How to Get Things Right

In How to Make Things Happen, we learnt that knowledge is the fundamental driver of service efficiency. In this new book, the author follows four very different companies in the finance, gas and tourism sectors as they implement the Service Problem Driven Management Model (SPDM) to improve their operations. With real examples and plenty of practical tips, anecdotes and actionable ideas for real life implementation, this book will teach you how to:

• Explore hidden capacity
• Implement new ideas by transforming pop-ups into prototypes
• Discover knowledge pills to accelerate learning
• Develop service modules and problem tracks
• Put problem solving at the heart of excellent service delivery

Offering a rare insight into how to unblock service problems and the realistic challenges you will encounter along the way, this book shows you how to make things happen and more importantly, how toget them right. 

“Providing a hands-on conceptual framework for how to apply problem-solving, leverage the knowledge stock within a company, and execute a company’s strategy, this book is an indispensable guide for every manager who aims to increase efficiency and improve contribution margins whist taking advantage of existing resources.” (Catarina Mota, Commercial Director, Groundforce Portugal)

“Thanks to Beatriz Muñoz-Seca’s SPDM model and its structured methodology, I am now able to explore new solutions to the challenges faced during business expansion. At China Club Spain, we have been able to find affordable technologies and developed standardised processes both internally and with providers. This approach enables us to scale up the talent selection process, improve database management and enhance client service quality without hiring or firing any personnel. I believe that this model will truly help companies to grow in a healthy way.” (Sophie Liu, Head of HR & Talent Center China Club Spain)

“The SPDM model developed by Beatriz Muñoz-Seca has enabled Proquimia Portugal to identify and fix customer service problems within the company, improving efficiency and directly impacting profit. In the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) business environment that we live in, all managers should be made aware of resource optimization.  In order to achieve this goal, a complete alignment between company strategy and operations must be obtained, and the SPDM model has allowed us to achieve this. By successfully overcoming this great challenge, we have formed a strong alignment between our team and our mission, a service of excellence.” (António Rodrigo, Country Manager, Proquimia Portugal)

Beatriz Muñoz-Seca is Professor in the Operations and Technology Management Department at the IESE Business School, where she has been researching and lecturing since 1990. Her career history spans forty years and ranges from running companies, before she went into teaching, and to advising them in different parts of the world. Beatriz teaches Operations Strategy at IESE and at various business schools in Latin America and Portugal. She has been an advisor to the European Commission, and has participated in and led numerous international and national projects in her field. She also works as a part-time consultant in operations strategy, service design, efficiency and innovation. Her latest book, which was published by Palgrave in 2017, is How to Make Things Happen: A blueprint for applying knowledge, solving problems and designing systems that deliver your service strategy.