Service In 2012: The Continued Search For Revenue

For the previous 24 months, service revenue has topped the agenda of Chief Service Officers (CSOs) polled by Aberdeen. The 2010 State of Service Management research survey, and polls conducted at the 2010 CSO Summit, both found that service revenue was the top goal for CSOs to attain in 2011. At the 2011 CSO Summit, attendees once again indicated that the attainment of service revenue was the top item on their agenda for 2012. A recently conducted State of the Market poll of over 200 service leaders confirmed this data.

As the solutions leader at a large facilities management company puts it, "The pursuit and delivery of net new revenue opportunities allows service businesses to innovate so as to provide solutions to their customers. This is vital in order to rise above the commoditization pressures impacting service and support." As businesses seek to wrap themselves around their customers and drive higher value, they are looking to build a foundation that fosters the innovation and collaboration necessary to develop and capitalize on service revenue opportunities. That said, service revenue goals should not be developed and cannot be attained at the expense of customer satisfaction objectives. Unhappy or unsatisfied customers are unlikely to repeat business and much less likely to increase their total spend.

This document will highlight key market trends and best practices in the search for service revenue. It will feature data collected from respondents to Aberdeen's State of Service Management and Service Revenue research surveys.