Why I studied the Postgraduate Award in Service Operations Management

Service Operations Management participants, Sam Webb and Antony Whiting, describe how the programme has impacted their career and share their advice for future students.

Sam Webb: 

Firstly, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am a father of twins who has worked in the insurance industry for over 5 years now and was previously a retail manager

What first attracted you to Warwick Business School and Why did you ultimately choose to enrol on the Postgraduate Award in Service Operations Management?

Previous managers had said the course was good and the content was relevant to my role. I wanted to carry on my educational journey and the technical route through in insurance does not interest me, however the operational side does. 

What is your experience of the virtual learning environment my.wbs?

Easy to use, works well around a busy business schedule and the coaches are informative and on hand when you need them. 

How does the content of the Postgraduate Award in Service Operations Management relate to your current job role?

I now have frameworks and structures to help me when designing processes and have ways to assess how effective systems are working within my department

What impact do you expect the Postgraduate Award in Service Operations Management to have on your future career?

This helps me with being able to carry out higher level roles and give my superiors confidence in my ways of working with strong experiences but also proven frameworks to use in decision making.

Do you have any advice for anyone currently thinking about studying for the Postgraduate Award in Service Operations Management?

Make sure you stay on top of your assignments and use real life examples when doing case studies as you can help your work life problems whilst doing your accreditation which is helpful.

Antony Whiting: 

Firstly, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I spent over 25 years with Lloyds Banking Group, managing large operations for a significant part of my career with the bank. I then worked in the legal and software sectors, specialising in improving operations capability. I now work as a consultant, helping clients drive operations excellence in their businesses.

What first attracted you to Warwick Business School and why did you ultimately choose to enrol on the Postgraduate Award in Service Operations Management?

The reputation for high quality learning. The course content was very much aligned to the personal development plan that I had created for myself and the fact that it was online gave me the flexibility that I needed.

What are your experiences of the virtual learning environment my.wbs?

Very positive. I liked the look and feel of the content and it was very intuitive to use.

What elements of the programme do you value the most and why? E.g. modules, online classroom, academics, resources and study materials.

For me the chance to share experiences with other students was the most enjoyable element. So, the exercises that we all did, provided some valuable insight on how other organisations approached operations management.

Tell us about the cohort of participants on the programme. How have they contributed to your learning experience?  

There were several students from different parts of the world, so I was very interested to hear how different cultures impacted on their approach to operations management in their organisations.

What were your expectations before you enrolled on the programme? How do these compare to your actual experiences?

I was unsure exactly how learning online would work. However, I found it very enjoyable and flexible. The tutors are excellent and help guide you through the course content in much the same way as you would expect from a face to face course.

What impact do you expect the Postgraduate Award in Service Operations Management to have on your future career?

The course has given me a range of new tools and techniques that I will be able to use on a daily basis with my clients to improve their operations. I think that there is also a certain prestige that is associated with WBS that could help me with future job applications.

Do you have any advice for anyone currently thinking about studying for the Postgraduate Award in Service Operations Management?

The course material is excellent, though also make sure that you read extensively outside of the core reading / material. This may take more time, but it will help you to score higher marks and ultimately increase your knowledge. Also, keep up with the suggested study plan, its not much fun falling behind and then playing catch up.