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Service Blueprints

A Service Blueprint is a diagram that visualizes the relationships between different components of a service (people, processes, and objects) across the different stages of customer interaction.

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A Service Blueprint is a diagram that visualizes the relationships between different components of a service (people, processes, and objects) across the different stages of customer interaction. It’s like a [[Customer Journey Maps|Customer Journey Map]] with superpowers, as it not only shows what the customer sees, but also everything that happens “behind the curtain” to make that experience possible.

What are Service Blueprints?

Imagine that a [[Customer Journey Maps|Customer Journey Map]] is the view a diner has at a restaurant: they see the menu, talk to the waiter, receive their food. A Service Blueprint is the complete blueprint of the restaurant: it shows the diner, the waiter, but also the cooks in the kitchen, the ordering system, the suppliers who bring the ingredients, and the cleaning processes.

A Service Blueprint goes beyond the digital interface and maps the entire service. It is structured in horizontal lanes:

  1. Physical Evidence: The objects and places the customer interacts with (e.g., a physical store, a website, a confirmation email).
  2. Customer Actions: The steps the customer takes. This lane is basically the [[Customer Journey Maps|Customer Journey Map]].

— Line of Interaction —

  1. Onstage/Frontstage Actions: The actions employees perform that are visible to the customer (e.g., a waiter taking an order, a support agent on chat).

— Line of Visibility —

  1. Backstage Actions: The actions employees perform that are invisible to the customer (e.g., a cook preparing the food, a developer updating the database).

— Line of Internal Interaction —

  1. Support Processes: The internal systems and processes that support employees (e.g., inventory management software, payment system, company policies).

Why are they important?

  • They reveal internal complexity: They show how internal processes affect the customer experience. A customer pain point is often the symptom of a backstage problem.
  • They identify optimization opportunities: They are an incredible tool for finding inefficiencies, redundancies, and bottlenecks in internal processes.
  • They break down silos: They force different departments (product, marketing, operations, legal) to collaborate and see how their work interconnects to create the customer experience.
  • They are fundamental for omnichannel services: They are the best way to map complex experiences that occur both online and offline.

How are they made?

  1. Define the Scenario: Just like with a CJM, start with a specific scenario you want to map (e.g., “The process of returning a product purchased online”).
  2. Map the Customer Journey: First fill in the customer actions lane. You can use an existing Customer Journey Map as a starting point.
  3. Identify the Interactions: For each customer action, map the onstage and backstage actions that occur in parallel. Follow the lines: if a customer clicks “Buy” (customer action), a warehouse employee receives a notification (backstage action).
  4. Add the Support Processes: What internal systems and processes are needed for all of the above to happen? (e.g., payment system, logistics software).
  5. Add Evidence and Metrics: Include the physical evidence and, if possible, arrows showing dependencies and metrics like time per step.
  6. Analyze and find opportunities: Look for friction points, not just for the customer, but also for employees. A frustrated employee often leads to a frustrated customer. Identify areas to improve efficiency and experience.

Mentor Tips

  • It’s a team sport: Never, ever make a Service Blueprint alone. Its main value comes from bringing together people from different departments in a room (or a call) to map the process together. Each person will contribute a piece of the puzzle that others can’t see.
  • Don’t seek perfection, seek understanding: The first draft will be a mess, and that’s fine. The goal of the activity is the process of shared discussion and discovery, not just the final artifact.
  • Use real photos and artifacts: During the workshop, ask people to bring screenshots, emails, forms, etc. This makes the process much more tangible.
  • Start with a small scope: Mapping an entire company’s service is a titanic task. Start with a single scenario that is particularly problematic or important.

Resources and Tools

Tags

ux artifact strategy mid-level lead