Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to characterize the management of operations in the service systems of the hotel sector in Cartagena de Indias. Servicing, understood as the manufacture of services, together with approaches such as Lean Service and six sigma focused on eliminating waste and improving efficiency in service processes, is a topic of interest. When reviewing the existing literature on operational management in hotels, it is observed that several authors have addressed this topic through studies or analyses. However, little attention has been paid to research on how these approaches, successful in the area of manufacturing, can be effectively implemented in service manufacturing. For the preparation of this document, we chose to use a qualitative research methodology applying the Gavilan model, which will allow us to offer a clearer and more precise vision of what is in the subject in the time horizon of the last 5 years (2018 – 2023). The expected results seek to determine the extent to which these improvement approaches are being implemented in operations management in the hospitality sector, providing valuable insights into areas of opportunity and challenges. It will also seek to identify potential improvements and offer recommendations to optimize operations management and, therefore, elevate the customer experience in the hotel sector in the city of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.