Following on from the Summit in 2020, where the focus was on digital as an enabler for smart services, this year we want to focus on how Smart Services have allowed firms to adapt in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Examples of remote and collaborative working have created new forms of co-delivery where customers are integrated into the service processes. Such a change requires a mindset change for more traditional firms as the service model migrates from ‘do it for you’ to ‘do it yourself’ or some mix of ‘do it together’.

Considering service science, the switch makes perfect sense as it means that the full set of resources within the ecosystem are now being used rather than only a part. Services can be delivered faster and at lower costs with the support of new technologies and when working with the customer in a co-delivery mode.

The changes are leading to new value propositions and business models today and will lead to an evolution in Smart Services in the future. The changes themselves must be understood, and we may need to consider new or different implementation and delivery models for Smart Services. These new working approaches may also requite use to re-evaluate both training and education.

The summit in 2021 aims to assess new and emerging services that are enabled by technology and where the services are co-delivered to support the emerging new-normal. In doing so, we hope to answer some of these questions:
– how is the service quality impacted through digital technologies?
– how can you transform the customer (or a third-party) into a service partner?
– how does collaborative working impact value co-creation?
– what is the impact of smart services on customer experience?
– how does the nature of the service delivery change?

The pre-COVID19 context and the challenges faced should, where possible, be described so that the initial state can be clearly understood. Although the focus will be on COVID-19 and its impact on Smart Services, papers on emerging research on the full lifecycle (e.g, pre-sales, sales, delivery etc.) of Smart Services remain appreciated.

As with previous years, we are looking for early-stage research and will again publish the proceedings with Springer. Furthermore, we will use industry to set the scene and the context from their position and follow them with impactful academic presentations.