Service blueprints are used for service innovation and were first described by Lynn Shostack in 1984. They map out service processes within a company by dividing components into customer actions, visible employee actions, invisible employee actions, support processes, and physical evidence. Service blueprints precisely show how a service is structured and are especially useful for developing and designing new services.
8. Meaning of Service Blueprint:
• The service blueprint is a technique used for
service innovation.
• The technique was first described by Lynn
Shostack, a bank executive, in the Harvard
Business Review in 1984.
• The blueprint shows processes within the
company, divided into different components
which are separated by lines.
9. Approaches:
• Service blueprints are maps or pictures that
precisely portray how a service process is built
up.
• Blueprints are especially useful, when it comes
to developing and designing new services.
10. Components of Service Blueprinting :
1. Customer Actions
2. Onstage / Visible Contact Employee Actions
3. Backstage / Invisible Contact Employee
Actions
4. Support Processes
5. Physical Evidence
Notes de l'éditeur
Customer ActionsThis component contains all of the steps that customers take as part of the service delivery process. This element is always on top of the service blueprint.Onstage / Visible Contact Employee ActionsThis element is separated from the customer actions by a ‘line of interaction’. These actions are face-to-face actions between employees and customers.Backstage / Invisible Contact Employee ActionsThe ‘line of visibility’ separates the Onstage from the Backstage actions. Everything that appears above the line of visibility can be seen by the customers, while everything under the line of visibility is invisible for the customers. A very good example of an action in this element, is a telephone call; these is an action between an employee and a customer, but they don’t see each other.Support ProcessesThe ‘internal line of interaction’ separates the contact employees from the support processes. These are all the activities carried out by individuals and units within the company who are not contact employees. These activities need to happen in order for the service to be delivered.Physical EvidenceFor each customer action, and every moment of truth, the physical evidence that customers come in contact with is described at the very top of the service blueprint. These are all the tangibles that customers are exposed to that can influence their quality perceptions.
Customer Actions This component contains all of the steps that customers take as part of the service delivery process. This element is always on top of the service blueprint.Onstage / Visible Contact Employee Actions This element is separated from the customer actions by a ‘line of interaction’. These actions are face-to-face actions between employees and customers.
Backstage / Invisible Contact Employee Actions The ‘line of visibility’ separates the Onstage from the Backstage actions. Everything that appears above the line of visibility can be seen by the customers, while everything under the line of visibility is invisible for the customers. A very good example of an action in this element, is a telephone call; these is an action between an employee and a customer, but they don’t see each other.
Support Processes The ‘internal line of interaction’ separates the contact employees from the support processes. These are all the activities carried out by individuals and units within the company who are not contact employees. These activities need to happen in order for the service to be delivered.Physical Evidence For each customer action, and every moment of truth, the physical evidence that customers come in contact with is described at the very top of the service blueprint.