How to Build an Effective Service Company (Coursera)

Offered by IESE Business School,
How to Build an Effective Service Company (Coursera)

Why do so many brilliant plans fail to deliver? What do you have to do to make things happen and make things right in services companies or service areas? Our teams require a new structured operational mindset that unifies improvement, promised service delivery and financial results. Just in time, Lean, Agile, Design Thinking... Are these movements familiar to you? Professor Muñoz-Seca has developed a framework that goes beyond these approaches: SPDM (Service Problem Driven Management) makes knowledge the corner stone of service efficiency and excellence.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

This new operational service structure is created to make your team overcome constant challenges and feel deeply involved in your service delivery. SPDM introduces a "magic formula" complementing these movements. Task equals problem equals knowledge, becomes the driving force to free up time to adopt new value-added tasks that improve both service efficiency, your team fulfillment and the company financial results.
In this course, you will follow four companies, each in a different service sector (finance, gas service delivery, back office of a bank and tourism), as they implement SPDM to address the problems that do not allow them to deliver an excellent service and improve their results. Through these cases, and the application of this practical framework, you will gain a deep understanding of how to increase your efficiency and adopt a cutting-edge operations model that provides a 5 star service linked with financial improvement.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Course Overview
In this course, you will follow four companies, each in a different industry (finance, gas, health and tourism), as they implement an efficient and cutting-edge operations model (SPDM) to address the problems that do not allow them to deliver an excellent service, and improve their results. Through these cases, and the application of this practical framework, you will gain a deep understanding of how to increase your efficiency while providing a 5 star service, as well as getting results and things done in your own company.

WEEK 2
The Operations Puzzle
During this module, the following topics will be covered: promise and its five dimensions (cost, time, range, innovation, and consistency), essence or DNA’s company, flame red or the structure holding up the essence, client archetype, service specifications and moments of truth (MMT).

WEEK 3
Unlocking Capacity to Tackle Higher Value-Added Tasks
During this module, the following topics will be covered: service and product mix, task=problem=knowledge, capacity analysis and matrix, load matrix and task benchmark.

WEEK 4
No Hire, No Fire
During this module, the following topics will be covered: operational variables, E2E process & green benches, 7 times, operational rules and types of decisions.

WEEK 5
The Problem Solving Machine
During this module, the following topics will be covered: nine questions, knowledge gaps, touch points in the costumer journey, distance to implementation and knowledge stock blockages and the knowledge extended enterprise.

WEEK 6
Conclusions
During this module, the following topics will be covered; reflections and summary and learnings of the four companies.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Managers du changement (Coursera) Coursera
ESSEC Business School

Managers du changement (Coursera)

L’objectif de ce Mooc est de montrer aux managers le rôle clé qu’ils jouent dans les projets de changement. Ce Mooc donne des éléments de réponses concrets à la question « Comment manager le changement au quotidien avec son équipe ? ». Pour cela ce Mooc propose 6 séquences avec des analyses, des outils et de nombreux témoignages. Le contenu de ce Mooc est illustré par des témoignages de managers de l’entreprise COVEA.

Aug 10th 2026
1 Week
International Organizations Management (Coursera) Coursera
University of Geneva

International Organizations Management (Coursera)

This course provides an introduction to International Organizations and the United Nations, and explores how business and management tools can be applied in these settings to achieve better, more effective results. With a focus on cross-sector partnerships in a changing world, the course offers you insights into the inner workings of international organizations and the challenges they face today.

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship (Coursera) Coursera
University of Maryland, College Park

Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship (Coursera)

This course assists aspiring and active entrepreneurs in developing great ideas into great companies. With strong economies presenting rich opportunities for new venture creation, and challenging economic times presenting the necessity for many to make their own job, the need to develop the skills to develop and act on innovative business opportunities is increasingly vital.

Aug 10th 2026
4 Weeks
L'innovation managériale en pratique (Coursera) Coursera
ESSEC Business School

L'innovation managériale en pratique (Coursera)

Hackathon, design thinking, codev, open innovation, co design, sociocratie, adhocratie, intelligence collective, shadow cabinet, atelier participatifs, entreprise libérante sont autant de dispositifs et pratiques qui illustrent les nouvelles manières de manager et de penser les fonctionnements collaboratifs des organisations.

Aug 10th 2026
3 Weeks
Gestão de produtos digitais: Princípios básicos modernos (Coursera) Coursera
University of Virginia

Gestão de produtos digitais: Princípios básicos modernos (Coursera)

Há pouco tempo, o trabalho do gerente de produto era avaliar dados de mercado, criar requisitos e gerenciar a transferência para vendas/marketing. Talvez você conversaria com um cliente em algum lugar e ele diria quais recursos ele quer. Mas as empresas que gerenciam produtos dessa maneira estão morrendo.

Aug 3rd 2026
4 Weeks
Sustainable Agricultural Land Management (Coursera) Coursera
University of Florida

Sustainable Agricultural Land Management (Coursera)

This course will cover the agricultural and urban water quality issues in Florida, their bases, land and nutrient management strategies, and the science and policy behind the best management practices (BMPs). Students will learn to evaluate BMP research and analyze its role in determining practices and policies that protect water quality.

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks
The Cycle: Management of Successful Arts and Cultural Organizations (Coursera) Coursera
University of Maryland, College Park

The Cycle: Management of Successful Arts and Cultural Organizations (Coursera)

What makes a successful arts and cultural organization? Led by DeVos Institute Chairman Michael M. Kaiser and President Brett Egan, this course will introduce you to a management theory called the Cycle which supports thriving arts and cultural organizations. Learning from our work with managers from over 80 countries around the world, the DeVos Institute developed the Cycle as a simple, but powerful tool to assist managers in their effort to respond to an increasingly complex environment and propel their institutions to excellence.

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Beyond Silicon Valley: Growing Entrepreneurship in Transitioning Economies (Coursera) Coursera
Case Western Reserve University

Beyond Silicon Valley: Growing Entrepreneurship in Transitioning Economies (Coursera)

The path for entrepreneurs to grow their companies outside of well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystems like Silicon Valley is challenging. Most markets around the world do not look like Silicon Valley, and they never will. But there are other models to support new businesses. In transitioning markets (where entrepreneurs do not have much access to private sector financing), government officials, donors, and business leaders are experimenting with creative approaches to support the growth of entrepreneurs. Northeast Ohio, whose largest city is Cleveland, is one such community. During our time together in this course, we will be exploring some of these innovative approaches.

Aug 3rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Influir en las Personas (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Influir en las Personas (Coursera)

Este curso mejorará su capacidad para influir en las personas en situaciones en las que no puede usar autoridad formal. Aprenderá formas efectivas de construir, desarrollar y mantener una base de poder en su organización. También aprenderá tácticas de influencia que le permitirán ser más persuasivo e influyente al trabajar con sus superiores, compañeros e incluso subordinados. Además, aprenderá cómo construir y mantener relaciones de alta calidad para maximizar aún más su poder informal y su capacidad de influir en los demás.

Aug 10th 2026
4 Weeks
Introducción a la Gestión de Operaciones (Coursera) Coursera
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Introducción a la Gestión de Operaciones (Coursera)

Aprende a analizar y a mejorar los procesos empresariales en servicios o en la industria. Aprende cómo incrementar la productividad y a ofrecer niveles de calidad mayores. Después de que finalices con éxito este curso, podrás aplicar estas habilidades en un reto empresarial del mundo real como parte de la Programa Especializado de Fundamentos Empresariales de Wharton.

Aug 10th 2026
4 Weeks
La gestión en la empresa familiar (Coursera) Coursera
ESADE Business and Law School

La gestión en la empresa familiar (Coursera)

Responsable de más del 50% de la riqueza global, la empresa familiar tiene un rol prominente en la generación de puestos de trabajo, innovación y progreso en todas las sociedades. Pero ¿qué diferencia a una empresa familiar?, ¿En qué medida tiene implicaciones para los profesionales que la componen? A través de este curso, aprenderemos a leer la globalidad de una organización familiar así como a evaluarla.

Aug 3rd 2026
5-12 Weeks