Relationship Process Map in services: a tool to enhance the management of relationship interactions

Noel Torres Júnior; Dario Ikuo Miyake; Victor de Oliveira Campello; Pedro Henrique Pereira de Castro

doi:10.5585/2025.26677

Authors

Noel Torres Júnior Federal University of Minas Gerais, Department of Administrative Sciences, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5629-3592
Dario Ikuo Miyake University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9452-1338
Victor de Oliveira Campello Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0015-1891
Pedro Henrique Pereira de Castro Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7261-328X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5585/2025.26677

Keywords:

relationship process map, relationship in service, quality of relationship, service representation tools, digital transformation

Abstract

Valuing regular customers is key to building strong, lasting relationships. This creates loyalty and allows companies to offer personalized service and anticipate future needs. However, the available service management tools do not consider how interactions are shaped and how the information recorded during continuous and medium to long-term relationships. This article proposes a tool called "Relationship Process Map" (RPM) that aims to describe the service process, considering how the relationship is formed. The RPM tool helps manage services by depicting the company's customer relationship. It identifies the recorded actions and suggests changes to improve customer relationship management. It can be used to improve service quality management and provide a rational basis for external marketing. The RPM tool highlights that it can identify deficiencies in the service process and gaps in monitoring customer interactions, which can help develop new checking mechanisms to strengthen monitoring practices.

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Author Biographies

Noel Torres Júnior, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Department of Administrative Sciences, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

Federal University of Minas Gerais, Department of Administrative Sciences, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

Dario Ikuo Miyake, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

He has a degree in Production Engineering from the University of São Paulo (1984), a master's degree in Production Engineering from the University of São Paulo (1993) and a doctorate in Industrial Engineering & Management from the Tokyo Institute of Technology (1998). He completed a post-doctoral internship at the University of Tokyo (2004) with a FAPESP scholarship. He is an assistant professor (MS-3.2) at the University of São Paulo and a member of the Operations and Logistics Management Centre (GOL) registered with the CNPq's Directory of Research Groups in Brazil. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the journal Pesquisa & Desenvolvimento em Engenharia de Produção (UNIFEI) and an ad-hoc advisor for FAPESP. He has collaborated as a reviewer for national journals such as Production (ABEPRO), Revista de Administração (USP), Gestão e Produção (UFSCar) and Review of Business Management (RBGN) and international journals and as an ad-hoc advisor for institutions such as FAPESP, CNPq, CAPES, FAPEMIG, FAPERGS and AOTS (Japan). He participated in the founding of the Product Development Management Institute (IGDP). Before joining USP, he worked at Indústrias Villares and Nippondenso (Japan) and was a researcher at the Production Engineering Lab at Kyoto University (Japan). He has experience in Production Engineering, with an emphasis on Production Management, working mainly on the following subjects: methodologies aimed at promoting Operational Excellence (Lean Production, Six Sigma, Total Productive Maintenance/TPM) in manufacturing and service systems, discrete event simulation. Between 2000 and 2009 he co-ordinated the Lean Forum at Poli-USP's Production Engineering Department. He is a member of the AOTS Alumni Society. He is certified as a Green Belt by the 6 Sigma College of General Electric (GE) Brazil.

Victor de Oliveira Campello, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

Graduated in Production Engineering at UFMG.

Pedro Henrique Pereira de Castro, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

Graduated in Production Engineering at UFMG.

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