This project examined the housing industry as a major player in the service society. "Service engineering" is a modern approach to creating new services. The framework conditions for the entrepreneurial housing industry have changed considerably in recent years. Examples of this are the structural vacancy rate, particularly in the new federal states, and the problem of "overburdened neighbourhoods" in socially deprived areas. Against this backdrop, the project partners from the housing industry are ascribing increasing importance to "housing-related" services. Examples of more recent services offered by the housing industry include Concierge service, debt counselling, repair services, tenant tickets.

For the housing industry, additional service offerings promise, among other things, greater resident satisfaction and loyalty, fewer social problems in residential areas, lower vacancy, fluctuation and portfolio maintenance costs, new business and revenue streams. Such additional offerings related to the core business are seen as an important competitive strategy tool that can lead to an improved profile for companies on regional markets.

The research project was based on a methodological framework that distinguishes between the phases of "service creation", "service design" and the actual operational phase of "service management".