Service management : operations, strategy, information technology

Abstract

This ninth edition continues to acknowledge and emphasize the essential nature of service management. Based on the research and consulting experiences of the authors, the text is organized in four parts: Part One: Understanding Services provides the historical context as well as distinguishes the distinctive characteristics of service operations; Part Two: Designing the Service Enterprise covers designing the service enterprise to support the competitive strategy; Part Three: Managing Service Operations details topics such as managing capacity, demand and waiting lines, and service supply relationships; and Part Four: Quantitative Models for Service Management addresses forecasting and managing service inventory. Each chapter emphasizes the theme of managing services for competitive advantage, which provides a focus for each management topic. The ninth edition maintains the engaging literary style of the prior editions, and makes extensive use of examples. Emphasis is placed on the need for continuous improvement in quality and productivity in order to compete effectively in a global environment. To motivate the reader, a vignette of a well-known company starts each chapter, illustrating the strategic nature of the topic to be covered. Each chapter also has a preview, closing summary, key terms and definitions, service benchmark, topics for discussion, an interactive exercise, solved problems and exercises when appropriate, and one or more cases.