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Customer service programmes are to service organizations what quality programmes are to manufacturing organizations. Providing customer service requires us to understand what our customers want, and what they value. Customer service is more than, but includes, customer care and is applicable to all service organizations, including those in the public sector. If we understand our customers, we can properly identify their needs and set about meeting them reliably over time.

The Intranet has been said to be the most important technological development since the personal computer. Explains that Intranets arise from the spectacular growth of the Internet. Describes what an Intranet is (and its relationship to the Internet), what it does and the benefits it brings in terms of high productivity, improved communication and teamworking to workgroups who at last can be provided with the information they need ‐ in a timely, accurate and convenient way.

The travel and tourism industry is starting to exploit technology. This is going to change the nature of the services offered, and the nature of work within the industry. Employers and employees may have different perceptions about the likely benefits of technology. Discusses the changes at the “higher” and “lower” organisational levels and suggests that the industry is only partially prepared for the changes ahead.

Gaining ownership of ideas is an important issue in ensuring commitment to strategies and plans. In most organisations, real ownership (in which the workforce has a real stake in the business) is not possible, but, via effective participation processes, we can create a culture in which people feel as if they have such a stake ‐ and are willing to act as if they have that stake.

Business process re‐engineering (BPR) is now part of the mainstream of business improvement. Explains what BPR is, outlines the reasons for undertaking BPR, the benefits that accrue from this, and lays down a step‐by‐step framework for carrying out a BPR project.

Do you remember the demographic time bomb? A few years ago it was recognized that past birth patterns and current employment patterns could result in a mismatch of jobs and available workers. Organizations were urged to consider ways of recruiting people who would otherwise not come into certain kinds of employment. At the same time, Opportunity 2000 was launched as a means of promoting the employment and development of women.

Productivity measures are often quite complex. Argues that at the organizational level, an all‐encompassing multi‐factor measure of productivity is sufficient to offer information on the long‐term health of the organization. Illustrates the way in which an income or profit figure can be disentangled into component parts representing growth, pricing strategy and profitability. Disputes whether published information of this form would permit investors to take a longer‐term view of the financial wellbeing of an organization.

Examines a number of forecasting techniques used by managers to control operations, emphasising especially the potential dangers of subjective forecasting. Discusses qualitative analysis, in particular the commonly used Delphi method. Considers forecasting performed bymeans of causal factor identification, time serial analysis, and quantitative techniques. Suggests that forecasting demands the use of management services practitioners.

Computer technology has improved our ability, and increased our capacity, to produce and distribute printed documents; but without effective control of document updating and circulation we are not always sure that people are using the most up‐to‐date regulations and instructions. This is particularly important where quality systems demand full revision control. Document control software provides the ability to create and manage a central “document warehouse” that can form a valuable resource, improve quality, and improve efficiency. Outlines the main features and properties of document control software.

Reviews the advantages and disadvantages of various forms of desktop conferencing: telephone conferencing, audio conferencing, computer conferencing, desktop computer conferencing, and video conferencing.