Operations & Info Management 325 - Service Industry Operations

The service sector contributes about 70% of the gross domestic product of the US economy. Also, it accounts for about 75% of the US employment. This course in "Service Industry Operations" examines firms in the service sector. The course begins with highlighting the salient aspects of services (specifically, differentiating a service from a product on various dimensions), and then provides an overview of structural, infrastructural, and behavioral aspects of managing service operations. In particular, we will consider service process, service quality, service design, service failures, and new (digital) advancements in service delivery. The course is intended to provide managers in the service sector with knowledge and tools to make informed decisions such as process improvements, wait line management, and demand and yield management. The course will impart both quantitative and qualitative analysis skills, especially those needed for managing important business tradeoffs within the context of services. Using a blend of cases, selected book chapters, and articles from business press and academic literature, this course will explore the aforementioned concepts in diverse service industries including healthcare, retail, hospitality, transportation, and financial services.

Open to students with majors in the Isenberg School of Management Pre Req: OIM 301 OIM majors and non-OIM Isenberg majors should monitor the course via Spire for seat availability. Students who add themselves to the Spire waitlist should ensure they do not enroll in a course that conflicts with this course or are enrolled in a max number of credits. 30 seats are reserved for declared OIM majors. Remaining seats are available to non-OIM Isenberg majors who meet the enrollment requirements. Please contact the Isenberg Undergraduate Programs Office at undergrad@isenberg.umass.edu if you meet the enrollment requirements, seats are available, and you are unable to self-enroll or add yourself to the Spire waitlist (if open as indicated by a yellow triangle). Please note that for all OIM courses, the Department utilizes the Spire waitlist. The Registrar will stop promoting students on the Spire waitlist about one week prior to the beginning of classes. Once the Spire waitlist is no longer functional, you will need to monitor the class and self-enroll if a seat becomes available.