Applied Studies (Business and Administrative Studies)
Prerequisites:
MGSC 301 or equivalent. Students should also be familiar with basic algebra. Neither calculus nor business math is required, but students with courses in either of these subjects will find this knowledge useful. In special cases, students may obtain the course coordinator’s permission to take the course without these prerequisites.
Course start date:
If you are a:
Self-funded student: register by the 10th of the month, start on the 1st of the next.
Students registering in grouped study mode are advised that there may be some differences in the evaluation and course materials information indicated below. To obtain the most up-to-date information, contact the Faculty of Business Student Support Centre at 1-800-468-6531.
Overview
Welcome to Management Science 369: Service Operations Management. This senior level, three–credit course will introduce you to the skills associated with the functional area of production and operations management, as they are practiced in service organizations. The lessons include cases and examples from different service industries such as healthcare, hospitality, retail, communication, transportation, and banking.
Outline
Lesson 1: The Service Economy
Lesson 2: Service Strategy
Lesson 3: New Service Development
Lesson 4: The Service Encounter
Lesson 5: Service Quality
Lesson 6: Service Facility Location
Lesson 7: Managing Capacity and Demand
Lesson 8: Globalization of Services
Lesson 9: Forecasting Demand for Services
Lesson 10: Service Supply Relationships
Learning outcomes
After completing this course, students should be able to
use key terms and concepts related to current service sector operations and apply Canadian examples.
apply strategies used in service sector operations to various scenarios.
explain the design and development process for new services.
describe the goals of service operations in terms of user experience.
apply the dimensions of service quality in service operations scenarios, including use of numeric methods.
use numeric models and formulas to evaluate location considerations in service operations.
describe strategies and methods used in globalization of services.
apply methods for forecasting demand for services.
analyze service supply relationships.
Evaluation
To receive credit for this course, you must submit both assignments, achieve a grade of at least 50 percent on each examination, and an overall course grade of at least D (50 percent).
The following chart summarizes the evaluation scheme for this course.
Activity
Weight
Complete by
Assignment 1
20%
After Lesson 6
Assignment 2
20%
After Lesson 10
Midterm Online Examination
30%
After Lesson 6
Final Online Examination
30%
After Lesson 10
Total
100%
The midterm and final examinations for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Bordoloi, S., Fitzsimmons, J., & Fitzsimmons, M. (2023). Service management: Operations, strategy, information technology (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill/Irwin. ISBN10: 1265431221| ISBN13: 9781265431228 (eText)
All other learning resources will be available online.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive creditfor the MGSC 369 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent)on the examination.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.