Service Operations Management

The purpose of this book is to provide cutting-edge information on service management such as the role services play in an economy, service strategy, ethical issues in services and service supply chains. It also covers basic topics of operations management including linear and goal programming, project management, inventory management and forecasting. This book takes a multidisciplinary approach to services and operational management challenges; it draws upon the theory and practice in many fields of study such as economics, management science, statistics, psychology, sociology, ethics and technology, to name a few. It contains chapters most textbooks do not include, such as ethics, management of public and non-profit service organizations, productivity and measurement of performance, routing and scheduling of service vehicles. An Instructor's Solutions Manual is available upon request for all instructors who adopt this book as a course text. Please send your request to [email protected].

The central focus of this book is how organizations deliver service and the operational decisions that managers face in managing resources and delivering service to their customers.

This international market-leading book, aimed at both students and practising managers, provides a comprehensive and balanced introduction to service operations management. Building on the basic principles of operations management, the authors examine the operations decisions that managers face in controlling their resources and delivering services to their customers. Combining a unique practical approach with a detailed theoretical underpinning, the authors provide tools, frameworks and techniques for operational analysis and improvement and set operations management within the wider business context, bringing a valuable 'real world' perspective to this growing area. Each chapter includes definitions of key terms, real-world examples and case studies with exercises, questions to test both understanding and application together with recommended further reading and suggested web sites to deepen your knowledge. New features for this4th edition include: . A new 17 chapter structure . A practical focus on how to' deal with the key issues and challenges facing service operations managers . A new chapter on the customer experience . A new chapter on driving continuous improvement . A new chapter on learning from other operations . A new chapter on world-class service . Six new end of chapter case exercises . A new full-colour design "Service Operations Management" is an invaluable guide to students and managers confronting operational issues in service management, whether from a general management perspective or focused in specific sectors, such as tourism and leisure or business services. This book is ideal for undergraduates, postgraduates or executives wishing to gain a deeper understanding of managing service operations and improving service delivery."

Service Operations Management, Second Edition provides a global perspective on service operations, with expanded coverage of service operations for not-for-profit agencies, charities, NGOs and utilities, alongside commercial companies. With new, updated case studies and original research embracing big-data analytics and neurolinguistics in building customer service systems, this book will be an invaluable tool for postgraduate and MBA students of service operations and undergraduates specialising in hospitality, tourism and public sector management.

How do policy makers and managers square the circle of increasing demand and expectations for the delivery and quality of services against a backdrop of reduced public funding from government and philanthropists? Leaders, executives and managers are increasingly focusing on service operations improvement. In terms of research, public services are immature within the discipline of operations management, and existing knowledge is limited to government departments and large bureaucratic institutions. Drawing on a range of theory and frameworks, this book develops the research agenda, and knowledge and understanding in public service operations management, addressing the most pressing dilemmas faced by leaders, executives and operations managers in the public services environment. It offers a new empirical analysis of the impact of contextual factors, including the migration of planning systems founded on MRP/ERP and the adoption of industrial based improvement practices such as TQM, lean thinking and Six Sigma. This will be of interest to researchers, educators and advanced students in public management, service operations management, health service management and public policy studies.

Service Operations Management gives an introduction to service operations management and also talks about the customer experiences and satisfaction. It elaborates on the improvement of service processes and talks about the networking and technology. Also discussed in the book is the performance management in service operations, strategic changes and its management, innovations and their relationship with the service development and supply chain management and its role in service operations management. These give deep insights on the subject matter in order to provide good understanding of it

ïAs the services sector has become the most important sector of many of our economies, this book makes a valued contribution to our greater understanding of what features are critical to operational success in this sector. Based upon sound research and drawing on numerous cases studies, the author has delivered an expose that will be of value to academics and practitioners alike. From a long career in the field, the author has distilled critical content into a well-organised book that is a must for students and practitioners in services operations management. It is welcoming to read of service operations management in the not-for-profit and public sectors.Í _ Peter Liesch, University of Queensland Business School, Brisbane, Australia ïDavid has captured the essentials of service operations within a complete enterprise framework. Based upon case studies from a broad variety of organizations from around the globe, this easy to understand text is a must for students and practitioners alike. Students of service operations and indeed services marketing have been long awaiting a reference such as this.Í _ Derek Lundberg, Metcash Food & Grocery ïThe author recognizes the critical fact that service operations is worlds apart from manufacturing operations management that produces tangible products _ a failing of so many other texts that have drawn on yesteryear manufacturing paradigms to try and explain services. This book succeeds in combining operational analysis with the empirical research to arrive at a comprehensive understanding of the forces that shape and change the service sectors. Drawing on a wealth of information by virtue of his track record of many years researching the service sectors, this book will be invaluable to both students, practitioners and anyone interested in successful service operations _ tourism, hospitality, transport, retailing, utilities, not for profit, public service.Í _ George Downie, Senior Lecturer, Southampton Business School, UK ïThis is an important book for educators, students and professional managers. As the services sector becomes a larger and increasingly pervasive part of our economy and as service operations management becomes the biggest part of most organizations, the opportunity to increase productivity, quality, flexibility and innovation of service provision must be grasped firmly by those who want their organizations to remain competitive and successful. This book very effectively blends conceptual frameworks with new, practical case studies. It is full of valuable and useful insights.Í _ Danny Samson, University of Melbourne, Australia This comprehensive textbook will become required reading for postgraduate students seeking to understand the principles of service operations management and for undergraduate students specializing in hospitality, tourism or the public sector. It will also serve as a handbook for operations managers in service organizations as they seek to develop and implement improved operations strategies. Focusing on service delivery design, capacity, recovery, performance measurement and service strategy, the challenge of delivering exceptional service quality is addressed through a comparison of customersÍ perceptions and expectations. A new approach to quality in services describes the tools and methods for continuous service improvement. This accessible and engaging textbook is the ideal foundation for a course in service operations management. Each chapter: - ' represents a lecture and specific topic _ with specified learning objectives and outcomes ' develops using a ïchunking and scaffoldÍ pedagogical technique _ sub-sections in the chapter develop the chapterÍs theme ' includes examples of organizations and small case-vignettes suitable for class/group discussion and larger cases of international organizations for set-work activity ' draws upon contemporary research with clear citations to show the source _ each chapter has a bibliography and reference list ' includes a series of questions that can be asked of the audience/students _ either to promote discussion or to be set as an assignment See the companion website _ INCLUDE LINK _ for an Instructor Resource Guide and PowerPoint slides, with tips for activities and as a general guide to explore issues raised in the book.