OSCM 330: Service Operations Master Syllabus
Course Instructor:
Office Number:
Office Hours:
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Course Meeting Times:
Textbook
Service Management, 10th Edition, by Bordoloi, McGraw-Hill (ISBN 9781265075538)
Digital books are acceptable.
Note: The text is required reading but it is not a substitute or replacement for classroom instruction.
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Course Description
This course studies all aspects of service operations and management with focus on how differentiation and value generation differ from product focused markets. Services are growing substantially as a portion of both global and national markets, and this pace is being accelerated by advancements in information technology fueling new business models. We will study various aspects of the service operations and best practices in use today, in both B2C and B2B markets.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand the characteristics of service management and compare and contrast them with those of manufacturing management.
- Use analytical models to analyze, manage, and improve service operations.
- Discover the emerging entrepreneurial opportunities in the global services sector.
Requirements
You may earn up to 100% throughout the course. A resume and picture is due 2/1 (part of in-class exercises). Details will be posted on Canvas. Grades in this course will be computed as follows (note there is no rounding up):
| Midterm Exam | 26% |
| Final Exam | 30% |
| Quizzes (3 out of 4) | 18% |
| News Update | 6% |
| Class Exercises & Participation | 10% |
| Canvas Reading Questions | 10% |
Grading Scale
| A | 92.0 – 100 |
| A- | 90.0 – 91.99 |
| B+ | 88.0 – 89.99 |
| B | 82.0 – 87.99 |
| B- | 80.0 – 81.99 |
| C+ | 78.0 – 79.99 |
| C | 72.0 – 77.99 |
| F | Others |
Class Procedure
Students will receive the greatest benefit by completing all the reading assignments in advance of viewing class material, viewing class material, and being active online discussions and activites. Sharing of opinions, ideas and questions is strongly encouraged and greatly benefits all participants. Lectures and discussion are the predominant class form of presentation and a full interchange between the professor and the student is expected. Exercises will also be used and credit depends on being present during the class the activity occurs.
Class Participation and Attendance
Every student is expected to prepare for and complete each class’s material and to constructively participate in online class discussions. Students are particularly encouraged to share their views and work experiences on various topics. Failing to view class material, participate in online discussions and complete online exercises will negatively affect your class grade as well.
Canvas Reading Questions/Homework Exercises
Occasionally questions and problems based on the assigned reading(s) and online lectures will be assigned. They are designed to give you valuable practice and enable your understanding of the quantitative techniques and qualitative concepts used in service operations management. At the beginning of each week, an assignment will be posted on Canvas and is due by midnight on Sunday 7 days later. No late assignments will be accepted. For the Canvas reading questions, you have three tries and unlimited time to finish the questions (as long as they are completed on time).
Each student is responsible for learning and understanding the material and should be able to do these assignments individually. Additional problems and solutions will be posted on Canvas. Students are encouraged to stop by office hours to assure full understanding of course materials and assigned questions.
News Update
Each week, one or two students (assigned previously) will present a news article related to service operation management and the course. The article must come from the last two weeks or the latest issue of one of the following: New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, The Economist, Time, Fortune, Financial Times or Forbes. Each presentation should be about 5-8 minutes and the link and reference to the article and slides should be posted on the Canvas before the week starts (ie. Sunday night). The presentation should address the following: 1) why the topic is important from a service operations perspective, 2) managerial significance, and 3) what the key learning points are. The ability to relate the article to class materials and clearly articulate the significance of the key learning points and quality of the presentation will determine the grade received for the presentation. It is important to relate class materials to the challenges facing business organizations currently. The uploaded file may be any easily viewable video file or voiced over PowerPoint presentation.
In-Class Exercises
These are in-class learning experiences, completed in a team environment. In-class exercises are designed to reinforce the topics learned in the class. Students are typically given a fixed amount of time to work with others to complete each exercise. In-class exercises will occur at random, so you will not know when one will take place in class (but they are almost weekly). Full credit is given if you are present in class and attempt (in good faith) the exercise. They are not graded for correctness. Make-up in-class exercises are not allowed under any circumstances.
Office Hours
By appointment and flexible to your and my schedule. Please reach out 2-3 days ahead of desired meeting date so we can arrange an adequate time for both of us.
Take-Home Quizzes
Four online (on Canvas) quizzes on class materials will be given in this course. Three (3) quizzes will count, and the lowest score (the 4th) will be dropped. Students are NOT allowed to get help on any quiz questions from others, not even your pets! However, you are encouraged to discuss with your classmates similar problems from lecture examples and homework exercises. Each quiz will be on Canvas and is due by the posted date and time, usually one week at midnight following the quiz posting. As this is electronic, there will be no late work allowed.
Examinations
There are two in class exams: one midterm and one final. The midterm will cover classes 1-7. The final is cumulative. Exams may consist of multiple choice, true-false, short answer, and problem type questions and will include quantitative and qualitative questions. The midterm and final examination are closed book and closed note exams. I will provide a formula sheet. Information presented in class, videos, slides, news updates, articles, the book, and by any guest speakers may be included on the examinations. Each student is expected to bring his/her own Scantron sheet, #2 pencils, and calculator (not cell phone/tablet) for each exam. To prepare well for these exams, students should read assigned textbook chapters, review slides, read articles, and do practice problems on a weekly basis.
The scheduled exam date and covered materials for each exam can be found on the schedule page of this course syllabus. The final examination is given only at the specified time as published by the University Registrar. Please mark the exam dates on your calendar. IF YOU CANNOT TAKE THE FINAL OR MIDTERMS AT THE TIME SHOWN ON THE SCHEDULE, DO NOT REGISTER FOR THIS CLASS. NO MAKEUPS WILL BE GIVEN without a valid, per university policy, documented excuse. Missed exams not covered by a valid excuse (per University policy) will result in a grade of zero for the exam and probable failure for the class. Make-up exams may be given at the discretion of the instructor, given documentation is provided to support the valid excuse. In case that you need to miss an exam during the semester, you are responsible to contact the instructor as soon as possible.
Course Schedule (subject to change)
| Week | Topic | Reading (before class) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Service Operations, Service Economy, Service Strategy | Chapter 1 & 2, Airbnb and Uber Article \ |
| 2 | Service Encounter, New Service Development | Chapter 4 Enterprise Case |
| 3 | Service Quality & Process Control | Chapter 6 |
| 4 | Process Control & Improvement | Chapter 7 |
| 5 | Waiting Management 1 | Chapter 12 |
| 6 | Waiting Management 2 | Chapter 12 |
| Spring Recess – No Class | ||
| 7 | Midterm Exam | |
| 8, 9 | Demand Forecasting | Chapter 14 |
| 10 | Capacity Management | Chapter 11 |
| 11 | Service Supply Chain | Chapter 9 |
| 12 | E-Service | Changing Software Article (Canvas) Amazon Case Study (Ch. 3) |
| 13 | Healthcare, Education, Entertainment Market Segments | Surgical Intervention Power to the People Education as a service |
| 14 | Service Entrepreneurship Public Sector Services Review | Forbes, Customer Think Articles |
| 15 | Reading Period (No Class) | |
| Final Exam Cumulative |
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