| Article ID: | iaor20164762 |
| Volume: | 8 |
| Issue: | 4 |
| Start Page Number: | 359 |
| End Page Number: | 367 |
| Publication Date: | Dec 2016 |
| Journal: | Service Science |
| Authors: | Larson Richard C |
| Keywords: | innovation, education in OR, knowledge management, education |
To strengthen service science as an academic discipline, we need to bridge disciplinary silos. A strongly connected network of silo‐to‐silo bridges can facilitate a generation of foundational knowledge and best practices needed to foster substantive continuing innovation in service system design. Such innovation can have an enormous impact on service system performance and thus quality of life for users of these systems. Drawing from insights gained from discussions at the ‘Smarter Service Systems through Innovation Partnerships and Transdisciplinary Research’ workshop, held by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the National Science Foundation during November 20–21, 2014, we explore the challenges facing researchers, system designers, and industry players seeking to drive innovation in service system design. We then present ideas in three major areas for surmounting those challenges: (a) designing service systems with human beings (not just technology) in mind, (b) fostering transdisciplinary research, and (c) forging new kinds of partnerships among diverse stakeholders.