Combining service productisation and self-service technologies: A constructive case study in commercial real estate leasing

Abstract

This thesis addresses process inefficiencies in commercial real estate (CRE) leasing at one of Finland’s largest real estate investors. The primary objective was to develop a practical solution that increases operational efficiency while simultaneously creating customer value. To achieve this, the research employed a constructive research approach, leading to the development of a new CRE leasing service that combines service productisation with self-service technologies (SSTs). This construct was subjected to a market test that proved its applicability to increase efficiency and enhance customer value in the case company’s CRE leasing service. These findings challenge the traditional view of operational efficiency and customer value as contradictory, supporting new approaches to achieve both.

The effects of service productisation and SSTs and how to implement them have been extensively researched but their combination has been neglected. This study establishes a connection between these two concepts and combines them within the constructed service which provided more insight into the nature of the connection.

While the study shows promise for implementing service productisation and SSTs into CRE leasing, it also identified limitations in the applicability of this solution. The solution wasn’t suited for leasing large spaces or spaces requiring custom modifications, indicating the need for selective implementation to preserve customer value. For practitioners, the findings offer a tested solution adaptable to other real estate investors facing similar inefficiencies.