Sustainable Services: the Natural Mimicry Approach

Abstract

Environmental issues have become an integral factor in any decision-making process and in the design and implemen- tation of manufacturing and agricultural production systems. As the service sector continuously grows in size and importance and service systems become more comprehensive, complex, and interdisciplinary, the creation of new services should be imbued with sustainability as the primary value of each service and as a service in and of itself. The paper presents a natural mimetic approach that follows the ground rules of nature to characterize the sustainability of a service and to choose the most sustainable service alternative.