Introductory description

This module is a cross-functional module covering both Marketing Management and Operations, providing students an appreciation of how customer value is assessed and value propositions are created, offered, and delivered to customers, efficiently and effectively.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

No prior knowledge of Marketing or Operations will be assumed.
Key topics covered in the module will include:
The customer-led organisation, the marketing concept, customer orientation.
Customer Value, and building customer relationships.
Understanding your environment - macro, micro, competitive environment and strategies.
Knowing your customers - Buying behaviour, market segmentation, market research, target marketing and positioning.
Offering customer value- Value proposition, product and service concepts, branding strategies, pricing strategies.
Creation of the customer offer - Designing products and services - managing the total design process from ideal to disposal. The role of design in quality management.
Delighting your customer - Issues in quality management, quality control, quality assurance, total quality management, CRM and CRM programmes.
Assessing your customer demand - Demand & Capacity planning, managing variations in demand & capacity, queuing strategies, etc.
Communicating Value - Integrated Marketing Communications, New Media.
Delivering Customer Value - Channel Design & Management, Sales & Key Account management.
Understanding the differentiation and typologies of operations, the importance of fulfilment, Managing the value chain (supply and delivery), operational issues such as JIT, lean, e-procurement & purchase strategies.
The Services Dominant Logic - Services delivery, the Service Profit chain, the Extended Marketing Mix.
The planning process - Marketing & Operations planning.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Understand the concept of Customer Value, and how customer value is created, offered, and delivered.
• Assess the appropriateness of design, marketing, and operations management techniques used in managing products & services, and the interrelationships of these functional areas.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the key processes involved in the creativity of products & services.
• Capacity to synthesise and evaluate alternative marketing and operations theories, concepts, and frameworks.
• Determine marketing and operations objectives and formulate relevant strategies in the light of the environmental analysis and organisational objectives.
• Determine the key elements of marketing and operations plans to implement the strategies to provide best customer value in the most efficient and effective manner.
• Demonstrate an understanding of processes, their design and management.
• Develop an understanding of the organisational and strategic context within which marketing and operations managers function.
• Demonstrate the use of subject relevant analysis and analytic techniques.
• Demonstrate an ability to synthesise meaning from complex information.
• Analyse case studies and propose potential solutions to marketing management problems.
• Understand the processes of marketing/operations strategy and management decision making.
• Critically review latest trends and best practices in marketing and operations.

Indicative reading list

The prescribed textbooks for the module are the following two, since between the two books they cover the topics proposed:

1. Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Harris, LLoyd C., and Piercy, N. 2016 Principles of Marketing. 7th European edition. Pearson Education Limited.
2. Slack, N, Brandon-Jones, A. and Johnston, R. (2013) Operations Management: 7th Edition. Pearson: London.
   Additional readings from relevant academic and practitioner journals will be updated and provided in the module outline each year.

Subject specific skills

• Demonstrate an awareness of practical managerial issues in marketing management and operations management, and approaches to how customer value can be generated, created, and offered.
• Apply concepts and techniques in a variety of settings and for a range of product, services and situations.
• Use and application of key concepts and frameworks.
• Demonstrate a breadth and depth of analytical frameworks and their application to marketing and operations issues.

Transferable skills

• Demonstrate problem solving skills developed through analysing relevant papers and business problems in case studies.
• Demonstrate written communication skills, developed through the process of preparing and writing an individual assignment and preparation of presentations.
• Oral communication skills developed via in-class discussion and formal group presentations. - Problem solving skills via group and individual analysis of marketing and operations related problems.
• Leadership team-building and project management skills via group activities.
• Demonstrate creativity and openness to new ideas developed through group work and individual assignment.