Services play a central role in the economies of nations and in global commerce. Services have been defined by J. Fitzsimmons as time-perishable, intangible experiences performed for a customer acting in the role of a co-producer. Every organization is involved in service to some extent, and service systems are often complex and need a truly pluri- or multi-disciplinary approach to be fully understood. Further, services have become subject to increased theoretical and practical inquiry, and this has lead to the idea of “service science” (or “service sciences”) as a discipline in the intersection of management, engineering, information technology, operations research and psychology, among other areas. The International Journal of Service Science, Management, Engineering, and Technology (IJSSMET) provides an open forum for researchers and practitioners to share leading-edge knowledge in service science understood as a broad research field that encompasses all the aspects that relate to services, their planning, design, operation, evaluation, and improvement. The journal is targeted at both academic researchers and practicing professionals.