This course focuses on services management in general and service operations in particular. It explores the elements that unite services, that differentiate service processes from non-service processes and that differentiate various types of services from each other. Customers generally participate in the service process, often with direct and uncensored interactions with employees and facilities. The resulting variations in demand present a challenge to the operations manager to use effectively the perishable service capacity. This results because production and consumption occur simultaneously and thus the inability to inventory services. The course covers strategic and tactical issues associated with designing and managing service operations. It provides tools to help assess operations, redesign processes, and establish systems to ensure an excellent customer experience. Student operations service learning experience is reinforced with case studies. Prerequisites: ECN 5050, FINP 5008 or equivalent, MGT 5020, and QNT 5040.

( FINP 5008 OR GMPF 5008 OR FIN 3010 OR FINC 3010 )
AND ( MGT 5020 OR GMP 5020 )
AND ( QNT 5040 OR GMP 5040 )
AND ( ECN 5050 OR GMP 5050 )

Exit competencies/ learning outcomes for the course.

1.        Understand the "state of the art" in service management strategies.
2.         Knowledge of the strategic service vision to understand the interrelationships between the target market, service concept, operating strategy and the service delivery system in successful services.
3.        To appreciate the organizational significance of managing service encounter to achieve internal and external customer satisfaction.
4.        To develop an understanding of the "state of the art" of service management thinking.
5.        Use quality tools for analysis and problem solving.
6.        Use the service encounter triad to describe a service firms delivery process.
7.        To draw a process flow diagram and calculate performance metrics, identify bottlenecks and regroup activities, and use operations sequence analysis to determine process layout.
8.        Know factors that affect facility location, evaluate viability of a service location, and acquire an understanding of the following locations strategies: competitive clustering, saturation marketing, marketing intermediaries, etc.
9.        Use the principles of project management by being able to develop a project network, perform critical path analysis, allocate limited resources, crash activities, and monitor a project.
10.        Use queuing theory to optimize service planning and scheduling and use queuing modes and various decision criteria for capacity planning.
11.        Discuss issues related to service supply relationships.

1. Required Materials


1. Textbooks

Service Management, Operations, Strategy, Information Technology w/student CD - 6.Edition - 2008
Fitzsimmons, James; Fitzsimmons, Mona
McGraw-Hill
ISBN: 9780077228491


OPS 5095: Service Operations Management Online Coursepack (Please see Notes section below for purchasing information)
Pearson

Notes: The case book is being updated for the WINTER TERM. Please check back for online purchasing information.


APA Manual
Effective October 1^st 2009, the 6th edition of the APA Manual is required for all courses.

NSU Bookstore
Textbooks and Case Studies may be purchased from the NSU Bookstore (located in the University Park Plaza) by calling 1-800-509-2665 or online at http://www.nsubooks.bkstore.com.

The NSU libraries comprise the Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center, East Campus Branch Library, Health Professions Division Library, Law Library and Technology Center, North Miami Beach Branch Library, University School Library Media Centers, and the William S. Richardson Ocean Science Library. Students are strongly encouraged to visit one of the physical locations and/or take advantage of the vast electronic library available for research. For more information, please visit http://www.nova.edu/library.

Please note that all required and recommended materials should be referenced in APA style.