Amrita School of Business

Term IV / Elective in Operations

Services Operations Management

Service is one of the major economic activities in any country. Roughly about 60% of GDP of
India is contributed by the service sector. There has been a steady growth in services for the
last 15 years in India and the rate of this growth is also in the rise. The markets for services
are expanding exponentially across the globe and the degree of investment is accelerating
like never before. All these indicate the importance of services in our economy and the need
for sound management practices in planning, designing, doing and controlling of the
services operations. Such a growth also has opened up big opportunities for business
graduates. Hence services now are being recognized as an intriguing area of study in
business.

Service organisations respond to the requirements of customers to satisfy some needs and
leave certain experiences in the minds of the customer through a service delivery system.
Operations Management has traditionally taken a process view of management and in
services, the process is the product. Hence understanding how the principles of Operations
management apply to services become very crucial to design a superior services delivery
system for anyone who envisages their career in services.

This course,”Services Operations Management’ will address both the strategic and
operational aspects of services. The course investigates how to design and manage firms to
achieve sustainable service excellence. Service excellence is sustained when value is created
for owners, employees, and customers. This course is appropriate for those planning to
work in service firms and for those intend to work in companies that analyze or provide
support to service businesses (like consulting firms).
A broad outline of the course:

1. Understanding services and services economy

a. Global trends in Services Sector - Changing paradigms in Competitiveness of
services-Growth and globalization of services
b. Services – Manufacturing Continuum
c. Role of services in manufacturing

2. Understanding the Services supply chain

a. Understanding customers and their expectations
b. Managing service supply relationships
c. Managing services delivery to the customers

3. Designing of a Service delivery system

a. New Service Development - Design principles
b. Managing demand and supply and Capacity issues
c. Service facility location

4. Performance Measurement
a. Understanding performance
b. Linking operations decisions to business performance
c. Services quality

5. Application domain in select services

a. IT/ITES
b. Hospitality and tourism
c. Education
d. Healthcare

Suggested Books:

1. Services Management, Fitzsimmons, Tata Mcgraw Hill education private

limited (2006)

2. Service Operations Management: Improving Service Delivery, Robert

Johnston, Graham Clark, Pearson, (2008)