Bachelor of Service Management

Purpose

The purpose of the Bachelor of Service Management is to provide learners with a well-rounded knowledge of the theories and practices of service management. Learners will be equipped with the service management and technological skills and capabilities required to develop service excellence and advance customer acquisition and customer retention within the local and global business service sectors.

The qualification will enable learners to add value to diverse service functions across multiple industries through the integration and application of detailed service management knowledge and the knowledge of core business areas such as business management, project management, data analytics, compliance, and quality assurance standards, risk management, and leadership. Learners will thus be able to develop and adapt new and existing resources and operational capabilities to create a competitive advantage for companies through new service experiences and solutions.

This qualification emphasises service management principles and theories in preparation for a pathway into service management employment, with a research component to prepare learners for postgraduate studies.

Qualifying learners will be able to

• Evaluate service management principles, practices, and theories to develop a competitive service excellence advantage.
• Analyse services of a service sector within the South African or global context to identify trends, opportunities, and challenges within the sector.
• Develop innovative, scalable, and financially beneficial service innovations or service solutions that are creative, inclusive of technological options, compliant and internationally comparable.
• Use appropriate technologies and communication methods or channels reliably, accurately, and coherently to convey information and build relationships in the service workplace.
• Illustrate basic knowledge and understanding of research methodologies, theories, techniques, and principles.

Learners will acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, values, and ethics to effectively lead both current and future service-based organisations in complex and highly competitive local and global markets. Learners will thus have both the relevant graduate attributes required for junior to mid-management positions in the business service sector and a well-rounded and detailed knowledge of service management.

Rationale

Due to the growth in job creation in the business services sector and the increased focus on service delivery, a gap has been identified in the marketplace for graduates with service management skills. The business services sector has experienced exceptional growth in recent years, resulting in job creation for young South Africans (BEPSA, 2021). This service sector, which includes call centres, technical support, and front- and back-office services for both South African and major multinational firms, will continue to experience an increase in new job opportunities, particularly in South Africa, which was recognised as the top Global Business Service Sector location in 2021 (BPESA, 2021). Deloitte's Consumer Products Industry Outlook report (2021, cited in Buckley,2021) indicates that within the consumer products industry, customer relationships are evolving with a shift towards personalised service delivery and customer-centricity.

This proposed qualification has been developed in response to the identified increasing gaps in the local and international job employment market and as a solution to the lack of a level of appropriate qualifications within South Africa. Internationally, higher education service management qualifications with a focus on broad service management principles are emerging as future-focused qualifications, but similar qualifications are absent in the South African offerings.

The long-term viability of this qualification is anchored in the anticipated continued increase of newly created jobs and opportunities within the business service sector (BEPSA, 2021). Recent global events, including the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the subsequent changes in work environments, also confirm that service management is an emerging business sector that not only facilitates customer and employee care but also prioritises environmental stewardship, the promotion of a culture of integrity, service excellence and human wellbeing. The challenges of maintaining service excellence and ethical standards will increase as workplaces become more diverse and as the rapid pace of social and technological changes creates more impersonal work environments. The Bachelor of Service Management will address the long-term need for business managers who are adequately prepared to navigate uncertain business climates and address service management challenges faced by client-based organisations.

Employment opportunities for learners would include

• Service Managers
• Client Relationship Managers
• Key Account Managers
• Consultants
• Customer Service Managers
• Business Development Managers

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution has an approved Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy applicable to equivalent qualifications for admission into the qualification. RPL will be applied to accommodate applicants who qualify. RPL thus provides alternative access and admission to qualifications, as well as advancement within qualifications.

RPL for access

• Learners who do not meet the minimum entrance requirements or the required qualification that is at the same NQF level as the qualification required for admission may be considered for admission through RPL.
• To be considered for admission in the qualification based on RPL, applicants should provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that they have acquired the relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to cope with the qualification expectations.

RPL for exemption of modules

• Learners may apply for RPL to be exempted from modules that form part of the qualification. For a learner to be exempted from a module, the learner needs to provide sufficient evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that competency was achieved for the learning outcomes that are equivalent to the learning outcomes of the module.

RPL for credit

• Learners may also apply for RPL for credit for or towards the qualification, in which they must provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates prior learning through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to obtain credits towards the qualification.
• Credit shall be appropriate to the context in which it is awarded and accepted.

Entry Requirements

• National Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 granting access to Bachelor's degree studies.

Or

• National Certificate Vocational, NQF Level 4 granting access to Bachelor's degrees studies.

Or

• Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 with endorsement.

Or

• Higher Certificate in Business Management, NQF Level 5.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory and elective modules at National Qualifications Framework Levels 5, 6 and 7 totalling 360 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 5, 120 Credits.

• Applied Communication Techniques, 15 Credits.
• Business Management, 15 Credits.
• Introduction to Service Management, 15 Credits.
• Introduction to Technology in Service Management, 15 Credits.
• Service Management Customer Relations/ Centricity, 15 Credits.
• Applied Business Management, 15 Credits.
• Introduction to Project Management, 15 Credits.
• Work Integrated Learning 1, 15 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 6, 120 Credits.

• Introduction to Statistics and Data Analytics, 15 Credits.
• Service Management Service Excellence, 15 Credits.
• Digital Customer Service Management, 15 Credits.
• Service Management Compliance, 15 Credits.
• Quality Assurance and International Standards in Service Management, 15 Credits.
• Business Decision and Revenue Modelling for Service Management, 15 Credits.
• Risk Management, 15 Credits.
• Work Integrated Learning 2, 15 Credits.

Compulsory Modules NQF Level 7, 105 Credits.

• Service Management: Leadership, 15 Credits.
• Introduction to Research, 15 Credits.
• Developing a Service Culture, 15 Credits.
• Creativity and Innovation, 15 Credits.
• Strategic Service Management, 15 Credits.
• Research Practice, 15 Credits.
• Work Integrated Learning 3, 15 Credits.

Elective Modules, NQF Level 7, 15 Credits. (Select one module).

• Service Management: Leadership, 15 Credits.
• Service Management: Banking, 15 Credits.
• Service Management: Retail, 15 Credits.
• Service Management: Telecommunication and Information Technology, 15 Credits.

Exit Level Outcomes

1. Evaluate service management principles, practices, and theories to develop a competitive service excellence advantage.
2. Analyse services of a service sector within the South African or global context to identify trends, opportunities, and challenges within the sector.
3. Develop innovative, scalable, and financially beneficial service innovations or service solutions that are creative, inclusive of technological options, compliant and internationally comparable.
4. Use appropriate technologies and communication methods or channels reliably, accurately, and coherently to convey information and build relationships in the service workplace.
5. Demonstrate basic knowledge and understanding of research methodologies, theories, techniques, and principles.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 1.

• Accurately evaluate and apply the principles, practices, and theories of service management appropriately to resolve service concerns.
• Correctly apply service management skills within a business service sector to promote service excellence.
• Describe accurately the roles of employees, customers, and technology in service delivery.
• Evaluate and distinguish accurately the characteristics of a service-centric organisation from the characteristics of a non-service-centric organisation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 2.

• Accurately identify and analyse trends and unmet customer needs within the South African service sector.
• Critique service offerings of a chosen service sector within the South African and/or global context.
• Appropriately analyse challenges that affect the South African and/or global service sector.
• Examine accurately and appropriately reflect on the organisational service management strategy, the operational service processes, and service culture, in collaboration with organisational teams and other service providers of an organisation within a chosen service sector.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 3.

• Effectively develop and apply business management functions (plan, organise, lead and control) to the process of developing a service innovation or service solution.
• Develop a feasible service innovation or service solution proposal to improve efficiency and service offerings resulting in the achievement of the business strategy goals.
• Outline accurately the project management plan for the implementation of a service innovation or service solution proposal.
• Identify successfully potential technological options for the development of new or improved customer services (face-to-face or digitally) as part of a service innovation or service solution proposal.
• Correctly utilise statistics, data analysis, business decision modelling and revenue models to experiment and make business decisions, demonstrating due consideration to ethical issues and legislative frameworks within the service sector.
• Illustrate an understanding of the legislative landscape and its impact on the employer-employee relationship.
• Correctly benchmark service innovation or service solution proposals against quality assurance and international standards.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 4.

• Illustrate effective communication techniques by applying business communication strategies, methods, and principles to various service-related scenarios within an organisation aimed at building relationships and engaging with stakeholders in the service sector.
• Effectively apply computer literacy and proficiency skills to demonstrate the ability to engage, source, select, and evaluate information required to complete academic and work-related tasks.
• Apply proficiency in using the appropriate technology and an associated understanding of relevant software to communicate within the service industry.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 5.

• Apply accurately the research process and techniques of gathering, analysing, interpreting, and evaluating data relevant to the service sector.
• Assess accurately the validity and reliability of research within the service management discipline.
• Correctly select, analyse, synthesize, and organise literature to present a research proposal.
• Apply knowledge and illustrate an understanding of the informed knowledge of research ethics practices.