Machine generated contents note: ch. 1 Introducing service operations management -- 1.1.Introduction -- 1.2.What are services? -- 1.3.What is 'service'? -- 1.4.What is service operations management? -- 1.5.Why is service operations management important? -- 1.6.Summary -- 1.7.Discussion questions -- 1.8.Questions for managers -- Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 2 Understanding the challenges for operations managers -- 2.1.Introduction -- 2.2.What are the key strategic challenges faced by service operations managers? -- 2.3.What are the key tactical challenges faced by service operations managers? -- 2.4.What are the challenges for different types of services? -- 2.5.What are the challenges for different types of processes? -- 2.6.What are the challenges in working with other management functions? -- 2.7.How can this book help? -- 2.8.Summary -- 2.9.Discussion questions -- 2.10.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: Sky Airways --

Contents note continued: Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 3 Developing and using the service concept -- 3.1.Introduction -- 3.2.What is a service concept? -- 3.3.How can managers use the service concept? -- 3.4.Summary -- 3.5.Discussion questions -- 3.6.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: The Sunningtree Golf Club -- Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 4 Understanding customers and relationships -- 4.1.Introduction -- 4.2.Customers, who are they? -- 4.3.What are the benefits of retaining good customers? -- 4.4.How can managers develop good customer relationships? -- 4.5.How can managers develop good business relationships? -- 4.6.Summary -- 4.7.Discussion questions -- 4.8.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: The National Brewery -- Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 5 Managing customer expectations and perceptions -- 5.1.Introduction -- 5.2.What is customer satisfaction? --

Contents note continued: 5.3.What influences expectations and perceptions? -- 5.4.How can expectations and perceptions be 'managed'? -- 5.5.How can service quality be operationalised? -- 5.6.How can managers capture customers' expectations? -- 5.7.How can a service be specified? -- 5.8.Summary -- 5.9.Discussion questions -- 5.10.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: The Northern Breast Screening Unit -- Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 6 Managing supply networks and supplier relationships -- 6.1.Introduction -- 6.2.What are supply chains and networks? -- 6.3.What is the role of information and inventory? -- 6.4.How can supply networks be managed? -- 6.5.How can managers develop a global network strategy? -- 6.6.Summary -- 6.7.Discussion questions -- 6.8.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: The Regional Forensic Science Laboratory -- Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 7 Designing the customer experience --

Contents note continued: 7.1.Introduction -- 7.2.What is a customer experience? -- 7.3.How can the servicescape be designed? -- 7.4.How can managers design the customer journey? -- 7.5.What is the role of technology in developing the customer experience? -- 7.6.Summary -- 7.7.Discussion questions -- 7.8.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: The Southern Provincial Hospice -- Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 8 Designing the service process -- 8.1.Introduction -- 8.2.Why is service process design important? -- 8.3.What are the main types of service process? -- 8.4.How can managers 'engineer' service processes? -- 8.5.How can service processes be repositioned? -- 8.6.How can managers harness technology in service process design? -- 8.7.Summary -- 8.8.Discussion questions -- 8.9.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: Banca San Giovanni -- Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 9 Measuring, controlling and managing --

Contents note continued: 9.1.Introduction -- 9.2.Why do managers need to measure things? -- 9.3.What needs to be measured? -- 9.4.How can managers measure the customer's perspective? -- 9.5.How can managers measure, control and manage the operation? -- 9.6.Summary -- 9.7.Discussion questions -- 9.8.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: The Squire Hotel Group -- Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 10 Managing people -- 10.1.Introduction -- 10.2.Why is service delivery a pressurised task? -- 10.3.How can organisations manage and motivate service providers? -- 10.4.How can customers be 'managed' and motivated? -- 10.5.Summary -- 10.6.Discussion questions -- 10.7.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: The Empress Hotel Group -- Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 11 Managing service resources -- 11.1.Introduction -- 11.2.What is capacity management? -- 11.3.How can managers balance capacity and demand? --

Contents note continued: 11.4.How is day-to-day planning and control carried out? -- 11.5.How do organisations manage bottlenecks and queues? -- 11.6.What happens when managers can't cope with demand? -- 11.7.How can organisations improve their capacity utilisation? -- 11.8.Summary -- 11.9.Discussion questions -- 11.10.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: Medi-Call Personal Alarm Systems Ltd -- Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 12 Driving continuous improvement -- 12.1.Introduction -- 12.2.How can managers use 'value' to drive continuous improvement'? -- 12.3.What are the main approaches to continuous improvement? -- 12.4.How can managers sustain continuous improvement? -- 12.5.Summary -- 12.6.Discussion questions -- 12.7.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: Cranleigh Metropolitan Council -- Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 13 Learning from problems -- 13.1.Introduction -- 13.2.Why do problems occur? --

Contents note continued: 13.3.How can complaining customers be dealt with? -- 13.4.How can managers use problems to drive improvement? -- 13.5.How can managers prevent problems occurring? -- 13.6.Summary -- 13.7.Discussion questions -- 13.8.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: Gold Card Protection Service -- Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 14 Learning from other operations -- 14.1.Introduction -- 14.2.What is benchmarking? -- 14.3.How can benchmarking help organisations improve their performance? -- 14.4.What are the different types of benchmarking? -- 14.5.How do organisations go about benchmarking? -- 14.6.How can quality awards and academic studies help with benchmarking? -- 14.7.Summary -- 14.8.Discussion questions -- 14.9.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: Mumbai Private Bank -- Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 15 Creating and implementing the strategy -- 15.1.Introduction --

Contents note continued: 15.2.What is a service strategy? -- 15.3.How can service provide a competitive advantage? -- 15.4.How can managers turn performance objectives into operations priorities? -- 15.5.How can strategy be formulated and developed? -- 15.6.How can a strategy be sustained? -- 15.7.Summary -- 15.8.Discussion questions -- 15.9.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: Smith and Jones, Solicitors -- Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 16 Understanding and influencing culture -- 16.1.Introduction -- 16.2.Why is understanding and influencing organisational culture important? -- 16.3.What is organisational culture? -- 16.4.What are the main culture types and the implications for service delivery? -- 16.5.What is the influence of national cultures? -- 16.6.How can managers influence cultural change? -- 16.7.Summary -- 16.8.Discussion questions -- 16.9.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: North Midlands Fire and Rescue Service --

Contents note continued: Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes -- ch. 17 Building a world-class service organisation -- 17.1.Introduction -- 17.2.What is excellent service? -- 17.3.How do organisations go about becoming and remaining world-class? -- 17.4.How can managers make the business case for service? -- 17.5.A final word -- 17.6.Summary -- 17.7.Discussion questions -- 17.8.Questions for managers -- Case Exercise: Superstore Plc -- Suggested further reading -- Useful web links -- Notes.