OIS 6670 - Service Operations

This course aims to develop a better understanding of best practices in the service sector through analysis of leading-edge firms and the strategies they have employed to create and maintain competitive advantage. The course emphasizes the close coordination of marketing and operations in the design and implementation of service delivery processes. Topics include the importance of developing both human and technical skills among employees who represent the most critical point of contact between the service organization and its customers, and the role of technology, in particular information technology, in changing the nature of the service delivered and/or the way in which the service is delivered. The course relies heavily on the analysis of a number of case studies, and includes a group project where the principles developed in the course are applied to a real service organization.