Discussion of innovation seems to occur more when considering manufacturing organizations and the goods that they produce than it does for service-based organizations and the services that they...

Discussion of innovation seems to occur more when considering manufacturing organizations and the goods that they produce than it does for service-based organizations and the services that they deliver. When comparing the innovation processes between firms that are predominantly involved in the production of goods against those that are predominantly involved in the delivery of services, are there fundamental differences?

For example, do you agree with the claim made by Van Looy and Debackere (2003), and supported by Bitner, Ostrom and Morgan (2008), that the customer is more involved in the innovation of services and service delivery than is the case with the innovation of goods? Do you agree or disagree with the other arguments put forward by Van Looy and Debackere (2003) supporting a view of difference rather than commonality? In order to assist firms innovate their services or their service delivery, how does the technique of service blueprinting (Bitner, Ostrom & Morgan, 2008) allow organizations to increase their chances of completing an innovation project successfully? Do you see the technique of service blueprinting as more appropriate to derivative innovation projects than it is to breakthrough innovation projects or is this technique useful to all innovation projects that a firm may have in its innovation portfolio?