Case Shouldice

Questions for Discussion

1. What is the bundle of benefits purchased by the consumer? In other words, what is the

Shouldice value proposition? In what ways is Shouldice’s offering different from other

hospitals?

A. What is the Shouldice value proposition?

Shouldice established an overall value proposition, started by the design of facilities and ends up by the care of patients.

Shouldice specialized on external hernias, the surgeons are well trained because of the high amount of operations every year. Furthermore the clinic developed a special practice for this kind of operation. In most cases Shouldice uses only preoperative sedation, analgesic and local anesthetic.

The satisfaction of employees affects the patients and the whole environment is very friendly and familiar.

The staff engages the patients to be more self-confident and animate them after the operation to walk more. Walking is one of the best methods to heal the wounds fast.

In comparison to the competition the hospital has an improved patient care, although the operation is less dramatic than others.

B. In what ways I Shouldice’s offering different from other hospitals?

High service quality to their patients for example nurse to patient ratio 1:14 compared with 1:5 to other hospitals, exclusive ambience in the hospital, don’t looks like and especially smells like an hospital, open kitchen which invites to chat with each other, the personal and kitchen staff as well and higher pay scale as the average in the region.

The staff tries to operate roommates at the same time, when patients wake up they have a neighbor they can speak to.

2. What is the target group of customers, and what do they have in common apart from a

hernia?

People who are coming to Shouldice are caring a lot about their health and have more anxious than other people with this disease. Patients appreciate the good service of Shouldice, that’s why the coming there.

A second reason for...