategies can have surprising, unintended, and often detrimental outcomes from a profit perspective. This article looks at the outcomes of various combinations of these decisions in a service network, a service with multiple activities within one site. We develop and apply an integrative model for determining the profit-maximizing capacity management strategy for a service network. We implement the model by combining a conjoint analysis-based optimal product design model from marketing with a simulation model investigating capacity and demand management strategies from operations management. We tested the model using data from an actual service network, a ski resort. Our results indicated that queue information signage was the most effective strategy for improving profitability. We also found that a decision that management believed would increase revenues—changing the customer class mix—actually decreased profitability substantially.