Service Operations Management : Improving Service Delivery (Paperback)--by Robert Johnston [2012 Edition] ISBN: 9780273740483

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. Cover......Page 1 Service Operations Management......Page 2 Contents......Page 6 Part I Introduction......Page 26 Introduction......Page 27 What are services?......Page 28 What is ‘service’?......Page 29 What is service operations management?......Page 35 Why is service operations management important?......Page 38 Summary......Page 40 Suggested further reading......Page 41 Notes......Page 42 Introduction......Page 44 What are the key strategic challenges faced by service operations managers?......Page 45 What are the key tactical challenges faced by service operations managers?......Page 48 What are the challenges for different types of services?......Page 53 What are the challenges for different types of processes?......Page 58 What are the challenges in working with other management functions?......Page 61 How can this book help?......Page 62 Summary......Page 63 Questions for managers......Page 64 Notes......Page 66 Part II Frame......Page 68 Introduction......Page 69 What is a service concept?......Page 70 How can managers use the service concept?......Page 76 Summary......Page 84 Case Exercise The Sunningtree Golf Club......Page 85 Notes......Page 87 Part III Connect......Page 90 Introduction......Page 91 Customers, who are they?......Page 92 What are the benefits of retaining good customers?......Page 100 How can managers develop good customer relationships?......Page 102 How can managers develop good business relationships?......Page 109 Summary......Page 117 Questions for managers......Page 118 Case Exercise The National Brewery......Page 119 Useful web links......Page 121 Notes......Page 122 Introduction......Page 124 What is customer satisfaction?......Page 125 What influences expectations and perceptions?......Page 129 How can expectations and perceptions be ‘managed’?......Page 132 How can service quality be operationalised?......Page 138 How can managers capture customers’ expectations?......Page 143 How can a service be specified?......Page 146 Summary......Page 147 Discussion questions......Page 148 Case Exercise The Northern Breast Screening Unit......Page 149 Useful web links......Page 151 Notes......Page 152 Introduction......Page 154 What are supply chains and networks?......Page 155 What is the role of information and inventory?......Page 158 How can supply networks be managed?......Page 160 How can managers develop a global network strategy?......Page 176 Summary......Page 177 Questions for managers......Page 178 Case Exercise The Regional Forensic Science Laboratory......Page 179 Useful web links......Page 180 Notes......Page 181 Part IV Deliver......Page 184 Introduction......Page 185 What is a customer experience?......Page 186 How can the servicescape be designed?......Page 190 How can managers design the customer journey?......Page 192 What is the role of technology in developing the customer experience?......Page 203 Summary......Page 209 Questions for managers......Page 210 Case Exercise The Southern Provincial Hospice......Page 211 Suggested further reading......Page 212 Notes......Page 213 Introduction......Page 216 What are the main types of service process?......Page 217 How can managers ‘engineer’ service processes?......Page 229 How can service processes be repositioned?......Page 231 How can managers harness technology in service process design?......Page 239 Summary......Page 243 Case Exercise Banca San Giovanni......Page 245 Notes......Page 248 Introduction......Page 249 Why do managers need to measure things?......Page 250 What needs to be measured?......Page 251 How can managers measure the customer’s perspective?......Page 254 How can managers measure, control and manage the operation?......Page 258 Discussion questions......Page 267 Case Exercise The Squire Hotel Group......Page 268 Notes......Page 270 Introduction......Page 272 Why is service delivery a pressurised task?......Page 273 How can organisations manage and motivate service providers?......Page 278 How can customers be ‘managed’ and motivated? ......Page 297 Summary......Page 300 Case Exercise The Empress Hotel Group......Page 301 Notes......Page 303 Introduction......Page 306 What is capacity management?......Page 307 How can managers balance capacity and demand?......Page 310 How is day-to-day planning and control carried out?......Page 318 How do organisations manage bottlenecks and queues? ......Page 322 what happens when managers can’t cope with demand? ......Page 326 How can organisations improve their capacity utilisation?......Page 331 Summary......Page 335 Discussion questions......Page 336 Case Exercise Medi-Call Personal Alarm Systems Ltd......Page 337 Suggested further reading......Page 338 Notes......Page 339 Part V Improve......Page 342 Introduction......Page 343 How can managers use ‘value’ to drive continuous improvement?......Page 344 What are the main approaches to continuous improvement?......Page 346 How can managers sustain continuous improvement?......Page 360 Summary......Page 361 Questions for managers......Page 362 Case Exercise Cranleigh Metropolitan Council......Page 363 Notes......Page 365 Introduction......Page 367 Why do problems occur? ......Page 368 How can complaining customers be dealt with? ......Page 369 How can managers use problems to drive improvement?......Page 373 How can managers prevent problems occurring?......Page 377 Summary......Page 385 Case Exercise Gold Card Protection Service......Page 386 Suggested further reading......Page 388 Notes......Page 389 Introduction......Page 391 How can benchmarking help organisations improve their performance?......Page 392 What are the different types of benchmarking?......Page 393 How do organisations go about benchmarking?......Page 398 How can quality awards and academic studies help with benchmarking?......Page 404 Summary......Page 405 Questions for managers......Page 406 Suggested further reading......Page 407 Notes......Page 408 Part VI Implement......Page 410 Introduction......Page 411 What is a service strategy?......Page 412 How can service provide a competitive advantage?......Page 413 How can managers turn performance objectives into operations priorities?......Page 417 How can strategy be formulated and developed? ......Page 420 How can a strategy be sustained?......Page 425 Summary......Page 426 Case Exercise Smith and Jones, Solicitors......Page 427 Useful web links......Page 429 Notes......Page 430 Introduction......Page 431 Why is understanding and influencing organisational culture important?......Page 432 What is organisational culture?......Page 433 What are the main culture types and the implications for service delivery?......Page 444 What is the influence of national cultures?......Page 446 How can managers influence cultural change?......Page 447 Summary......Page 452 Case Exercise North Midlands Fire and Rescue Service......Page 453 Useful web links......Page 455 Notes......Page 456 Introduction......Page 457 What is excellent service?......Page 458 How do organisations go about becoming and remaining world-class?......Page 462 How can managers make the business case for service?......Page 469 Summary......Page 472 Questions for managers......Page 473 Case Exercise Superstore Plc......Page 474 Suggested further reading......Page 476 Notes......Page 477 Index......Page 478 "This international market-leading book 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 practical approach with a detailed theoretical underpinning, this book provides tools, frameworks and techniques for operational analysis and improvement and sets operations management within the wider business context, bringing a valuable perspective to this growing area. Each chapter includes definitions of key terms, real-world examples and case studies with exercises, questions to test your understanding and recommended further reading to deepen your knowledge." 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. 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