THE WALLACE E. CARROLL SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
MD850: Advanced Topics in IT: e-Service Operations
Spring 2002
MD850 Home
Week 7
The Service Process: Configurations of e-Service Process Technologies
Assigned Readings
Heim, G.R., and K.K. Sinha, “Service Process Configurations in Electronic Retailing: An Empirical Examination of Electronic Food Retailers,” Gregory R. Heim and Kingshuk K. Sinha, Production and Operations Management, forthcoming. (Handed out in class.) (POMServiceProcessPaper.doc)
Heim, G.R., and K.K. Sinha, “A Product-Process Matrix for Electronic B2C Operations: Implications for the Delivery of Customer Value,” Journal of Service Research, 4(3), 2001. (Handed out in class.)
Case Study Assignment
J. Crew Rebuilds its Web Presence with the ATG Dynamo Suite
(PDF File) (Sun J2EE Technology in Practice site)
Summary:
This case covers the technological stages that J. Crew went through as they progressed from their initial site, into a service process that could handle the number of service transactions they were experiencing as their online service demand grew.
Note: An interesting follow-up to this case is contained in the magazine Business2.0, at the following link:
http://www.business2.com/articles/mag/0,1640,37730,FF.html
Case Questions:
(1) What were the operational shortcomings/failures of the original J. Crew site design?
(2) How did the J. Crew service product and service experience vision evolve over time? What role did J2EE technology play in these changes? Was the service process that they chose to use appropriate for their envisioned service product?
(3) What operational advantages did the new process technology configurations facilitate for J. Crew?
Team Web-Based Assignment
None.
| Keyword Legend E-SERV = E-Service: 24 Ways to Keep Your Customers … CRM = CRM at the Speed of Light: Capturing and Keeping Customers … FUL = E-Commerce Logistics and Fulfillment: Delivering the Goods |
Related Readings: For Further Information
Related Readings: Traditional (Person-to-Person) Services
Fitzsimmons & Fitzsimmons, Service Management: Operations,
Strategy, and Information Technology, Irwin/McGraw-Hill, 2001, Chapter
6 ("The Supporting Facility"), Chapter 7 ("Service Facility
Location")
Haksever, et al., Service Management and Operations, Prentice Hall,
2000, Chapter 10 ("Locating Facilities and Designing Their
Layout")