Overview
Services lie at the hub of economic activity in many societies. In our society, and in that of other industrialized economies, the service sector employs a large and growing proportion of the workforce. As a result, managers must learn how a service strategy can contribute to a competitive advantage for their organizations. This course focuses on three basic themes:
- The customer is a participant in the service-delivery process (customer as co-producer).
- In services-producing (as opposed to goods-producing) firms, marketing and operations are quite closely linked. Service provider personnel perform both marketing and operations functions. Thus, strategic planning in services must involve both marketing and operations. Moreover, people issues related to customer contact are critical for success in services.
- Information technology has an important role in service design, promotion, productivity, and quality improvement.
Outline
This course is divided into eight lessons:
- Week 1: Service Sector and Service Strategy
- Week 2: New Service Development and Innovation
- Week 3: Servicescapes and Service Quality
- Week 4: Service Improvement and Service Facility Location
- Week 5: Service Supply Relationships and Globalization of Services
- Week 6: Managing Capacity—Demand and Waiting Lines
- Week 7: Capacity Planning and Forecasting
- Week 8: Service Inventory
Learning outcomes
The objectives of this course are:
- Learn how to identify opportunities for customer service improvement and cost reduction in the service industries.
- Develop a strategic vision of services which includes sustainability and current technology.
- Design the service enterprise to support a competitive strategy.
- Understand the use of quantitative models and other tools to support quality and productivity improvements in service industries.
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Bordoloi, S., Fitzsimmons, J. A., & Fitzsimmons, M. J. (2026). Service management: Operations, strategy, information technology: 2026 release (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill
Other resources
All other course materials will be accessed online.
Evaluation
Your grade will be based on your participation in group discussions (discussion questions, coach’s questions, and a case study) and on the successful completion of two assignments.
Please Note: This course has a limit of five posts (excluding the initial post and the weekly summary) each week. Students are required to pace their five posts over a period of at least three days of the week to encourage thoughtful discussion. Non-compliance will lead to a grade penalty. Please consider this before registering for the course.
| Component | Marks |
Group Activities - Discussions—Weeks 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 are graded (50%)
- Case Study (group grade)—due Week 7 (10%)
| 60% |
Individual Work - Assignment 1 (10%)
- Assignment 2 (30%)
| 40% |
| Total | 100% |
To receive a passing grade in this course, you must meet these minimum standards:
- receive a minimum of 60 percent on the participation component; and
- receive an average grade of 60 percent over all course components.