2026-10-14T03:25:51Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33965695 2026-09-22T14:44:18Z category_7 category_39 category_734 category_106 portal_87 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

How modelling approaches shape service differentiation for heterogeneous customers: a systematic review of supply chain models Sayan Chakraborty (234378) Medicine Ecology Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Science Policy Service differentiation customer heterogeneity supply chain management systematic review behavioural operations game theory sustainability Operational Research/Management Science Supply Chain Management Strategic Management Service Operations Management <p>Supply chains increasingly rely on service differentiation to serve heterogeneous customers. This heterogeneity arises as modern customers differ in attributes such as valuation, patience, green preference, return/risk aversion, strategic waiting, and channel preference. Yet, no prior review has integrated customer heterogeneity with service differentiation strategies and systematically compared how the choice of modelling approach influences supply chain decisions. This paper conducts a systematic literature review following the PRISMA 2020 protocol. The review identifies six major dimensions of customer heterogeneity and seven service differentiation levers. The analytical findings show that game-theoretic models excel at capturing strategic interaction and self-selection but often assume rationality and complete information. Further, optimisation models were found to handle operational constraints well but rarely include customer self-selection. Simulation studies allowed rich behavioural heterogeneity but lacked generalisable optimality. Lastly, hybrid approaches were found to be emerging but still remain underexplored. The study further identifies critical gaps such as limited empirical validation, fragmented treatment of multi-dimensional heterogeneity, and insufficient integration of sustainability and coordination mechanisms. This review advances theory by providing a comparative framework linking modelling choices to heterogeneity and differentiation. It also offers managers a decision aid for selecting service levers based on customer segment characteristics.</p> 2026-09-22T14:44:18Z Dataset Dataset 10.6084/m9.figshare.33965695.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/How_modelling_approaches_shape_service_differentiation_for_heterogeneous_customers_a_systematic_review_of_supply_chain_models/33965695 CC BY 4.0