Service Operations Management

Learning outcomes

After the successful completion of this course, the students will be able

• to characterize services on the basis of their constitutive features and derive specific properties and requirements of service production processes from these,
• to use data envelopment analysis as an established instrument in the comparative efficiency analysis of service companies,
• to structure the planning of service production in strategic and operational planning problems, and
• to apply model-based planning methods of Operations Management to strategic and operational service planning.

Contents

Chapter 1:  Services and service production
1.1 Concept and systematization of services
1.2 Production of services
1.3 Measuring and comparing productivity of service production processes
1.4 Operations Management in service production

Chapter 2:  Strategic planning of services
2.1 Service design
2.2 Facility location and network design
2.3 Strategic capacity planning

Chapter 3:  Operational planning of services
3.1 Revenue management
3.2 Project scheduling
3.3 Staff scheduling and rostering
3.4 Timetabling

Literature

• Bordoloi, S, Fitzsimmons JA, Fitzsimmons MJ (2022): Service Management. McGraw Hill, Dubuque, IA
• Cantner U, Krüger J, Hanusch H (2007) Produktivitäts- und Effizienzanalyse: Der nichtparametrische Ansatz. Springer, Berlin
• Corsten H, Gössinger R (2015) Dienstleistungsmanagement. Oldenbourg, München
• Klein R, Steinhardt C (2008) Revenue Management: Grundlagen und mathematische Methoden. Springer, Berlin
• Maleri R, Frietzsche U (2008): Grundlagen der Dienstleistungsproduktion. Springer, Berlin
• Neumann K, Schwindt C, Zimmermann J (2003) Project Scheduling with Time Windows and Scarce Resources. Springer, Berlin
• Pinedo M (2014) Planning and Scheduling in Manufacturing and Services. Springer, New York
• Waldmann K-H, Stocker UM (2012) Stochastische Modelle. Springer, Berlin

GAMS Models

The following table compiles models and sample data for different planning problems and solution methods that are dealt with during the course. The model and example files contain source code written in the algebraic modeling language GAMS, which can be executed using the GAMS system. The GAMS system includes a greater number of state-of-the-art solvers for several types of mathematical programs, providing optimal or locally optimal solutions.

By modifying the example files, new instances can easily be generated for scenario analyses or when preparing the final course exam. A free demo version of the current GAMS system can be downloaded and installed from the web pages of GAMS Development Corp. You need a demo license for the installation, which can be requested using the form provided on the download web page. By return you will receive an email with the license, which must be added to the system during the installation process following the description in the email. The GAMS models can be edited and solved using a simple text editor called GAMS IDE or the with development environment GAMS Studio. In both environments, the comprehensive documentation of the entire GAMS system is available under the "Help" tab.

* Solving the example instance requires a commercial GAMS license