MSCI 306S - Operations Management of Services - Summer 2002

Instructor: Professor Avi Dechter

Office: BB 4137
Telephone: 818-677-2411
e-mail: adechter@csun.edu
URL www.csun.edu/~vcmgt0j3
Office Hours: MTWTh 11:35 a.m. 12:05 p.m.

Course Description
Operations management is a field of study that focuses on the efficient transformation of resource
inputs, such as labor and materials, into useful outputs, such as products and services. Traditionally,
operations management has been a study of manufacturing processes, but as our economy has
become dominated by services, the concepts from operations management are being applied to
service industries.
The intent of this course is to provide students with the concepts and tools necessary to manage a
service operation effectively. The topics are organized around four modules: (1) Overview of
Services, (2) Service Quality and World-Class Service, (3) Design of Service Systems, and (4)
Managing Service Operations.
Course Format and Evaluation
The course consists of lectures, discussion of cases, and in-class presentations. A variety of work is
expected, including written case analyses, case discussion, and homework problems. Groups of
three students each will work as a team and prepare two written cases. A Walk-Through-Audit
(WtA) of an actual service operation will be designed and conducted by each team with
presentation of the results during the last two weeks of class. Assigned homework problems will not
be collected or graded, but they will provide an excellent preparation for the midterm and final
exams. Solutions to the homework problems will be provided.
Grading
Final grades will be given using the (+/-) system. Tentative weights used will be:
Written Case Analysis 2@10% 20%
Walk-Through-Audit 20%
Midterm Exam 30%
Final Exam 30%

Required Textbook
Fitzsimmons, James A., and Mona J. Fitzsimmons, Service Management: Operations, Strategy, and
Information Technology, 3rd Edition, Irwin/McGraw-Hill, 2000.

(A Detailed Course Outline is shown on the reverse side)

Detailed Course Outline (tentative, subject to change)
Meeting Dates Subject Reading Case Homework
1 June 3 Introduction and Ch. 1
Organization of Course
2 June 4 The Nature of Services Ch. 2
3 June 5 Service Quality Ch. 3 (43-59) The
complaint
Letter
4 June 6 Achieving Service Quality Ch. 3 (59-69) 3.2, 3.3, 3.4,
3.6, 3.7, 3.8
5 June 10 Quality and Productivity Ch. 18 Museum of
Improvement Art and
Design
6 June 11 New Service Development Ch. 5 100 Yen
and Process Design Sushi House
7 June 12 The supporting Facility Ch. 6 (143- 150)
8 June 13 Facility Layout Ch. 6 (150-157) HMO (A) 6.1, 6.4, 6.5,
and (B) 6.6, 6.8
9 June 17 Service Facility Location Ch. 7 (171-177,
186-190)
10 June 18 Facility Location Ch. 7 (177-185) HMO (C) 7.1, 7.4, 7.5,
Techniques 7.11, 7.12
11 June 19 The Service Encounter Ch 9 Amy's Ice
Cream
12 June 20 Midterm Exam
13 June 24 Exam Review
14 June 25 Forecasting Demand for Ch. 10 (261-
Services 267)
15 June 26 Time Series Forecasting Ch. 10 (267- Oak Hollow 10.1, 10.2,10.4,
Techniques 276) Evaluation 10.5, 10.7, 10.8
Center
16 June 27 Managing Waiting Lines Ch. 11 Ill Be
Seeing You
17 July 1 Demand Management Ch 13 (365-373)
Strategies
18 July 2 Capacity Management Ch.13 (373-380) Gateway 13.1, 13.2,
Strategies International 13.5, 13.6, 13.7
Airport
19 July 3 Managing Facilitating Ch. 14 (403-
Goods 408, 419-423)
20 July 4 Independence Day
No Class
21 July 8 Inventory Models Ch. 14 (408- Elysian 14.1, 14.2,
419) Cycles 14.4, 14.7,
14.8,14.17
22 July 9 WtA Presentations
23 July 10 WtA Presentations
24 July 11 Final Exam

MSCI 306S - Operations Management of Services Summer 2002

Case Selection
Groups of three students each will work as a team and prepare two written case analyses from the
cases listed in the course outline. In general, the case write-ups should address the case questions
and be no more than four printed pages including any tables and exhibits. The case write-ups are
due one week after they are discussed in class.
During the first week of class, each student group will use the table below to identify, in priority
order, three cases (in each category) they wish to write up during the semester. I will assign one
qualitative case and one quantitative case to each group attempting to conform to the group's
request, but also ensuring that each case is covered by at least two groups.

Case Write-up Choices

Week Qualitative Cases Priority Quantitative Cases Priority
2 The Complaint
Letter
3 Museum of Art and
Design
4 100 Yen Sushi
House
5 Health Maintenance
Organization (A and B)
6 Health Maintenance
Organization (C)
8 Amy's Ice Cream
9 Oak Hollow Evaluation
Center
10 Ill Be Seeing You
11 Gateway International
Airport
12 Elysian Cycles

Team Members: ____________________________

_________________________________ ____________________________