In today's industrial context, two of the most widespread phenomena among manufacturers concern digital transformation and the openness to the sale of specialized services with high added value. These phenomena are at the basis of the main innovative processes ongoing in business markets. The course aims to closely observe these two phenomena that if occurring simultaneously take the name of 'Digital Servitization'.

In particular, the course is split into two main parts:

• Part I (digital innovation): There are many and continuously growing digital technologies and applications available for companies to cope with the dynamism of constantly changing industrial markets, from virtual or augmented reality to cyber-security to advanced sensors. The educational objective of the first (introductory) part of the course is to convey knowledge to students on the opportunities offered by digitalization in terms of growth and innovation. At the same time, the course aims at developing analytical tools to fully understand difficulties and obstacles of digital transformation. The ultimate goal is to provide organizational skills to effectively interpret digitalization in a business context.
• Part II (servitization): The adoption of digital tools, such as Industrial Internet of Things, Cloud Systems or Big Data Analytics tools, increasingly offers opportunities for manufacturers to innovate their business offering through advanced digital service packages. The educational objective of this second part of the course is to help students in the learning path about Digital Servitization, its origins, and its potential and managerial implications for an aware management of service processes.

I part (digitalization):

The role of digital transformation in the B2B context: 

• New techological opportunities and digital tools
• Areas of application and innovation fields
• Intra- and inter-organizational impacts

II part (servitization):

Customer care and customer orientation: 

• The role of customer care in industrial firms
• Strategies of active customer engagement in services
• Milestone and KPI on service levels 

Toward a new business model:

• The (digital) servitization business model
• Technologies for service innovation
• Impacts from the network, organizational, individual perspective

Knowledge and understanding: Students should acquire adequate knowledge and effective understanding of the prevailing theoretical models developed in the field of digital and service innovation. The teaching methods to achieve such results include: lectures, in-class speeches from experts, analysis and discussion of business cases and seminars.

Applying knowledge and understanding: Students should become able to apply the acquired knowledge, understand and solve emerging problems during digital and service innovation processes. The teaching methods to achieve such results include: lectures, in-class speeches from experts, analysis and discussion of business cases.

Making judgements: Students should become able to use the acquired knowledge at the conceptual and operational level demonstrating autonomous evaluation and assessment skills. The teaching methods to achieve such results include: lectures, in-class speeches from experts, analysis and discussion of business cases, team works, and seminars.

Communication skills: Students should acquire the discipline technical language to communicate clearly and unambiguously with experts in the field (managers, academics, ...). The teaching methods to achieve such results include: lectures, in-class speeches from experts, analysis and discussion of business cases, team works, and seminars.

Learning skills: Students should develop adequate learning skills that allow them to independently further explore the main issues of the discipline, especially in the working contexts in which they will operate. The teaching methods to achieve such results include: lectures, in-class speeches from experts, analysis and discussion of business cases, team works, and seminars.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Analysis and discussion of business cases and (optional) development of team exercises on a real case study; in-class speeches from experts as managers, entrepreneurs, and practitioners.

Teaching

The course offers various teaching methods, including lectures, in-class exercises and simulations, speeches from experts, analysis and discussion of business cases.

During the course, intermediate self-assessment tests may be conducted to understand the learning level. The tests are in the form of in-class, short, multiple-choice questionnaires, with correction also taking place in class alongside the teacher, which does not review or grade the tests, as they are solely for the student's benefit to understand their progress in studying the subject.

Innovative teaching methods

Adoption of innovative teaching methods such as problem-based learning, learning by doing, and role playing.

Course books

Course books will be indicated as soon as possible.

Assessment

The assessment consists in a written test with 3 open questions on the topics explored during the course (two questions based on theoretical concepts and one empirical question). By answering questions articulating the main concepts, students should demonstrate full knowledge about the course concepts, critical ability to evaluate and solve real-case situations in the industrial context, ability to present arguments rigorously through an effective use of the available time and an appropriate language. The available time to answer questions is 90 minutes. In answering questions, attending students are invited to make appropriate use of the contents developed interactively during classes.

Team exercices will be proposed during the course, which include a final in-class presentation (participation is optional). Team exercises will be evaluated by the teacher, for which students can obtain a bonus of up to 2 points to be added to the final exam score according to the effectiveness of the presentation. Evaluations of team exercises will be based on a variety of criteria: ability to work in teams; effectiveness of presentation; content innovation; internal consistency of the project; correct use of the tools developed during the course.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Self-study and possibility of office hours with the teacher (to be timely accorded via email) to clarify any doubts or unclear topics

Course books

Course books will be indicated as soon as possible.

Assessment

The assessment consists in a written test with 3 open questions on the topics of the course. By answering questions articulating the main concepts, students should demonstrate full knowledge about the course concepts, ability to present arguments rigorously through an effective use of the available time and an appropriate language. The available time to answer questions is 90 minutes. In answering questions, students are invited to refer to real cases available in the course material or individually explored.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Students can request to take the final exam in English, studying on dedicated English material (which will be indicated by the teacher).