Engineering Services Management (ESM) as a domain of study:

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1 ESM WebCampus NEWS ESM Course Structure Engineering Services Management (ESM) as a domain of study: The ESM domain of study in the MEM and the MPM program will in effect constitute two courses, namely the ESM Course presented in the first semester of the second year and the Advanced ESM course presented in the second semester. In addition a student will need to complete a research project within the field of engineering services management. The course structure for the MEM program, with ESM as the selected domain, is presented in the attached diagram and serves as a typical example of how the courses concerned are structured over the two semesters in the second year of study. MEM program with ESM domain (option) for 2010 Year 1 Personal Development Program Year 2 Research Project & Symposium Semester 1 Semester 2 System Eng & Man Technology Man Pod & Ops Man Project Man People Man Maintenance Man Financial Man Information Man * Semester 1 Semester 2 Life-cycle Man New Ventures & Entr * of SHE * Engineering Logistics * ESM Advanced ESM Quality Man Marketing Man Decision Anal. Strategic Man Develop Systems and Process thinking, Technology thinking, Information thinking Enhance Management insight and behaviour Students who have thus completed the first year of the MEM and MPM programs in 2009 can therefore select ESM as a domain of study in Those who would like to select only the ESM course as an optional for semester one and not continue with the advanced course will also be able to do so. Students who have selected the domain option will, however, as previously stated, also need to complete their project within the field of engineering services management during ESM course information: The course assumes a systems engineering approach. It also presupposes that students need to acquire a fundamental understanding of the concepts and theories associated with services science within an engineering management context. As far as possible, theory is also drawn through to the practical implementation thereof. The accent therefore is on providing students with the

2 skills they will require to meet the service management challenges they are confronted with in their day-to-day work environment. After completion of the course students should therefore be able to: Describe the nature and trends that characterise the global and South African economy. Explain the characteristics of the services economy. Critically discuss the development of a services strategy to gain a competitive advantage in very turbulent and extremely competitive global services economy. Clearly articulate the design, implementation and management of services. Deal with questions relating to service facility location, layout, security, aesthetics, queuing, capacity planning and related issues impacting on the service experience of clients. Effectively manage the services encounter and client/supplier relationship development process. Relate service science theory to practise and apply the learning that has taken place in day-to-day service management practice. The point of departure in the course is to gain clarity as to what constitutes services science from an engineering perspective and why it has become increasingly important to manage services, both from a strategic and operational point of view. Central to this discussion is the reality that the global economy has undergone a fundamental change, namely a transition from a predominantly manufacturing to a services driven knowledge and information based economy. At the very core of this transition is the impact that it has had on the operations of the enterprise, as services are inherently very different in nature to that of manufacturing. Quite notably the situation in South Africa tends to be far more complicated as the economy in effect is deemed to be a dual manufacturing and services economy, which by implication implies that at a strategic and operational level the two have to be integrated. In this course we merely take note of this reality and do not extensively research and analyse the implications involved in integrating the two - that is dealt with in far greater detail in the advanced course. The focus in this course is one of gaining an insight into the nature of services, the design thereof and its implementation and management. This is in line with the systems engineering approach adopted for the ESM course. The ESM model is also briefly dealt with as a point of departure to clarify the strategic and operational management considerations, as well as the support infrastructure associated with services delivery. The ESM model for a dual economy, such as the South African economy, is presented in the figure below for reference and information purposes.

3 Figure: The ESM model for a dual services and manufacturing South African economy Advanced ESM course information: The advanced course builds on the well established foundation that has been laid in completing the ESM course. It specifically focuses on the integration of services and manufacturing at a strategic and operational level, a process generally referred to as servitization. This is particularly important as within an engineering context many manufacturing institutions are increasingly adding services to the buddle of products offered to clients, so as to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace and also to increase the institution s revenue generating capacity. This by implication necessitates a fundamental change in the business model adopted by these institutions, an aspect that will specifically be dealt with in the course. The services economy is inherently in nature complex and subject to unexpected and unforeseen trends or events that have the ability to totally disrupt an institution s operational activities. The current economic meltdown serves as a case in point. Complex adaptive systems theory is deemed to be more appropriate for dealing with such contextual conditions and students are therefore introduced to the theory from a services management perspective. Web based service delivery and the use of information and communication technology to supporting service delivery are clearly important emerging trends that are addressed in the course. The intangibility of services implies that a traditional product or transactional marketing approach is difficult if not near impossible to implement and the marketing of services therefore assumes a very definite aspect that is addressed in the course as well. In the final instance the

4 human aspects as they relate to services management are explored. The ESM model as it applies to the Advanced ESM course is resented in the diagram below. In summary therefore, after completion of this course you should be able to: Define and describe a complex adaptive system, draw a distinction between complicated and complex systems, describe the characteristics associated with complex systems, and discuss traditional scientific management and complex adaptive systems theory. Describe the Cynefin framework developed by Prof. Snowden and discuss each of its five domains. Explain the construction of the Cynefin framework and describe a service science overlay of the framework. Critically discuss with the application of a CAS approach in dealing with the erosion of certainty and increasing trends of contextual turbulence that are manifest within the global services economy. This is done with specific reference to the impact thereof on services management and the need for engendering a sense of resiliency within the institution to deal therewith. Define and describe the concept of servitization from a business model, process management, organisational culture and climate, skills, and infrastructure perspective. Explain the concept of services marketing. Discuss the role of human resources practices in service organisations, with reference to a competency-based HR framework, the broader relevance of collaboration as it relates to services management, the role of empowerment, and the role of stress among front-line employees. Discuss and elaborate on the role played by information technology in support of service delivery, based on contemporary practice, with reference to an internal support system for service delivery, a web-based service delivery system for clients and an IT support infrastructure.

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