Centre for Service Management

News and Events

20 Mar 2018

CSM hosts the Exploring Operating Models: SOMS Symposium

Nicola Bateman leading a SOMS lecture

On 30 January 2018, the Centre for Service Management hosted the Exploring Operating Models: SOMS Symposium at the Loughborough University London Campus. 

The Symposium provided an opportunity for delegates to discuss, explore, and share ideas with expert speakers about the current state and relevance of operating models, operating model best practice, and the future directions of operating model research.

Rosamund Chester Buxton, Doctoral Researcher in the Centre for Service Management and the SOMS Administrator and Auditor, started off the symposium with an interesting round-up of SOMS achievements in 2017, and plans for SOMS in 2018. After Rosamund’s presentation, Martin McCloskey, and Vishnu Sivakumar from OEE Consulting, led a thought-provoking and interactive discussion with delegates, highlighting a recent case study, to explore some of the challenges faced when applying the theory of operating models in practice.

After lunch, Dr Nicola Bateman (Associate Professor in Operations Management, School of Business, University of Leicester) chaired a lively and fascinating, two-part workshop, focusing on two aspects of Dr Bateman’s research: a recently published paper on the concept of operating models, and a new operating model audit. Following on from Dr Bateman’s workshop, Andrew Campbell (Director of the Ashridge Strategic Management Centre, Ashridge Executive Education) ended the symposium with a fascinating discussion about the outputs of an operating model project: including what charts, tables, models, and diagrams should the client/sponsor expect to receive at the end of a design project.

As Rosamund explains:

"The SOMS symposium provided an excellent opportunity for colleagues accredited in SOMS and colleagues with a wider interest in operating models, to meet-up and discuss operating model best practice, and to think about the future directions of operating model research.

"The symposium was a great success and we are hoping to run more SOMS events in the future."

Presentations from the Syposium, can be found on the SOMS website.