Abstract
Summary form only given. Healthcare can be considered to be a service system. Indeed, the engineering of healthcare must recognize the fact that any service system is actually a complex integration of human-centered activities that is increasingly dependent on information technology and knowledge. In general, a service system can be considered to be a combination or recombination of three essential components - people (characterized by behaviors, values, knowledge, etc.), processes (characterized by collaboration, customization, etc.) and products (characterized by software, hardware, infrastructures, etc.); thus, services management is about managing an integrated and adaptive set of people, processes and products. Furthermore, inasmuch as a service system is an integrated system, it is, in essence, a system of systems which objectives are to enhance its efficiency (leading to greater interdependency), effectiveness (leading to greater usefulness), and adaptiveness (leading to greater responsiveness in the co-production framework). The integrative methods include a component's design, interface and interdependency; a decision's strategic, tactical and operational orientation; and an organization's data, modeling and cybernetic consideration. A number of insights are also provided, including an alternative system of systems management view of services; the increasing complexity of systems (especially service systems), with all the attendant life-cycle design, human interface, and system integration issues; the increasing need for real-time, adaptive decision making within such systems of systems; and the fact that modern systems are also becoming increasingly more human-centered, if not human-focused, thus, products and services are becoming more complex and more personalized or customized.