Customer Experience in the Digital Era (5op)

Tavoitteet

The students will be able to:
- Describe the industrial trends and challenges which are shaping the next generation of services and customer experiences in the digital age
- Discover innovation in customer experience at the intersection of the digital, physical and social realms. Design customer journey emotions and touchpoints
- Identify data sources and analytics to manage and monitor customer experiences
- Generate insights from data analytics to manage customer loyalty
- Identify what it takes to delight your Customers

Toteutustapa

2 workshop days online in zoom
2 online sessions (supervision and presentations) in Zoom
Canvas e-learning environment
Individual assignments and a group assignment

- 19 January 2026 at 10:30-15:30 (Finnish time, Zoom meetings)
- 20 January 2026 at 10:30-15:30 (Finnish time, Zoom meetings)
- 4 February 2026 at 16-19:30 Group meetings with the instructor (about 15-30 min per group/ Finnish time, Zoom meetings)
- 9 February 2026 at 16:30-19:30 presentations, assessment, and feedback (Finnish time, Zoom meetings)

Aika ja paikka

Finnish time, Zoom meetings

Oppimateriaali ja suositeltava kirjallisuus

Zaki, Mohamed (2025), Data-Driven Customer Experience Transformation: Optimize Your Omnichannel Approach, Kogan Page, UK
Zaki, Mohamed, (2019), "Digital Transformation: Harnessing Digital Technologies for the Next Generation of Services" Journal of Services Marketing,33 (4), 429-435.
Bolton, R. N., McColl-Kennedy, J. R., Cheung, L., Gallan, A., Orsingher, C., Witell, L., & Zaki, M. (2018). Customer experience challenges: bringing together digital, physical and social realms. Journal of Service Management, 29 (5), 776-808.
McColl-Kennedy, J. R., Zaki, M., Lemon, K. N., Urmetzer, F. & Neely, A. (2019). “Gaining customer experience insights that matter”, Journal of Service Research, 21(1), 8-26.
Holmlund, Maria, Vaerenbergh, Yves Van; Ciuchita, Robert; Ravald, Annika; Sarantopoulos, Panagiotis; Villarroel Ordenes, Francisco; Zaki, Mohamed (2020), “Customer Experience Management in the Age of Big Data Analytics: A Strategic Framework”, Journal of Business Research.
Parasuraman, A; Ball, Joan; Aksoy, Lerzan; Keiningham, Timothy; Zaki, Mohamed (2020), "More than a Feeling?: Toward A Theory of Customer Delight", Journal of Service Management.
Hartmann, Philipp Max, Mohamed Zaki, Niels Feldmann, and Andy Neely (2016), “Capturing Value from Big Data - A Taxonomy of Data-Driven Business Models Used by Start-Up Firms,” International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 36 (10), 1382-1406.
Zaki, Mohamed, Bøe-lillegraven, T., and Andy Neely (2016). A Transition Towards a Data-Driven Business Model (DDBM): A Case Study of Nettavisen Online Newspaper Publishing. SAGE Publishing. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781473970113.

Työelämäyhteistyö ja/tai TKI

Group work can be done for an industry partner

Toteutuksen tärkeät päivämäärät

The E-learning environment (Canvas) will be published on December 12th, 2025 (afternoon)


- 19 January 2026 at 10:30-15:30 (Finnish time, Zoom meetings)
- 20 January 2026 at 10:30-15:30 (Finnish time, Zoom meetings)
- 4 February 2026 at 16-19:30 Group meetings with the instructor (about 15-30 min per group)
- 9 February 2026 at 16:30-19:30 presentations, assessment, and feedback (Finnish time, Zoom meetings)

Opiskelijan ajankäyttö ja kuormitus

5 ects: 135 hours of work

Sisältö ja sen jaksotus

New technologies and new business models have already changed the way organisations interact with their customers and soon developments such as AI, robots and virtual reality will be a completely normal part of the customer experience alongside face to face engagements.

Managers will need to understand new ways to design customer experiences across the digital, physical and social ‘spaces’.

This course brings together designing and managing customer experience in the digital era, drawing on the latest work from the Cambridge Service Alliance. The course incorporates the practical use of frameworks and methods developed in Cambridge that have been tried and tested with over 350 companies worldwide

Lisätiedot

Dr Mohamed Zaki is the Deputy Director of the Cambridge Service Alliance at the University of Cambridge, a research centre that brings together the world’s leading firms and academics to address service challenges.

Mohamed’s research interests lie in the field of machine learning and its application on Digital Manufacturing and services. He uses an interdisciplinary approach of data science techniques to address a range of real organizations’ problems such as measuring and managing customer experience and customer loyalty. Other research interests include digital service transformation strategy and data-driven business models.

Mohamed’s research has been published in highly-ranked journals, Journal of Service Research, Journal Service Management, Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, PloS ONE, Journal of Production Planning & Control, Journal of Services Marketing as well as an edited book, book chapters and many conference articles.

Mohamed raised over £10 million from research council and industry to fund his research. Mohamed is a principle investigator, research manager and co-investigator in many UK research council projects (e.g. EPSRC, ESRC and Innovate UK) and industrial research projects sponsored by international organisations such as IBM, BAE Systems, Caterpillar, Rolls-Royce, Zoetis, Pearson, CEMEX, PWC and HCL technologies.

https://cambridgeservicealliance.eng.cam.ac.uk/About/directory/Mohamed

Arviointiasteikko

H-5

Arviointimenetelmät ja arvioinnin perusteet

Individual assignments have to be accomplished before the workshop days in January. After completing them you may proceed to the workshop days section in the e-learning environment.

Hylätty (0)

Competence assessment is based on the descriptions of objectives in the curricula, and the level of competence is assessed according to the assessment criteria listed in the implementation plan for the studies" (Laurea degree regulations 2024).


To achieve grade 5 (excellent) the student is able to:

- create a coherent knowledge base by utilizing both domestic and international sources comprehensively. (Knowledge base)
- critically analyse current and relevant scientific sources. (Knowledge base)
- apply the knowledge base to various professional contexts with critical thinking. (Knowledge base)
- highlight relevant and critical perspectives related to the knowledge base.(Knowledge base)
- develop new, well-founded solutions to complex research, development, and/or innovation problems using an appropriate development process model or method. (Development)
- act as a developer in development tasks that are complex, unpredictable, and/or require new strategic approaches. (Development)
- evaluate issues openly and boldly from multiple perspectives and build new, innovative, and functional viewpoints based on existing knowledge. (Creativity)
- communicate convincingly both orally and in writing, considering the audience. (Communication)
- utilise creative means of communication. (Communication)
- apply knowledge and skills responsibly and independently. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- produce solutions that reflect responsibility and ethics.(Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- organise and manage their own activities. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- plan and schedule work systematically. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- show tolerance for uncertainty and the ability to overcome challenges independently and justifiably. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- work constructively and purposefully in collaboration with others. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)

To achieve grade 3 (good) the student is able to:

- create an essential knowledge base by analysing both domestic and international scientific sources. (Knowledge base)
- apply the knowledge base to various professional contexts, demonstrating independent thinking. (Knowledge base)
- reflect on critical questions related to the knowledge base.(Knowledge base)
- develop well-founded solutions to research, development, and/or innovation problems using a development process model or method.(Development)
- act as a developer in development tasks requiring complex and new approaches.(Development)
- evaluate issues openly from different perspectives and build something original and functional based on existing knowledge. (Creativity)
- communicate expertly both orally and in writing. (Communication)
- utilise various means of communication effectively. (Communication)
- apply knowledge and skills demonstrating responsibility and independence. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- produce solutions that demonstrate responsibility and ethics. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- plan and execute work according to schedules. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- act independently in situations requiring tolerance to uncertainty. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- work constructively in collaboration with others. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)

To achieve grade 1 (satisfactory) the student is able to:

- create a justified knowledge base on the subject using research sources (e.g. non-peer-reviewed scientific texts). (Knowledge base)
- apply the knowledge base to various professional contexts. (Knowledge base)
- pose essential questions about the topic under consideration.(Knowledge base)
- develop well-founded solutions to development problems. (Development)
- act in development tasks. (Development)
- examine issues openly from different perspectives and design functional solutions based on existing knowledge. (Creativity)
- communicate clearly both orally and in writing. (Communication)
- utilise means of communication. (Communication)
- demonstrate organisational skills in their own activities according to schedules. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- demonstrate responsibility, independence, and ethics in their actions. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- operate in uncertain situations (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- work with others (Working skills, responsibility and independence)


“Students who have failed to demonstrate their competence in accordance with the approved level must supplement or retake their study attainment in a manner and schedule defined by the teacher of the study unit. If the student does not pass the assessment despite the opportunity to complete their study attainment, they must complete the study unit in question in full as specified by the teacher.” (Degree regulations 2024.)

All staff and students of Laurea are expected to adhere to good scientific practices, which includes appropriate referencing. Familiarise yourself with the practices and, if needed, ask for more information. All study assignments are to be done as individual work unless otherwise instructed. If Tournitin is used when assignments are checked, the lecturer will inform the students of this.

Arviointikriteerit, tyydyttävä (1-2)

To achieve grade 1-2 (satisfactory) the student is able to:

- create a justified knowledge base on the subject using research sources (e.g. non-peer-reviewed scientific texts). (Knowledge base)
- apply the knowledge base to various professional contexts. (Knowledge base)
- pose essential questions about the topic under consideration.(Knowledge base)
- develop well-founded solutions to development problems. (Development)
- act in development tasks. (Development)
- examine issues openly from different perspectives and design functional solutions based on existing knowledge. (Creativity)
- communicate clearly both orally and in writing. (Communication)
- utilise means of communication. (Communication)
- demonstrate organisational skills in their own activities according to schedules. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- demonstrate responsibility, independence, and ethics in their actions. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- operate in uncertain situations (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- work with others (Working skills, responsibility and independence)

Arviointikriteerit, hyvä (3-4)

To achieve grade 3-4 (good) the student is able to:

- create an essential knowledge base by analysing both domestic and international scientific sources. (Knowledge base)
- apply the knowledge base to various professional contexts, demonstrating independent thinking. (Knowledge base)
- reflect on critical questions related to the knowledge base.(Knowledge base)
- develop well-founded solutions to research, development, and/or innovation problems using a development process model or method.(Development)
- act as a developer in development tasks requiring complex and new approaches.(Development)
- evaluate issues openly from different perspectives and build something original and functional based on existing knowledge. (Creativity)
- communicate expertly both orally and in writing. (Communication)
- utilise various means of communication effectively. (Communication)
- apply knowledge and skills demonstrating responsibility and independence. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- produce solutions that demonstrate responsibility and ethics. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- plan and execute work according to schedules. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- act independently in situations requiring tolerance to uncertainty. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- work constructively in collaboration with others. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)

Arviointikriteerit, kiitettävä (5)

To achieve grade 5 (excellent) the student is able to:

- create a coherent knowledge base by utilising both domestic and international sources comprehensively. (Knowledge base)
- critically analyse current and relevant scientific sources. (Knowledge base)
- apply the knowledge base to various professional contexts with critical thinking. (Knowledge base)
- highlight relevant and critical perspectives related to the knowledge base.(Knowledge base)
- develop new, well-founded solutions to complex research, development, and/or innovation problems using an appropriate development process model or method. (Development)
- act as a developer in development tasks that are complex, unpredictable, and/or require new strategic approaches. (Development)
- evaluate issues openly and boldly from multiple perspectives and build new, innovative, and functional viewpoints based on existing knowledge. (Creativity)
- communicate convincingly both orally and in writing, considering the audience. (Communication)
- utilise creative means of communication. (Communication)
- apply knowledge and skills responsibly and independently. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- produce solutions that reflect responsibility and ethics.(Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- organise and manage their own activities. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- plan and schedule work systematically. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- show tolerance for uncertainty and the ability to overcome challenges independently and justifiably. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)
- work constructively and purposefully in collaboration with others. (Working skills, responsibility and independence)