Opetussuunnitelma 2009 – HYA209SJ (suomeksi)

LAUREA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

Degree Programme in Service Innovation and Design, in English, HYA209SJ

Master's programmes

1 Professional Operating Environment


In the advanced information society most jobs are concentrated within the service industry and businesses are
characterised by a service dominant logic. Companies have moved from business models where value came from
physical goods, tangible things, to models where value comes from intangible things such as services, knowledge
and relationships. A service dominant logic means that services are at the centre of exchange and physical goods
have become “servicefied”, i.e. they derive their value from their ability to provide a service. As a consequence,
whether in a traditional service firm, in a manufacturing company, or in a non-profit organisation, adding value
through services has become an essential way to compete. Most organisations strive to create services that deliver
a sustainable competitive advantage. They develop their operations, offerings, concepts and brands. Some seek
growth, others cost savings. Some look to expand and internationalise. Consequently, plenty of national and
international studies and government and industry reports have recently discovered an increasing need for service
innovation and service business competence.

Service innovation is reflected in an ability to anticipate changes in customers’ needs and behaviour, and in the
consequent competence to improve services and create new value propositions together with customers. Today
customers are looking for comprehensive solutions and compelling experiences. They pay for advice, information,
assurances and the use of infrastructures and leasing. This shift in the source of value requires offering continuously
improved and new services and complying exactly with customers’ often unarticulated needs and expectations. It is
essential to identify where, when and how a service can be improved and made more valuable to those who provide
and those who consume it. In a rapidly changing environment, businesses must no longer react to change but
optimally initiate it. In particular, service innovation means creating real value and genuine new ways of delivering
and consuming services instead of copying others. In fact, a business focus may well no longer be on today’s
processes but on tomorrow’s dynamic strategies.

Service innovation and design is a distinctly multidisciplinary field. Since the end of 1970’s, there has been much
research and discussions about new service development and service improvement from a service marketing
perspective. There is also a long tradition of focusing on service improvement in operation and management areas
and in economics as well. More recently, designers have started to turn to service design which is a practical
approach to creating outstanding and innovative user experiences using design methods. Service design focuses on
deeply knowing the user and bringing many intangible elements together into a cohesive user experience. In
addition, service engineering has been discussed and researched from the industrial engineering perspective and
service computing from the computer science perspective.

2 Expertise in the field


Growing competition and rapidly changing customer needs mean that service expertise never stands still.
Frequently asked questions are: How can service innovation be stimulated, implemented and sustained? How can
new service concepts be scaled up with growth in both revenue and margin? Consequently, the rising demand for
service development and innovation has huge implications for competences and the knowledge base that underpins
them. People are needed who can understand service value, who have the sensitivity to anticipate changes in
customers’ needs and behaviour, and who have skills to rapidly create a repeatable, scalable and unique market
success, i.e. people who can develop genuinely new ways of delivering services, supporting customers’ value
creation processes, and creating customer experiences.

Service innovation is not just a matter of new ideas. Rather, it is a process that requires a disciplined approach to
rigorously identify and implement the most promising ideas. The implementation of service innovation requires the
alignment of the right idea, the right target group, the right time to market, the right development process, the right
team, the right leadership, the right level of risk management, and so on. Expertise in the field of service innovation
and design can be roughly divided into four main categories which will be described next.
1. Developing insights into a business, its customers, business environment and future trends
Leading service organisations exhibit a clear vision about their goals and strategies. A vision for the future should be
based on an understanding of where a business is now, who are the customers, what is offered to customers and
how the company has come to this point. It is also important to know how profitable the business is, how the
company is doing compared to its competitors and what the core capabilities and strengths of the organisation are.

 The market landscape for services is constantly evolving. Thus, deep insights about any legislative, technological,
market or cultural changes and trends that will have an impact on the business are essential.Service innovation is
inherently based on changing customer behaviours and market trends.Deeply understanding customers is critical for
any service business, because customers and their decisions are the source of all revenue. Distinguished service
organisations innovate and design services directly with their customers. Service design emphasises the importance
of co-creation and collaborative innovation and encourages companies to take a genuinely people centred,
empathetic approach. Customers and users can be seen as an essential source of information, innovation and
creativity. In addition to deeply knowing customers and their real needs and expectations, companies should know
thereasons why these customers do business with them and how profitable they are.

2. Creating innovative value propositions

A value proposition is a term describing competing service offerings in a competitive marketplace. Service design
aims at creating innovative value propositions for service providers and users, and developing visions to take
existing service propositions forward. Designing existing services can focus on cutting costs, but it is often more
about adding value for both users and providers of a service. Creating innovative value propositions includes the
ability to translate intangible service propositions into desirable, often more tangible offerings. For example, value
propositionscan be prototyped early to allow emerging ideas to be shared and modified with customers, users,
experts and employees.

 Service design focuses on examining what happens before, during and after the core service experience, for both
service providers and users.All the points of contact between the user and the service provider are analysed. These
are usually called ‘touchpoints’, and include e.g. the frontline staff, service environment and physical elements,
brand, sales as well as communications materials and channels. To provide enjoyable experiences companies need
to understand how each point of contact between the user and provider affects the service delivery. To develop
loyalty and long-term customer relationships, customers need to trust that the service is reliable and consistent, i.e.
the same or better each time they experience it. Being consistent also includes making sure that the service
organisation does not over promise and under deliver by raising expectations that cannot be met. Lastly, because
services are typically produced and consumed within other services or they rely on other services, it is important to
look holistically at the whole service system and understand how the different parts of a service interconnect.

3. Managing the service business

Service organisations need evidence and methods to monitor the payback of investments in new or improved
services. Many managers still see service improvements as costs rather than as contributors to profits. This is partly
because of the difficulty involved in tracing the link between service improvement and financial returns or cost
reductions. Results of service design are often cumulative, and therefore, evidence of the link between the
improvements made and revenue growth or cost reduction may not come quickly after investment. While the
financial impact of cost cutting efforts is often more easily evaluated, the financial impact of revenue growth efforts
requires more devotion and more sophisticated models. Nevertheless, this is an essential task for any company that
seeks to build its service profitability. One way to evaluate the financial impact of service improvements is to
measure the return on investment (ROI) by relating the increase in customer equity to the investment required to
produce that increase. A classic performance measurement approach is the balanced scorecard that captures three
perspectives in addition to the financial perspective, which are the customer, internal processes, and learning and
growth. The balanced scorecard can be implemented not only in business but also in government and non-profit
organisations as well. The balanced scorecard brings together, in a single management report, many elements of an
organisation’s competitive agenda, and forces management to consider all the important measures together.

4. Fostering the service culture and service leadership

A strong organisational culture is an important prerequisite for implementing a new or changed service concept.
Core values, a strategic focus on customer driven processes, roles, responsibilities and skills support the change
leadership needed to embed innovation in an organisation. Leaders and managers need to have the ability to attract
and retain talent, respect individual concerns and develop competencies and commitment while business undergoes
continuous change. In service organisations, effective internal communication is crucial for staff engagement and
the clarity of a company’s strategic goals.

Successful service organisations have a participatory culture in place, where staff can share ideas and discuss how
the organisation is progressing. Those staff who meet customers (frontline staff) should also be able to engage in
dialogue with them and pass on any potential concerns to the management. This helps to keep staff motivated and
ensures that everyone is clear about the company’s goals and objectives. Ultimately, frontline staff are the face of a
service company. In order to provide enjoyable experiences, customer-facing staff should be properly trained to
understand the needs of different customers and have the necessary autonomy to provide a personalised service. In
order to do so, employees might require some level of autonomy and flexibility at the point of service delivery.

To sum up this section about the expertise required in the field of service innovation and design, a major challenge
for service organisations is to integrate customers into the service development process as early as possible
because of the importance of co-creation and collaborative innovation in services. In this service dominant society,
critical areas of expertise include competences in gaining deep insights into customers, the business environment
and future trends. The critical areas of expertise also include competences in creating innovative value propositions
together with customers, managing and controlling the service business, fostering the service culture and service
leadership as well as applying service design methods to make a genuinely people centred, empathetic approach.
To conclude, it is important that a holistic approach to all aspects of service innovation and development is adopted.


                                                                                     1. year            2. year
OP                   STUDIES
0316                 THESIS
01031                Thesis                                                                    10                 20
0317                 BUSINESS AND LEADERSHIP COMPETENCES IN
                     SERVICE INNOVATIONS
01032                Futures thinking and foresight methodologies                               5
01033                Change leadership and service culture                                      5
01034                Management Accounting and Control in Services                              5
0318                 VALUE CREATING COMPETENCES
01035                Strategic service innovations and changing business                        5
                     models
01036                New service development and innovative service                             5
                     systems
01037                Service Marketing and Selling                                                                 5
0319                 USER-CENTRIC SERVICE DESIGN COMPETENCES
01038                Design thinking                                                            5
01039                Deep insights into customers and end-users                                 5
01040                Service design process and methods                                         5
01041                Current topics of service design                                                              5
154                  ELECTIVE STUDIES
01042                Entrepreneurship in services                                                                  5
01043                Management of business networks                                                               5
01044                Cross cultural issues in service development                                                  5
01045                Utilising technology in service processes                                  5
                                                                                                0                  0
0316 THESIS, 30 cr

Description:
 The aim of the Master’s thesis is to develop the students’ ability to carry out a demanding service development
project independently. The aim is to allow students to deepen their ability to apply theories in practice, their
analytical skills, their project management and R&D competence and their social skills. According to the
Government Degree (423/2005), the aim of the Master’s thesis is to develop and demonstrate students’ ability to
apply research data, to use selected methods for analysing and solving work life problems and to carry out
demanding specialist tasks
 independently.

The student will be able to:
• plan, carry out and evaluate a service development project within a given timeframe by
applying appropriate methods
• manage and transform work contexts that are complex, unpredictable and require new
strategic approaches
• identify and formulate problems and solutions critically, independently and creatively
• use the specialised problem solving skills required in research and innovation in order to
develop new procedures and knowledge and to integrate knowledge from different fields
• take responsibility for contributing to professional practice and knowledge
• carry out and manage project tasks, take initiatives, adopt a developmental approach to
work and initiate and implement change processes
• adapt the necessary abilities for lifelong learning and the continuous development of their
own professional competence
• guide and coach others and develop good communication and language skills required by
work
• develop the skills required for international interaction and operation

Content:

The thesis process progresses as a collaboration between the student, its commissioner and the
supervisors. Students’ thesis is guided through workshops and personal tutoring..


Learning process:
In the thesis process students acquire and produce highly specialised knowledge, some of which is
at the forefront of knowledge in a field of service innovation and design, as the basis for original
thinking and research. One or more supervisor(s) is set for the thesis. The task of the supervisor(s)
is to work with the commissioner of the project and with other participants to direct the thesis
process while promoting interaction between Laurea and the business partners. The
commissioner’s representative and the supervisor(s) can form the thesis tutoring team together.
The main responsibility for completing the thesis lies with the student.

The thesis process involves participation in thesis workshops. In them, students generate a project
theme and ideas and present and discuss their theses with supervisor(s) and their student peers.

Students start by creating a thesis plan containing the main stages and deadlines for the work. This
is presented to the supervisor(s) or the tutoring group and to other students. The plan is a
compulsory and essential preparatory stage in the thesis process, whose aim is to set the actual
thesis project in motion. The thesis plan allows students to discuss their intentions with as many
people as possible (e.g. supervisors, other students, business partners) and to receive valuable
feedback.

 In the thesis plan, the student explains why a project is necessary, sets objectives for it, links the
 project to earlier research and projects, presents the methods to be used and the planned progress of the project,
outlines the content and schedule of the project and lists the main sources of information. The plan is typically
specified and updated as the project progresses. The thesis plan also includes dates for reporting on the progress of
the work. Students are recommended to keep a sufficiently detailed work journal and must report on their progress
according to plan.
 As the studies progress, the topic and objectives of the thesis are specified and focused on. Regardless of how
practical the orientation of the project is, students must familiarise themselves with existing research and
demonstrate this by providing a bibliography report. The student selects an appropriate method for the thesis and
discusses it with the supervisor.

 The stages of the thesis depend on the nature and the extent of the development project.
 Familiarisation with the task begins when the student discusses the subject with the commissioner
 of the project and with other stakeholders. The thesis is further defined as the process continues, and initial task
descriptions can change. The choice of tasks and solutions must be professionally justified. Creative thinking is
used in seeking new solutions and weighing up alternatives. Completed theses are presented to different parties
and feedback sessions are arranged as a part of the evaluation process.


01031 Thesis, 30 cr

Contents of the study unit:
o service development project



0317 BUSINESS AND LEADERSHIP COMPETENCES IN SERVICE INNOVATIONS, 15 cr

Description:
The aim of the theme is to enhance the students’ business and leadership competences as well as their
methodological skills in gathering and processing information.The students aim to obtain insights into the service
business as well as into changes and future trends in the business environment. The students will acquire
methodological skills in futures research and begin to adopt an approach of permanently anticipating innovations as
well as learning to relate positively and curiously to constant and ever-faster change and the opportunities it creates
in their own operating environments. The students will also study cultural leadership issues related to service design
implementation as well as to managing and controlling service business.


The student will be able to:
•   examine, specify and analyse the business environment and future trends and anticipate new opportunities for
    developing services
•   create deep insights into the structures and processes in the business
•   foster service culture and leadership
•   compare factors influencing the profitability and asset structure of different types of service businesses and
    follow and analyse economic phenomena in a service organisation


Content:
The theme consists of 15 credits of compulsory studies. The studies reflect the contemporary theoretical and
methodological aspects of futures thinking and foresight methodologies, service leadership and management
accounting and control in services.


Learning process:
The theme consists of 15 credits of compulsory studies. The studies reflect the contemporary theoretical and
methodological aspects of futures thinking and foresight methodologies, service leadership and management
accounting and control in services.



01032 Futures thinking and foresight methodologies, 5 cr

The student is able to:
•   understand the principles of futures thinking
•   use foresight methods and practices
•   apply foresight in the decision making process


Contents of the study unit:
•  Recognising and monitoring change
•  Critically evaluating change
•  Outlining possible development paths
•  Defining objectives
•  Determining appropriate development paths
•  Familiarisation with quantitative and qualitative methods
•  Utilising outcomes


Study unit description:
The study unit consists of three modules: 1) Knowing the future which includes principles and tasks, 2) building the
future which includes methods and practices and 3) preparing for the future, which includes strategies and skills.
We cannot know the future, but we must plan for it. Foresight is a combination of futures thinking, planning and
networking and it encompass a number of techniques that have been developed to help decision makers be better
prepared for the future. Foresight aims to identify megatrends and weak signals in the operating environment, point
out development directions for the sector, and evaluate the effects of recognised change drivers and change
processes on the sector or business cluster in question. Finally, we will create strategies based on alternative
futures, including the flexibility to deal with surprise events and situations.



01033 Change leadership and service culture, 5 cr

The student is able to:
o support organisations in becoming more service and customer focused
o act as a leader in strategic development projects
o adopt a proactive and responsible attitude towards change and manage emerging issues
o promote trust and creativity


Contents of the study unit:
o Customer and service oriented organisational culture
o Employee motivation, engagement and empowerment
o Assessment of structural and competence needs in change situations
o Quality leadership and strategic excellence in service encounters
o Effective communication and interaction skills


Study unit description:
Ultimately, frontline staff are the face of a service company. A service oriented company needs to turn the
organisational pyramid upside down. In order to provide enjoyable service experiences, frontline staff should be
involved and properly trained to understand the needs of different customers and have the necessary autonomy to
deliver a personalised service. Successful service companies have a participatory culture in place, which allows
employees to be involved in the sharing of ideas and discussion on company development. Frontline employees
should be able to listen to and understand customer needs and pass on any potential concerns to management.


 A strong organisational culture and values driven leadership are important prerequisites for implementing a new or
changed service concept. Core values, a strategic focus on customer driven processes, roles, responsibilities and
skills support the change management needed to embed innovation in an organisation. Leaders and managers
need to have the ability to attract and retain talent, respect individual concerns and develop competencies and
commitment while business undergoes continuous change. In service organisations, effective internal
communication is crucial for staff engagement and the clarity of a company’s strategic goals.


01034 Management Accounting and Control in Services, 5 cr
The student is able to:
• understand the importance of cost accounting and budgeting for decision making
• use key performance indicators in services
• prepare a cash budget, budgeted income statement and balance sheet for a small company
• use activity-based costing to analyse customer profitability
• set a price for a new service


Contents of the study unit:


• Profitability of new services and customers
 • Budgeting and its role in planning, control and decision making
 • Financial reporting that supports management decision making
 • Pricing methods

Study unit description:
 There should be a tight link between the budget and the strategic plan of an organization. New or changed service
concepts will be exposed to a business analysis, including market viability and profitability analysis. Management
accounting introduces several methods and tools to analyze profitability and make budgets and forecasts to help the
decision-making process of the management.
 Management accounting is undergoing changes and faces several challenges in the future. There is a need to
integrate management accounting more into the business and operations of an organization, as part of development
and innovation teams, and not only as a separate specialist function. A key objective is to develop students’
competences in management accounting, cost and revenue management, as well as budgeting and financial
reporting. The students will also discuss the use of different methods in pricing services.




0318 VALUE CREATING COMPETENCES, 15 cr

Description:
Students learn to critically evaluate and purposefully, creatively and profitably develop the strategies, revenue
models and concepts for a service business. Students will be able to understand service value, create a vision,
develop it, put it into action and successfully commercialise it. The aim of the theme is to gain proficiency in critical
evaluation and in the systematic and innovative development of service businesses.

The student will be able to:
•   understand the strategic foundation of service development work
•   envision new opportunities for service development
•   put into practice novel and sustainable models that stand out from mass supply and evaluate the impacts of
    such models
•   adopt a proactive approach to developing an organisation
•   identify new opportunities for innovation by looking at a whole system of service delivery
•   understand the principles of open innovation; including customers in the earliest stages of a service
    development process and thus bring together a unique value network


Content:
The theme consists of 15 credits of compulsory studies. The studies focus on the contemporary theoretical and
methodological aspects of innovative service strategies, new service development and services marketing. Students
will acquire highly specialised knowledge in the field of service strategies, innovative business models, service
development as well as the marketing and selling of services.


Learning process:
The theme consists of 15 credits of compulsory studies. The studies focus on the contemporary theoretical and
methodological aspects of innovative service strategies, new service development and services marketing. Students
will acquire highly specialised knowledge in the field of service strategies, innovative business models, service
development as well as the marketing and selling of services.



01035 Strategic service innovations and changing business models, 5 cr

The student is able to:
 • understand the strategic shift to service business and its impact on corporate level
 • assess service strategy and strategic choices
 • master the key concepts, principles and methods of strategic management
 • formulate innovative business models for a service business
 • understand the impact that a new innovative strategy has on corporate business model and competitive
advantage

Contents of the study unit:
• Strategic thinking and principles
• Strategy process: formulation and management (planning and implementation)
• Formulation of radically new business strategies and innovative business models
• Competitive advantage and edge in service business
• Impact of a new business strategy on organization

Study unit description:
 For any organization, it is important to exhibit a clear vision about its goals and strategies. A strategy defines
strategic objectives for the organization, provides direction for growth and success, and prioritizes activities.
Basically, the strategy influences organizational attitudes and culture towards the creation of value for customers
through services. The strategy and vision for the future has to be based on an understanding of the business, where
a business is now, who are the customers, what is offered to customers, and how the company has come to this
point. It is also important to know, how profitable the business is, how successful the company is doing compared to
its competitors, and what are the core capabilities and strengths of the organization. The study unit looks at the
significance and methods of strategic process, planning and management in the context of a service business. The
emphasis is on radical strategy reforms, and on looking for and producing strategic innovations in a rapidly changing
business environment. Students will learn how to use the basic tools to formulate strategy, strategic objectives and
implementation through strategy action plans.
 Prerequisites
 None


01036 New service development and innovative service systems, 5 cr

The student is able to:
• develop service logic into a business
• develop and model innovative service systems, concepts and processes
• evaluate and improve an organisation’s service development processes

Contents of the study unit:


• Innovative service businesses
 • Customer-centred development processes
 • Developing service systems, concepts and processes
 • Service blueprinting
 • Developing value for the customer and value for the service provider

Study unit description:
 In this study unit, students practice to create a definable value proposition. In the new service development
process, strategic objectives are typically converted into portfolios of services by the generating and screening of
various ideas and the selecting of one or some of them for actual development. Developing new value propositions
includes the ability to understand how customer needs are fulfilled by customers’ experience and valuation of a
service. It is important to look holistically at the whole service system and ensure that the new or changed service is
consistent with all other services, and that all other services that support or depend on the new or changed services
are consistent with the new service.




01037 Service Marketing and Selling, 5 cr

The student is able to:

• understand the evolution of services marketing thought
• understand the strategic approach in service marketing
• establish, maintain and develop customer relationships
• conceptualize and sell services

Contents of the study unit:
• services marketing thought
• strategic marketing management in service business
• customer relationship management
• selling of services


Study unit description:
 Students become familiar with the key concepts and methods of service marketing. They will deepen their
managerial skills in service marketing and in customer relationships. The students will also learn how to sell services
in business to business market.



0319 USER-CENTRIC SERVICE DESIGN COMPETENCES, 15 cr

Description:
The aim of the theme is to develop the students’ ability to design compelling service experiences directly with
service customers and users. The students practice their ability and sensitivity to anticipate changes in customers’
behaviour, needs and expectations, which is the starting point in the successful design of better services and new
service concepts. They learn to acquire deep insights into the unarticulated needs of the customers and take a
genuinely people centred, empathetic approach in service design.


The student will be able to:
•   adopt a people centred, empathetic approach to service design
•   use customers and users as an essential source of information, innovation and creativity
•   understand the factors that affect demand and customer behaviour in services
•   foresee complex changes in customer behaviour and envision the new opportunities they bring
•   use various service design methods
•   include customers and users in the earliest stages of service design


Content:
The theme consists of 15 credits of compulsory studies and an elective study unit. The studies focus on the
contemporary theoretical and methodological aspects of design thinking, service design and customer and user
behaviour. This theme will present an opportunity to examine and discover service design methods. Methods may
include, for example, interviews, observational methods and ethnographic studies, narratives, contextual inquiry and
usability testing, participa-tory techniques and workshops, and the role of visual description within the design
research process as expressed and analysed through drawing, collage, modelling, photography and diagramming.
The theme will provide students with the necessary tools to determine appropriate methods for specific design
research needs, to find supporting resources, and the ability to critically evaluate existing research.


Learning process:
The theme consists of 15 credits of compulsory studies and an elective study unit. The studies focus on the
contemporary theoretical and methodological aspects of design thinking, service design and customer and user
behaviour. This theme will present an opportunity to examine and discover service design methods. Methods may
include, for example, interviews, observational methods and ethnographic studies, narratives, contextual inquiry and
usability testing, participa-tory techniques and workshops, and the role of visual description within the design
research process as expressed and analysed through drawing, collage, modelling, photography and diagramming.
The theme will provide students with the necessary tools to determine appropriate methods for specific design
research needs, to find supporting resources, and the ability to critically evaluate existing research.



01038 Design thinking, 5 cr

The student is able to:
•   analyse and assess design from the perspective of its relations to other disciplines and business activities


Contents of the study unit:
•  Definitions of design
•  The collaborative nature and the social context of design
•  Conceptualising
•  Sketching
•  Prototyping
•  Communicating


Study unit description:
Design is a central feature of our culture and everyday life. This study unit contributes to the understanding of
design as an integrative activity and gives participants the resources to develop their creative processes and team
work skills.

The main focus of the discussions will be on the design activity. How does design differ from other activities and
how may it be characterised in its own terms? The discussions, lectures and exercises will deal with the concept of
design from the perspective of its relations to other disciplines and business activities. The designer's work will be
discussed through different concepts and approaches that are relevant to the contemporary disciplines of new
media, interaction and service design.



01039 Deep insights into customers and end-users, 5 cr

The student is able to:
• identify factors related to customer behaviour in services
• anticipate complex changes in customer behaviour and envision the opportunities this opens up
• discover unarticulated customer/user needs
• apply the results of the latest research and methods in his/her own operating environment
• deeply understand customers’/users’ experiences across all the touch points of an organisation


Contents of the study unit:
• Customer behaviour as a multidisciplinary research subject
• Customer/user values, attitudes, needs and expectations
• Ethnographic research, the practice of studying customer behaviours in their natural environment
• Customer experience design
Study unit description:
 This study unit provides a solid basis for the customer-centred design of services. The study unit looks at change
factors affecting service demand and customer behaviour, on the basis of which students are able to start designing
new kinds of services to meet customer needs. The students practise understanding emotional (psychological)
aspect in services.
 The students become familiar with the multidisciplinary field of customer behaviour research and apply the latest
research outcomes and methods in practice. Research methods are mainly based on deep customer empathy (e.g.
ethnography). Focus is on the whole customer journey – not merely on the touch points



01040 Service design process and methods, 5 cr

The student is able to:
• get to know the principles of service design
• use service design processes and methods
• use innovative methods to generate ideas for new services
• valuate generated ideas and concepts from customer’s point of view
• prototype services
• create a service offering, where the service provider’s brand is a part of a customer’s experience

Contents of the study unit:
 • Service design processes
 • Methods for gathering customer insight and generating service ideas and concepts, methods for user-centred
design, co-design
 • Prototyping (visualisation, creating service evidence, bodystorming etc.)

Study unit description:


 During this study unit students become familiar with the key principles, processes and methods
 of service design. They learn various idea generation and service design methods, e.g. brainstorming, sketching,
observation methods, probes, customer journeys, service safari, and personas. They examine what happens before,
during and after the actual service delivery, for both service providers and customers. This includes an analysis of
all the points of contact between the service provider and the user. Students practice to translate intangible service
propositions into desirable, often more tangible offerings. Prototypes allow emerging ideas to be expressed,
modified, and shared with users and other stakeholders in a very tangible and emotive way.




01041 Current topics of service design, 5 cr

The student is able to:
•   deepen their understanding of service innovation and design
•   acquire and share new knowledge by participating in and analysing the content of scientific and professional
    seminars, conferences and workshops
•   reflect upon their learning and create their own framework around service innovation and design competence


Contents of the study unit:
•  service innovation and design seminars, conferences and workshops (to be agreed with the supervisor)


Study unit description:
This elective study unit consists of service innovation and design seminars, conferences and workshops. The
students participate in conferences or full day seminars and workshops during this study unit. They prepare a report
on all the events, consisting of the content of the event and a personal learning diary. The students present their
learning and insight in group meetings during the study unit. The aim of this elective course is to help a student to
deepen their self-interest in the field of service innovation and design.
154 ELECTIVE STUDIES, 10 cr

Description:
Students use elective studies to deepen and broaden their competence in various themes and generic
competences. Students should choose study units to align the content of their studies with their own personal
interests and career objectives.
Students learn to analyse and develop their leadership competence and to work as experts. Also students learn to
manage work groups and networks in line with a strategy. They can build and develop competences and skills with
a basis in applied research and development. They will recognise business opportunities in a business operating
environment. They will be able to create a business model suitable for the business idea and to set up a business.
They can design innovative products and/or services and commercialise them.

The student will be able to:
 ethically and productively manage work communities and networks
 manage and develop competence
 evaluate, lead and develop teamwork
 promote creativity in a work community
 manage and develop multicultural work-related communication
 act as developers in data network implementation, processes and management
 responsibly develop their data network competence in diverse operating environments
 determine the performance and service level requirements for a data network
 describe the operation and network structures of a system
 understand the cultural impact in marketing
 assess their own possibilities to become an entrepreneur
 analyse the opportunities in the business operating environment

Content:
The electives are common course pool offered in the degree programme. Students are free to choose any offered
courses to compensate their elective credits required during degree programme. Students use elective studies to
deepen and broaden their competence in professional and generic competences. Students should choose study
units to align the content of their studies with their own personal interests and career objectives.

Learning process:
The learning process is based on Laurea's learning model - Learning by Developing(LbD), action and applied
reseach methods. Laurea's common elective course pool have variety of offering to align the content of students'
studies.


01042 Entrepreneurship in services, 5 cr

The student is able to:
deepen their professional expertise


Contents of the study unit:
Entrepreneurship in services

Study unit description:
The study unit offers students an opportunity to supplement their personal learning plan by participating in courses
and project work within their own institutes, as well as in other fields and other institutions of higher education.


01043 Management of business networks, 5 cr

The student is able to:
 • Evaluate the historical aspects of the network theories, key principles, and contexts of application, organizational
structures, and their impact on managing them
• Develop ‘shared value’ and principles that can be applied across the business
• Come up with creative (radical) ideas in developing, leading ,and managing business within networks
• Outline a ‘good practice’ approach to management of business network
• Evaluate and improve organization’s network context


Contents of the study unit:
• Network theories, models, and principles
• Types of networks, systems of networks
• Networked society, service business in networked context
• Management and beyond in leading networked organizations
• Complexity science and service science approaches towards the networks
• Key principles and dynamics in network management
• Interaction and action in networks, the actors in networks
• Development of business within networks

Study unit description:
 The aim of the study unit is to enhance the students’ business and leadership competences in network context.
Service systems are typically made up of number of firms collaborating, i.e. networks. This study unit is looking in
the development of networked society in general and more specifically, how organizational forms and types, and
relationships have transformed. The history of network theories and models are analyzed. This study unit moves
further in thinking of the future of networks and their management. This course takes the management perspective
on networks. How to manage different networks and what are the managerial challenges. Students learn the
historical development of networks and their management..Further, they will learn to interact within the network. The
focus is inter-organizational networks, not on intra-organizational networks.



01044 Cross cultural issues in service development, 5 cr

The student is able to:
• identify and deeply understand cross-cultural issues related to service development
• plan and implement intercultural strategies and processes
• manage multicultural teams and projects
• support and develop frontline personnel's intercultural communication competences
• involve diverse customers in the service design processes.


Contents of the study unit:
• Understanding and managing diversity based on chosen cultural theories
• Cross-cultural knowledge in strategic service development (back office)
• Intercultural competences in service business (front office)

Study unit description:
 Services are often offered globally and to customers and end-users from different cultures. Deep understanding of
cultural needs and preferences are a prerequisite for effective service design.
 This study unit offers understanding of the theoretical basis of cross-cultural and intercultural perspectives and
enables the student to acquire appropriate knowledge and skills for service design.



01045 Utilising technology in service processes, 5 cr

The student is able to:
deepen their professional expertise


Contents of the study unit:
Utilising technology in service processes
Study unit description:
The study unit offers students an opportunity to supplement their personal learning plan by participating in courses
and project work within their own institutes, as well as in other fields and other institutions of higher education.