Service Innovation and Marketing
| Module title | Service Innovation and Marketing |
|---|---|
| Module code | BEMM070 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Professor Andi Smart (Convenor) Dr Laura Phillips (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 50 |
|---|
Module description
Summary:
This module provides an interdisciplinary/applied approach for understanding, analysing and innovating service delivery. Understanding market segments, value propositions, and innovative ways to deliver service is essential for competitiveness. Digital technologies (geospatial/eye-tracking; AR/VR) provide significant opportunities to innovate service design and delivery.
Building upon operations management and marketing theory, the idea of a service system is introduced. You will explore the influence of customer value/experience on business model design, delivery and evaluation. You will acquire technical skills and consultancy skills to equip you for the workplace. The module uses real service improvement examples (Vodafone, Microsoft, NHS) in the classroom.
Additional Information:
External Engagement
Previous guest speakers have lectured on services systems, process modelling, service design, and on the current and future directions of service management.
Employability
Students develop their skills in analytical thinking, relationship building and teamwork, and communication. Consultancy skills and the use of innovative digital technologies, such as eye-tracking, will equip students for the workplace.
Module aims - intentions of the module
Service businesses are an important contributor to the economy. These businesses, operating in a global market place, are faced with the challenges of business model innovation to remain competitive. Innovative business models require an understanding of market segments and specific value propositions. New digital technologies such as geospatial tracking and eye-tracking provide new insights to inform market segmentation and value propositions. New ways of delivering value propositions, such as Virtual and Augmented Reality (AR/VR) provide significant opportunities to innovate service delivery. This module provides an interdisciplinary approach to understanding, analysing and innovating service delivery. Building upon core concepts from operations management and marketing theory, the module aims to introduce you to the idea of a service system in which inter-dependent service delivery processes are designed to provide customer value. Particular attention is paid to the customer’s influence on the operating system. Specifically, you will explore the impact of customer value and customer experience on business model design, delivery and evaluation. In addition to acquiring technical skills in process modelling, service blueprinting, customer experience analysis and the use of advanced tools such as eye-tracking, you will also acquire consultancy skills to equip you for the workplace. This module is research led and is informed by research results from the VISTA AR project; a €7.8m (ERDF) project looking at digital innovation in cultural heritage sites. The module also draws on a number of research/consultancy engagements with, for example, Vodafone, Microsoft, RPA, NHS, National Trust, to provide real service innovation and improvement examples in the classroom.
There is a strong applied focus throughout the module, introducing practical tools in process modelling, service blueprinting, customer experience analysis and the use of advanced tools such as eye-tracking. The module will draw real examples from a broad range of services and will be taught using lectures, workshops and case studies. As part of the assessment, you will be required to analyse a 'real world' service process and make recommendations for improvement.
Specifically the module aims are to:
- • Enable students to critically evaluate Operations Management/Marketing theories in a service context
- • Develop analytical skills for service system innovation and improvement
- • Develop technical and consultancy skills
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand and critique, orally and in writing, the theories which underpin service systems and operations/marketing
- 2. Identify, analyse and evaluate business processes and assess their impact on performance
- 3. Apply relevant models, tools and frameworks to evaluate service delivery
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Apply understanding of service and systems concepts and their relevance to the modern economy
- 5. Critically evaluate design options for service delivery
- 6. Use relevant tools and technology to document, measure and analyse service encounters and processes
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Work independently and in small groups to develop research and problem-solving skills
- 8. Present analytical findings in written and oral formats.
Syllabus plan
The following topics will be explored in this module:
- • Overview of service systems and operations
- • Traditional and contemporary understanding of service
- • Service systems
- • Service process modelling
- • Business models and business model innovation
- • Service design
- • Customer value and experience
- • Tools and techniques for service evaluation
- • Consultancy skills
- • Future trends in service management
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | 117 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Contact hours | 12 | Lectures (5 x 2 hours and 2 x 1 hour) |
| Contact hours | 5 | Tutorials (5 x 1 hour) |
| Contact hours | 14 | Workshops (4 x 2hr technology workshops; 2 x 3hr data analysis workshops) |
| On-site data collection | 2 | |
| Guided Independent Study | 117 | 33 hours reading and lecture/tutorial preparation; 24 hours individual and group preparation of presentation; 60 hours essay planning and writing |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case study analysis | 30 minutes | 1-4,7,8 | In class by tutor |
| Application of assessment techniques | 30 minutes | 1-8 | In class by tutor |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | 0 | 40 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group presentation | 40 | 20 mins (+10 mins Q&A) | 1,2,6,7,8 | Students will be given informal feedback immediately following the presentation. A model answer, indicating general strengths and weaknesses, will be posted on the University website after the presentations. |
| Individual Assignment | 60 | 3000 words max (+ appendices) | 1,3,4,5,6,7,8 | Written feedback will be provided after marking |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group presentation | Presentation Slide deck (40%) | 1,2,6,7,8 | August assessment period |
| Individual Essay | Individual Essay - 3000 words (60%) | 1,3,4,5,6,7,8 | August assessment period |
Re-assessment notes
Referred candidates will be required to submit an individual essay analysing different techniques from their original submission.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
This course builds upon core concepts within operations management theory using contemporary understanding in service, as such an up-to-date reading pack of articles will be provided on ELE (Exeter Learning Environment). An indicative list of these articles is shown below:
Ostrom A et al, (2015), Service Research Priorities in a Rapidly Changing Context, Journal of Service Research, 18(2)
Bitner M et al, (2008), Service Blueprinting: a practical technique for service innovation, California Management Review, 50(3).
Ng I, Smith L, (2012), An Integrative Framework of Value, Stephen L. Vargo, Robert F. Lusch, in (ed.) Special Issue - Toward a Better Understanding of the Role of Value in Markets and Marketing (Review of Marketing Research, Volume 9), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp. 207 - 243
Lemke F et al (2011), Customer experience quality: an exploration in business and consumer contexts using repertory grid technique, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 39:846-869
Velu C, Smart P A, Phillips M, (2016), The Imperative for Business Model Innovation: a research and practice perspective, White Paper.
Contiero E et al, (2016), Contingencies and characteristics of service recovery system design Insights from retail banking, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 36(11) pp. 1644 – 1667
Smart P A et al, (2009) Understanding Business Process Management: implications for theory and practice, British Journal of Management, 20:491-507.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 26/07/2018 |
| Last revision date | 20/09/2019 |
