Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

Course Specific Skills:

1. Understand the taxonomy of services

2. Distinguish between the explicit and implicit benefits of services

3. Distinguish the unique characteristics of services

4. Understand how the degree of contact affects management decisions

5. Understand the implications of the service content

6. Determine service levels

7. Integrate service levels, the service delivery system and service levels

8. Know which techniques in specific areas of operations management apply to services

Discipline Specific Skills:

9. Recognize the challenges faced by managers in the service industry

10. Assess the proportion of goods in services and the proportion of services in manufacturing

11. Identify the managerial impact of each element of the service package

12. Assess the implications of the degree of contact on the management of services

13. Foresee the movement of service firms along the goods-services spectrum

14. Relate service levels to quality

15. Evaluate the spectrum of techniques for services management

Personal and Key Skills:

16. Understand the evolving role of managers in the service industry

17. Be proactive in responding to simultaneity in service production and consumption

18. Understand the difference between manufacturing and service management decisions for each major area in operations management

19. Apply the concepts covered in the course to case discussions