Service Management and Innovation (ISYS90087)

AIM

The Australian economy, as well as the economies of all industrialized nations, comprise primarily of service jobs. There has been a tremendous global growth in the service sector during the last 30 years, and even those industries that once thought of themselves as strictly product oriented, are now realizing that they too can have an important service component. Consequently, industry demand for prospective employees who understand how to manage and innovate in service has risen substantially, and students graduating from the Melbourne School of Engineering will most likely work in the service sector, for example as IT consultants.

Upon completing this subject, you will be able to have an informed conversation about the nature of service, and possess new skills that help you to succeed in the workforce you are about to enter. You will learn what service is, why it is different, and why it is important. The subject will explore how to measure and manage service performance and to create service innovations. It will help you to understand service from a variety of perspectives – including social sciences, engineering, and others.

The subject will draw on readings of current articles and, of course, your own experiences as service customers. Another element of the subject is an online service operations management simulation known as LINKS. You and your team will manage a virtual service company, competing with others in the class. In addition, there will be an applied service innovation project that requires you to develop a new service from scratch.