Partner Benefits

Recognition as a Service Leader

Collaboration with the center leads center partners to be recognized as leaders in service. When desired, the center publicizes the partners’ service innovations, and their leading-edge research and strategy, both online and in traditional media, in news releases, academic publications, and the trade press.

Executive Education

The CES, in conjunction with the Office of Executive Education at the Smith School, offers center partners the opportunity to engage in executive education programs. The CES tailors the program according to the partner’s company philosophy and initiatives, creating the right learning environment fertile for new and different approaches to real-time business problems. The CES selects faculty scholars for the courses, specific to the discipline desired and the faculty member’s expertise.

Networking and Involvement in Center Activities

Partnership with the CES allows for partners to participate and attend center-sponsored events, such as the Frontiers in Service Conference and the Social Media Forum, which provides networking opportunities with other industry leaders and generates innovative strategies and approaches to service challenges. Partners will also have access to the CES-sponsored Journal of Service Research, the world’s leading journal in service research that balances academic rigor with practical managerial content, as well as early insights from faculty research papers and publications and center news.

Research Projects and Consulting Services

The CES leverages the expertise of its renowned faculty and students, both from within and outside the Smith School, to develop and execute joint partner/center projects. These projects focus on the development of cutting edge, customer-oriented service strategies that accelerate the effectiveness of the partner’s service initiatives, and draw upon the center’s research areas of specialization. The CES customizes the length and scope of projects based on the partner’s objectives and service challenges, the types of which are described below.

MBA Group Consulting Projects – The most popular project type, MBA group consulting projects are designed to answer a pressing partner issue in a short time period. Partners can benefit from utilizing the knowledge and services of Smith MBA students through the MBA group consulting project, which involves a team of 2-5 students working on a project for one semester under the guidance of a faculty lead. The MBA team will present a mid-term and final presentation to partner company leaders during the semester. For examples of MBA group consulting projects, click here.

Doctoral Dissertation Research – A center PhD student specializing in service does his/her doctoral dissertation research on a topic of current interest to the center partner. This project is longer in duration and provides more in-depth insight into the service issue.

Faculty Research Projects – One or more faculty members work on an applied research project of current interest to the sponsoring center partner.

In addition, consulting services are available from center faculty at a reduced consulting rate.