School of Management, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
MN50204 Services management |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Semester: 2 |
| Assessment: CW 30%, EX 70% |
| Requisites: |
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Aims: This course will focus on issues in services management - managing activities in which a service is provided. It will provide students with an understanding of key issues in managing services and the tools to analyse and improve organisations within this context.
The course uses case studies to examine the following issues: defining the service sector and service operations, strategy and the service business, using the ServQual quality analysis tool to improve market knowledge, process orientation and improvement, applying lean thinking to services, the role of workers and worker management in service businesses, new product development/launch, intra-organisational alignment to the service market and challenges in the new internet marketplace. The following sectors while be specifically examined: health care, food service, financial services, transport, air travel, tourism and retailing. Learning Outcomes: By the end of this unit, the student should be able to conduct informed discussion and analysis of the concepts of service operations: context, management, design, market-driven improvement and organisation. Skills: Intellectual Skills - Market and organisational analysis. (FTA) Communication, problem solving, team work, leadership , analysis (F) Professional Skills - Market and organisational analysis, improvement planning and operationalisation (FTA) Practical Skills - Market and organisational analysis, improvement planning and operationalisation. (FTA) Content: Introduction to Service Management; Defining the Service Context; Lean Thinking; Process Improvement; ServQual; Worker Management; New Product Development/Launch; Strategy; Firm Displacement and the Internet; Marketing-Operations Relationships. |