General Information
Instructor(s)
- N/A
- Health Sector Management (r)
- Management Analytics (r)
- Process and Supply Chain Management (c)
Target Audience
The class is intended for students interested in applying the concepts of operations management to the service industry. We consider applications in healthcare, travel/leisure related industries, retail management, retail banking, insurance, and call centre management. As such, students with interests in services management or management consulting would benefit from the course.
Format
Intensive classes taking place over two weeks in May
Course Mission
- Discuss means by which new service processes are designed to match market demand;
- Foster your ability to analyze services with regards to their ability to deliver on promises;
- Provide you with tools to assist in determining appropriate service capacity;
- Provide you with tools that they can apply to the design and improvement of service quality; and
- Demonstrate service industry leadership through guest speaker presentations.
Course Scope
The service sector is increasingly the predominant sector of all Western economies and the vast majority of business school graduates work in service industries and functions. This course examines approaches for achieving operational competitiveness in service organizations. Students learn how best to design, manage, and improve service organizations in multiple service industries. This course addresses both strategic and operational decision making. We will learn how to effectively organize work, analyze and improve operating practices, optimally allocate resources, and identify and overcome key challenges in the ability of service firms to deliver on their promises.
We will approach services from the viewpoint of managing their operations. Operational efficiency and competitiveness are more critical than ever for success in service organizations due to the effects of deregulation, technological change, expanding world trade, and increasingly sophisticated consumers. We consider a service organization one in which the customer is involved, actively or passively, in the production process, and we strive to understand and leverage the role customers play in the process.
Much of the discussion will focus on case studies. To analyze these cases, students will need to draw on concepts introduced in operations, technology management, consumer behavior, marketing, and strategy. We will apply traditional operations management concepts such as service capacity, server utilization, throughput, and system wait time. While these concepts are covered in your basic operations management course, we will tailor these for use in services.
Evaluation and Grade Distribution
| Component | Due Date | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Class Participation | Ongoing | 10% |
| Group Case Write-Ups | Various | 30% |
| Individual Assignments | Various | 20% |
| Take-Home Final Exam | 1 week after final class | 40% |
Required Resources
Course package consisting of cases and readings.
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