Innovation and Operations Management

Too often in service organisations, customers receive outcomes from the service experience different from what they had anticipated and what the company had intended. Why is this? Bob Lillis explains.

Graham Clark on the simple equation; good customer service equals good business.

The global car industry is changing and evolving. What are the key trends and implications? Mike Sweeney discusses the nature of changes in the British car industry, how the industry impacts on the UK economy and makes an assessment of the global car industry’s future, with the emergence of competition and change which crosses national boundaries.

In today's fluctuating business environment, companies must sometimes make the choice to downsize some of their operations. Lessons from best practice and research are identified and five key steps are discussed to successfully manage downsizing or plant closure.

Master of Design - Student view

Graham Clark discusses what it takes to be a customer focussed organisation that stands out from the crowd. It may seem such a simple equation: good customer service equals good business. And yet this patently isn’t played out in practice, as all of us have experienced. Learning from organisations such as Southwest Airlines, great service is delivered consistently throughout the whole network of relationships. Too much attention to heroes on the service front line is not enough; there is a need to regularly review and re-evaluate all the relationships and what is working and not working. In this way you are much more likely to retain that valuable and essential element, customer focus.

What are the key reasons for new product success & what steps can companies take to promote innovation & avoid failure? Innovation research reveals important lessons.

Mike Sweeney looks at change in the motor industry.

In this climate of cuts, Keith Goffin discusses an innovative way forward: new partnerships between the public sector and commercial organisations. This combines the capabilities of public and private partners in a unique way that enables the generation of new services (which neither partner could develop alone), and in a way that the revenues are shared. He discusses examples from the Met Office and the health services.