Translational Service Research And Design Methodology (TSRDM)

A new Service Research and Design Methodology in EXPLORATION

Cocreated by: Warg, Markus; Spohrer, Jim;  Böhmann, Tilo; Neuhüttler, Jens; Gruhn, Volker; Weiss, Peter; Carrubbo, Luca; Burmeister, Marc-Alexander; Schneider, Anne-Marie; Powalla, Christian; Leitner, Christine

Translational Service Research And Design Methodology (TSRDM) is a systematic approach used to transform conceptual service research insights into translational knowledge and services as foundation for the engineering, design and management of service innovations (e.g. trigger for behavior changes) that enhance humen well-becoming.

Why TSRDM?

TSRDM is the response to a key social and economic challenge:  accelerating the translation of scientific discoveries into service innovations that enhance human well-becoming.

While the "translational gap“ generally refers to the broad range of challenges of moving scientific discoveries from basic research (often laboratory findings) into practical clinical applications and treatments; the term "valley of death" is more specific (Butler, 2008; Gamo et al., 2017; Meslin et al., 2013). It represents the two obstacles where many promising discoveries fail to progress: first, "the need to restructure education and academic research to cultivate the fertile interface between academia and industry" (Gamo et al., 2017, p. 1) and second " the willingness of the market to invest in the further development and commercialization of a product" (Moser et al., 2023). In Figure 1, the two “Valleys of Death” are embedded within the "mind–matter interaction" framework established by Eekels and Roozenburg (Eekels & Roozenburg, 1991).

This leads to the three questions that motivated the authors to initiate the TSRDM approach:
First: In what ways can research activities be systematically organized to serve as a unified epistemic and methodological foundation for both engineering practice and implementation processes?
Second: What conceptual or operational characteristics should such a foundational interface possess to effectively link research outputs with engineering and implementation requirements?
Third: Which strategies or mechanisms can be employed to enhance the willingness of stakeholders to invest resources in the implementation of innovations that are grounded in this integrated foundation or interface?

Key Features of Translational Service Research And Design Methodology (TSRDM)

- TSRDM bridges the gap between research and practice by combining service research, translational knowledge & services and  the engineering, design and management of service innovations

- TSRDM develops a "unifying service language" grounded in services as a structuration paradigm, aimed at bridging the domains of research, design, and engineering to accelerate practical implementation

- The "unifying service language" builds on the centrality of service and  the grand theories (Gregory, Johnston, Pratt, Watts, & Whatmore, 2011; Mills, 1959) of Service-Dominant Logic (Vargo & Lusch, 2004) and Service Science (Jim Spohrer & Maglio, 2008) serving as foundation and overarching “grammar” that guides the meaningful combination of services.  Here, service (in the singular) is understood as the application of resources - such as knowledge, goods, activities, all carrying services -  for the benefit of another (J Spohrer, Maglio, Bailey, & Gruhl, 2007; Vargo & Lusch, 2004).

- Supplementary to existing service research methodologies which focus either on the theoretical / conceptual foundations or on the design of artifacts and solutions, TSRDM focuses on the transfer, the translation of the foundations into the design of practical outputs

- At the core of TSRDM are the linkages and translational services, concepts, structures or frameworks

- Scientific rigor and practical and societal relevance

- Iterative and continuous process

USPs of Translational Service Research And Design Methodology (TSRDM)

USP of TSRDM: It is about building translational knowledge  and services to reduce the time to market for bridging the gap between scientific discoveries and translation into practice

USP of TSRDM: It is about applying translational knowledge and services as foundation for the engineering, design and management of service innovations

USP of TSRDM:  The engineering, design and management of service innovations is about behavior changes that enhance human well-becoming

USP of TSRDM: Its process consists of three main areas of work with "service research", "translational knowledge & services" and "engineering, design & management of service innovations"

USP of TSRDM: multi-perspective, multi-layered, industry-agnostic...

The TSRDM Process:

1. Objectives definition
2. Perceptions, methodical considerations
3. Knowledge base
4. Objectives related knowledge
5. Translational services & architectures
6. Service design, service engineering, software engineering 
7. Implementation research, definite design
8. Outcomes research, findings and knowledge building

Warg et al. (2025), The TSRDM Process

A Discussion at the Naples Forum on Service as a Starting Point of TSRDM

Translational Reseach

Translational research as a missing piece of the puzzle. The concept of translational research originally comes from clinical research and is intended in bridging two key “gaps” by first moving discoveries from "bench to bedside" and second  "into clinical practice" (Sung et al., 2003). Translational research is to bridge basic and applied research to find innovative treatment for societal benefit (Dayal & Heath, 2025; Kong & Segre, 2010; Murdock & Stephenson, 2024). This intention expanded to the translational research continuum, emphasizing the broader process of translating research into practice and community health impact (Woolf, 2008). Khoury et al. (Khoury et al., 2007) introduced a four-phase (T1–T4) model, representing the evolution in how translational research is conceptualized.

Several influential papers are recognized as foundational in defining and shaping the field of translational research. A systematic review identified three main "families" of definitions, each anchored by highly cited original papers:

1. Sung et al. (2003): This paper is widely credited with formalizing the concept of translational research as bridging two key “gaps” (T1 and T2) in moving discoveries from bench to bedside and into clinical practice. It is one of the most cited and influential works in the field (Sung et al., 2003).
   
2. Westfall et al. (2007): This work expanded on the translational research continuum, emphasizing the broader process of translating research into practice and community health impact (Westfall & Mensah, 2018).
   
3. Woolf (2008): Woolf’s paper is notable for defining translational research as a continuous process, rather than discrete gaps, and is heavily cited in subsequent literature (Woolf, 2008).
   
4. Khoury et al. (2007): Introduced a four-phase (T1–T4) model, representing a further evolution in how translational research is conceptualized (Khoury et al., 2007; Dayal & Heath, 2025; Khoury et al., 2007)
   

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