Guru Mantra: Dr.Shrikant Parikh, Chairman, IBM-SPJIMR Center of SSME

Dr. Shrikant Parikh
Chairman of IBM-SPJIMR Center of SSME

Dr.Shrikant Parikh has had a varied career as an IBM(US) professional, entrepreneur and inventor. He serves as chairman of IBM-SPJIMR Center of SSME and serves as an adjunct professor at SPJIMR. He has cofounded a technology company in Tele Medicine space which he is heading. He serves as a company advisor/director. He has a Ph.D. in computer science and has been granted 33 international patents till date and has published over 50 invention disclosures.

Rahul- What were the drivers of setting up of the IBM - SPJIMR Centre for Services Science, Management and Engineering? How does the Centre help in meeting the needs of the changing service sector in India.
Dr. Parikh- Majority of Indian economy(53%+) is being driven by services. SPJIMR saw this macro reality years ago and initiated courses in this area. SPJIMR has always been known for dynamically changing and evolving with times.

IBM with its pioneering initiative in services saw a need to develop the field of services in multiple dimensions. IBM helped shape a broader view of the world of services as 'Service Science Management and Engineering'.

IBM saw it fit to partner with leading academic institutes all over world to jointly develop this relatively nascent field. In India IBM wanted to partner with a leading business school.

There was an instant meeting of minds between IBM and SPJIMR since both felt the need to give an impetus to services education, research and development of appropriate tools and cases . Therefore IBM-SPJIMR Center for SSME was born.

The center's broad mission is to ultimately help develop services professionals, be of assistance to services organizations and encourage entrepreneurship in services.

Rahul- The Centre has also launched the Advanced Certificate Program in Services. Please share the need and structure of the program and how would it help the participants?
Dr.Parikh- This program is a pioneering one and only one of its kind in India. There is a dearth of a comprehensive program in services. At a more basic level there is a lack of awareness about the existing subject matter on services.

A service professional is expected to be a 'T' shaped professionals with a breadth of knowledge to be able to relate with the different dimensions of the world of services and a depth in specific area(s). He is also exected to be knowledgeble about an industry domain. All this posed a challenge to the program architects.

The program has 6 modules, with each one focusing on a few dimensions of services like product design, operations, quality, HR, ethics, economics , modelling etc. The program has two track approach. After class room sessions by subect matter experts, the second track of each module will offer sessions by senior service industry practtioners. Each module will be on the last Fri-Sat-Sun of each month beginning Jan 2010.

Between two contacts (modules), the participants will be expected to work on mini projects. The five mini projects will culminate into a larger comprehensive project. All the project work will involve a specific real life service offering. The faculty is best in class drawn from IBM, SPJIMR, national institutes and industry.